robert riesh is a professor of micks at the university of california berkeley.ssors, a lot of pain across the board when we talk about what's happening in this country. a lot of pain for the middle class if the tax cuts expire. give me your general impression first of what the republicans are doing here and what do you think their end game is in this fight? >> thomas, this is another example of brickmanship. we've seen this again and again this past year. in fact, the past four years. republicans particularly the radical right tea partiers they do not want to compromise. they want to use every bit of bargaining negotiating power they have even if it means the middle class are not going to get a tax cut. they want a pay for, that is they want kind of demand and get the president and democrats to pay for this tax increase. it's actually a tax cut technically because if that thing is not extended it's going to be a tax increase. but to pay for the continued payroll tax cut by doing all kinds of things. and the president says no. the middle class needs this, the eco