Conservatives fight back on White House's 'My2K' tax rates push on Twitter

The White House’s 'My2k' hashtag campaign is a success on Twitter, trending nationally on Wednesday and stirring up debate over the upcoming tax rate deadline. But conservatives are fighting back, appropriating the hashtag and arguing their side of the debate.

The #My2k hashtag began trending nationwide on Twitter on Wednesday morning when senior members of the administration — in a coordinated effort — began tweeting about the hashtag campaign. Use surged anew after President Obama’s speech about extending middle-class tax rates, when he urged supporters to call, write, tweet at and post on the Facebook walls of their members of Congress.

"Call your members of Congress. Write them an email. Tweet it using the hashtag #My2K." — President Obama

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 28, 2012

The White House is retweeting some users’ responses to the question “What does $2,000 mean to you?” The number is the estimated amount by which middle-class families would see their taxes increase, on average, if Congress fails to extend current applicable tax rates. Obama, in his speech, framed the current negotiations as a fight to "keep middle class taxes low."

What does $2,000 mean to you? Tell us with #My2k twitter.com/whitehouse/sta…

— The White House (@whitehouse) November 28, 2012

Conservatives fought back, seeking to clarify what they oppose in the tax rate debate. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, paid to promote a response on the #My2k hashtag that calls out billionaire Warren Buffett on his support of Obama's call to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) also reminded the White House that House Republicans are not opposed to extending current tax rates for the middle class.

MUST-READ: 4 Reasons Warren Buffett Is Wrong on Tax Hikes!herit.ag/SaGWuJ #imnotafanof

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) November 27, 2012

FYI @whitehouse: House GOP voted to stop #my2k tax rate hikes & defend #smallbiz jobs. What spending will Dems cut to stop #fiscalcliff?

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) November 28, 2012

The sticking point between Democrats and Republicans in the tax rate debate is the GOP’s push to extend all current tax rates and Obama’s plan to extend all but the rates that apply to family incomes of more than $250,000 a year. Those families would see their tax rates go up. Republicans say that would particularly hurt small businesses; Democrats say that increased revenue is necessary.

The George W. Bush-era rates are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Negotiating the decision to extend all or part of the current rates will be part of the upcoming fiscal cliff negotiations.

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