DEMS DELAY VOTE ON 'TAX CUTS'

Congress Punts on Taxes

Democrats Put Off Showdown on Bush Cuts Until After November Election

By MARTIN VAUGHAN And JOHN D. MCKINNON

WASHINGTON—Democrats abandoned plans to vote before Election Day on extending Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class while eliminating them for better-off Americans, spooked by protests from vulnerable incumbents and bleak prospects for passage.

With time running out to plan for 2011, the delay raises uncertainty for small businesses and individual taxpayers over their future liabilities. It also sets up a titanic battle over taxes after the election.