-per Major Garrett

Clinton simultaneously hailed Rep. Charlie Rangel’s bravery while at the same time demurring on many parts of his ambitious new tax overhaul proposal.

Typically, someone  identifies specific as opposed to general acts of bravery. This illustrated a bit of a conundrum for Clinton. She wants to praise an ardent supporter but doesn’t want to commit to all the specifics. Her tax policy answer sounded wonky and fluid, an interesting and legislative deft combination (but not exactly a debate hum-dinger).

Obama took the question and enlarged it both philosophically and tangibly. The philosophy, young earners should get a break on Social Security payroll taxes (which by far gobble up more of their pre-tax income when compared to income taxes) and that the elderly should receive some tax break when it comes to federal taxes imposed on their Social Security benefits (enacted by President Clinton in his 1993 deficit reduction and tax bill). All this, Obama said, would be paid for by higher taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers. Thus, Obama trumped the stage by giving his tax policy a philosophic core (help young earners and cash-pinched retirees), while taxing the rich with either higher income or payroll taxes. Obama’s best substantive moment, by quite some distance.