Trying to sell a carbon tax in a no-new-taxes world

Congress demonstrated last week that its current polarized membership is probably incapable of agreeing to any kind of tax increase, even as an alternative to much bigger tax increases slated to take effect automatically. Nor do many Republicans seem receptive to President Obama's argument that tax increases are a necessary part of a multi-year effort to bring down the federal deficit.

By Jon Healey

December 24, 2012