Jonathan Chait writes, “The fact is, blame for failing to extend the popular elements of the Bush tax cuts should be placed on Republicans. They’re the ones who won’t extend a bill like that without getting something (unpopular) in exchange.” This claim would have more force if House Democrats had passed a bill extending middle-class tax cuts that had then fallen victim to a Senate Republican filibuster. At any point since January 2007, House Democrats, if they had really wanted to do it, could have passed an extension of the middle-class tax cuts. They didn’t, and for most of that period President Obama didn’t push them to act.