A bit more from the Senate Minority Leader.

Let me put it very clearly.  I am not willing to raise taxes to turn off the sequester.  Period.

Despite President Obama’s continued demonizing rhetoric at the expense of concrete proposals, Senator McConnell is quite clear:  tax revenues can be raised, by closing loopholes or by capping total deductions above an income level (a Romney idea being floated), but there can be no rate increases, and any revenue increases can come only in conjunction with tax reform and, insist other Republicans, with entitlement reform.

What Democratic proposals are there in opposition (or even rough conjunction)?  Obama is characteristically silent, reluctant to put his own name to anything concrete.  Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY) has a sort of idea, though, that’s pretty clear: Republicans should give up on tax reform that lowers rates in return for fewer loopholes; they should accept high(er) rates and closed loopholes.

There’s more of that bipartisanship, Progressive style.

In the end, though [emphasis in the original],

[W]e Republicans in the House and Senate think we have a voter mandate not to raise taxes.