Robin Carnahan, Missouri Senate Candidate, Wants Bush Tax Cuts Extended For Wealthy

Breaking from the president and the majority of her party, Robin Carnahan, the Democratic Senate candidate in Missouri, announced on Thursday that she supports extending the Bush tax cuts for all recipients, including the wealthy.

In an appearance before the state fair in Sedalia, Missouri, Carnahan stressed that "now [was] not the time to raise taxes" for members of any income class. Tony Messenger, a reporter with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was at the fair and tweeted the news. A Carnahan campaign aide confirmed the Secretary of State's position to the Huffington Post.

In announcing her support for a full extension of the Bush tax cuts -- which are set to expire this year -- Carnahan creates conspicuous distance between herself and many of the national Democrats she's hoping to join. President Obama, for one, has pushed for an extension of the cuts for those making below $200,000. Individuals earning more than that or families in an income bracket above $250,000 would see their tax rates revert to previous levels under the president's plan. With some exceptions, this position has been echoed by Democrats on the Hill, who argue that the budget would take a major blow if the tax cuts for the wealthy are extended.

On the campaign trail, it appears, the argument is a bit harder to make. Carnahan isn't the first Democratic Senate candidate to call for an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway has said that he favors keeping the current rates for "five, eight, maybe ten" additional years. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), who is running for Sen. Evan Bayh's soon to be vacated seat, also has said he would support extending the entire package of Bush tax cuts.