With national unemployment hovering near 10 percent, a number of leading Democrat Senators and candidates are abandoning failed jobs czar Lee Fisher (D-OH), embattled U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and other Democrat party bosses as they seek to implement legislation for the largest tax increase in American history later this year. 

During just the last two weeks, three Democrat Senate candidates in key swing states joined a group of Fisher’s colleagues in Washington who oppose the Obama-Reid-Pelosi tax hike, which Fisher has promised to rubberstamp. The Dayton Daily NewsRasmussen poll, “Sixty-two percent of Ohio likely voters want to extend the so-called Bush tax cuts that are set to expire on Dec. 31” which is “8 points above the finding on the national level.” reports that according to the latest

“For a reminder of how painfully out-of-touch failed jobs czar Lee Fisher is with voters in his state, Ohioans need look no further than what his own fellow Democrats are saying about the tax-hiking agenda that Fisher supports,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Marchand. “While many of Fisher’s fellow Democrats have stepped forward and finally acknowledged that raising taxes will hurt families and small businesses in the midst of a recession, he continues to firmly support President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi’s massive tax hike on the families, seniors, and job creators in his state.”

On Friday, Louisiana Democrat Senate candidate U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon (D-LA) became the latest Democrat to announce that he now opposes Fisher’s efforts to raise taxes by repealing any of the 2001 and 2003 tax relief measures. Melancon’s announcement comes on the heels of two other leading Democrat Senate candidates, Rubberstamp Robin Carnahan (D-MO) and liberal trial lawyer Jack Conway (D-KY), who recently flip-flopped on their positions.

In addition, several sitting Democrat Senators, including Budget Committee Chairman U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), have announced they will oppose Fisher’s efforts, while Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said recently that extending the tax cuts would strengthen a still struggling U.S. economy. Yet Fisher is standing firm with Harry Reid, insisting on a September fight in the Senate over this issue. 

Background Information:

“[F]isher Argues That Tax Cuts For The Wealthy Have Helped Create The Crisis.” (Jack Torry and Jonathan Riskind, “Senate Head To Head: Your Money,” The Columbus Dispatch, 7/11/10)