President Barack Obama's top political aide Wednesday defended the tax plan the president hammered out with Republican leaders, even as Democrats threaten to rebel over it.

David Axelrod insisted the most important thing was that Obama had been able to secure a two-year extension in current income tax rates for "the middle class."

Democrats are angry that the extension also applies to high earners, as Republicans had demanded, and that Obama agreed to a Republican proposal on the estate tax

Obama is doing the right thing here with this compromise. Democrats criticize him for making so many compromises but if he didn't compromise things would never move along in politics. I think its great that he is trying to make Democrats and Republicans work together and actually make a difference in this country.

A political summit between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders Tuesday yielded further talks on how to extend Bush-era tax breaks scheduled to expire at the end of the year, as well as an acknowledgment from Obama that he needs to reach out more to Republicans.

The meeting, dubbed by some the "Slurpee summit" for a campaign dig by Obama at congressional Republicans, involved the president and leaders of both parties from the House and Senate. It came in the aftermath of the November midterm election in which Republicans took control of the House and gained six seats in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Its good to see Obama trying to break down barriers between Democrats and Republicans. In order to have a successful government one cant just have one extreme government view on how to do things because both sides have some good ideas politically speaking. But Obama shouldn't compromise or fold with these pressures because some might take his willingness to work with he opposing side as weakness but it should be viewed as a strength to work with ones opposition and work towards a common goal to make this country great like it was