Axelrod: Obama Has Tax Mandate

President Obama has a mandate to raise taxes on wealthy Americans, senior campaign adviser David Axelrod said on Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Obama has threatened to veto any bill that that does not allow tax rates to rise on households that earn more than $250,000 a year. Asked if Obama has won a mandate with his election victory, despite winning by a small percentage, Axelrod did not answer directly, but said Obama had won a mandate on taxes.

“On this particular issue, it wasn't close,” Axlerod said, citing exit polling that show about 60 percent of voters agreed with Obama’s position on taxes.

“It is obvious that we can’t resolve the nation’s problems simply by cutting [spending],” Axelrod said. “Where is that revenue gonna come from? President Obama believes it is more equable for it to come from the wealthiest Americans, and most Americans agree with that.”

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