http:/www.washingtonpost.com/business/fiscal-cliff/democrats-now-pushing-for-tax-cuts-they-once-opposed/2012/12/25/bc318a84-4df4-11e2-950a-7863a013264b_story_2.htmlDemocrats push for tax cuts they once opposedBy Zachary A. Goldfarb, Dec 26, 2012 03:00 AM ESTThe Washington Post Wednesday, December 26, 10:00 AM1. Democrats seeking a deal to avert the year-end “fiscal cliff” are trying to etch into stone the signature economic achievement of Republican President George W. Bush by permanently extending tax cuts enacted during his tenure.Democrat (美国)民主党党员，民主党人，民主党支持者 a member or supporter of the Democratic party of the USRepublican 共和党党员，共和党的支持者 a member or supporter of the Republican party of the USavert 防止，避免（危险，坏事）to prevent sth bad or dangerous from happeningetch 铭刻，画出的轮廓 to make a strong clear mark or pattern on sth.enact 通过（法律）to pass a lawtenure 任期 the term during which some position is held2. President Obama has put the extension of the tax cuts for most Americans at the top of his domestic agenda, a remarkable turnaround for Democrats, who had staunchly opposed the tax breaks when they were written into law about a decade ago.Agenda议事日程；工作计划，行为事项 a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended toStaunchly坚定地，忠实地 firm and dependable especially in loyalty3. With Obama leaving his Hawaii vacation for Washington on Wednesday and lawmakers returning Thursday, the main dividing line between Republicans and Democrats has come down to whether tax rates should increase for top earners at the end of the year, when the Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire. While Republicans want to extend all the cuts, Democrats are pushing to maintain lower rates on household income below $250,000. Those lower rates significantly reduce the taxes of nearly all American households that earn less than $250,000 and many who earn more, even if tax rates are allowed to increase on income above that figure.4. While it is increasingly unlikely that the two parties will reach an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff before Jan. 1, it is all but certain that their ultimate deal, whenever it comes, will make permanent the lower rates for most Americans.5. R. Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School and an architect of the Bush tax cuts, said it is “deeply ironic” for Democrats to favor extending most of them, given what he called their “visceral” opposition a decade ago. Keeping the lower rates even for income under $250,000 “would enshrine the vast bulk of the Bush tax cuts,” he said.Visceral出于本能的，粗俗的 obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observationEnshrine 载入，铭记 hold sacredBulk 容量，大多数 the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part6. Democrats say they have reconsidered their opposition to the Bush tax cuts for several reasons. The cuts were written into law from 2001 to 2003 after a decade in which most Americans saw robust income growth. Over the past decade, by contrast, median wages have declined, after adjusting for inflation, amid a weak economy. Allowing tax cuts for the middle class to expire would further reduce take-home pay.Robust 健康的，强健的 marked by richness and fullness of flavorinflation 通货膨胀，信用膨胀，物价飞涨 a general and progressive increase in pricesin inflation everything gets more valuable except money take-home pay 扣税后的实得工资 what is left of your pay after deductions for taxes and dues and insurance etc7.“Weve had these tax cuts in place since 2001. The world changes, and the economy is where it is,” said Steven Elmendorf, who was chief of staff to former House minority leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), a primary opponent of the Bush tax cuts. “With peoples economic status, we should not be raising taxes on people earning under $250,000.”8. Whats more, income inequality has been growing. Sparing the middle class higher taxes while requiring the wealthy to pay more would tip the scales slightly in the other direction.9.“The reason theres been this movement toward broad consensus on renewing the tax cut for working- and middle-class families is that will give us a sharper progressivity in the tax system that is very much desired by Democrats and progressives whove seen an income distribution more and more distorted toward the wealthy,” said Betsey Stevenson, former chief economist in Obamas Labor Department and a professor at the University of Michigan, who added that taxes may have to rise even more than currently contemplated to meet the countrys needs.contemplate 预期 think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposesBut more than economics is at work. Democrats have found what they consider a winning political argument in calling for lower taxes on the middle class and higher taxes on the wealthy. And while, a decade ago, many Democrats favored maintaining higher tax rates to help fund domestic programs, it is much harder to take away a tax cut than make it.“Most fundamentally, it was due to a perception b