Senate leader says Boehner should yield to public on tax hikes

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 – The top Republican in Congress should yield to public opinion and permit an increase in tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner “can’t ignore the American people forever,” Reid told a Capitol Hill news conference. He cited polls showing that most Americans favor raising taxes on the rich while extending tax cuts for the middle class as part of a possible deal to avert “the fiscal cliff,” automatic tax hikes and budget cuts set to begin in 2013. …