The debate over the expiration of the Bush tax cuts – and Pres. Obama’s rhetoric that those cuts should only continue for the “middle-class” and not the “wealthiest” – skirts the fact that hundreds of thousands of small businesses (the true job creation engine) would face a tax hike.

“…Democrats say only a tiny fraction of small businesses would be affected,” reported Jonathan Karl of ABC News. “That’s true, according to the Tax Policy Center, which says only 2.5 percent of small businesses would see their taxes go up. So, 2.5 percent affected. We asked the Tax Policy Center how many businesses that is. Their answer: 894,000 small businesses that would see their taxes go up. A small percentage, but a large number of small businesses.”

Some Democrats are getting the message that higher taxes on those making more than $250,000 is going to deepen the economic misery, not help – particularly if small business owners cut payroll.

“Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb, on Thursday joined a growing list of Democrats that support an extension of all of the Bush-era tax cuts which are set to expire at the end of this year…” reported Fox News.