Shay Totten, Fair Game

In an interview on MSNBC's "The Ed Show", U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) all but uttered the "f-word" when asked if he would stop the proposed deal to extend tax cuts to even the wealthiest U.S. citizens.

By "f-word" I mean "filibuster".

"I will do whatever I can to see that 60 votes are not acquired to pass this piece of legislation," Sanders said in response to a deal crafted by the White House and legislative leaders.

The deal, roughly, would allow all of the tax cuts enacted under Pres. George W. Bush to remain in place for all income filers. In exchange, unemployment benefits would be extended for another year and a two percent payroll tax cut would be enacted.

"Will you you fillibuster this?" asked host Ed Schultz.

"I will do whatever I can on this. This is a very, very bad agreement," Sanders added. "I think we've got to hold tough on this, hold firm on this and not concede to Republicans who have no inclination to compromise; they want it all for their rich friends."

You can view the entire exchange between Schultz and Sanders here.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) also fired a salvo late Monday in response to the deal outlined by Pres. Barack Obama, calling on Obama and the Democratic leadership not to give in to the GOP demands to extend the tax cuts to the wealthiest two percent of tax filers.

Welch is circulating a letter in Congress hoping to encourage other Democrats to vote against the deal. He plans to deliver the letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tomorrow.

"We oppose acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires for two reasons," writes Welch. "First, it is fiscally irresponsible. Second, it is grossly unfair. Without a doubt, the very same people who support this addition to our debt will oppose raising the debt ceiling to pay for it. We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President initially proposed. He should not back down. Nor should we."

Here's the full text of Welch's letter to Pelosi:

We oppose acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires for two reasons.

First, it is fiscally irresponsible. Adding $700 billion to our national debt, as this proposal would do, handcuffs our ability to offer a balanced plan to achieve fiscal stability without a punishing effect on our current commitments, including Social Security and Medicare.

Second, it is grossly unfair. This proposal will hurt, not help, the majority of Americans in the middle class and those working hard to get there. Even as Republicans seek to add $700 billion to our national debt, they oppose extending unemployment benefits to workers and resist COLA increases to seniors.

Without a doubt, the very same people who support this addition to our debt will oppose raising the debt ceiling to pay for it.

We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President initially proposed. He should not back down. Nor should we.