Webb 'a no' on Obama tax plan

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said Thursday he's opposed to President Barack Obama's plan to extend the Bush-era tax cuts to household income under $250,000 for one year, joining Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) as two members of the 53-member Senate Democratic Caucus who plan to vote against the plan.

"That's a no," Webb told Reuters when asked if he'd vote for the plan.

Webb has called for taxes to be increased on dividends and capital gains instead, and his spokesman, Will Jenkins, told POLITICO: "Sen. Webb has consistently stated that he opposes raising taxes on ordinary earned income."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House now cannot risk any more defections if they want to show they have majority support in the Senate.

But things, of course, could very well change. The legislation has not been publicly unveiled yet, and it's unclear if the vote will be held to break a filibuster or on the plan's merits. Lieberman said he could potentially vote to break a filibuster, which would require 60 votes.

Manu Raju is senior congressional reporter for Politico.