Axelrod appeared on the CNN program and other Sunday talk shows in the latest salvo by the Obama administration in a battle for public and political support for the plan that combines extended tax cuts from the Bush era with extended unemployment benefits, tax breaks and the payroll tax holiday intended to bolster a sluggish recovery from economic recession.  House Democrats declared last week that they opposed the package because it would extend the lower Bush-era tax rates for millionaires. They support the stance Obama has championed for years -- extending the current lower tax rates only for those earning up to $200,000 a year, or families earning $250,000, while letting rates for higher incomes return to 1990s levels.  However, Senate Republicans have refused to accept any difference in tax treatment for the wealthy, demanding that all current rates be extended. Last week, they blocked Democratic measures in the Senate to limit the extended tax cuts to income levels below $1 million a year.  With the tax cuts expiring at the end of the year, and Republicans able to block any legislation in the Senate, Obama and Democrats face a fast-approaching deadline to reach a deal or see tax bills increase for everyone.  Asked about the possibility of dropping provisions opposed by liberal Democrats, such as extending Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, Axelrod said the main components of the deal with Republicans must remain in place.  "This is what has been negotiated. This is what the Republican Party in the Senate accepted," Axelrod said.  He acknowledged the deal includes provisions "that many are aggrieved about," and that critics on both sides of the political spectrum were "howling."  "This is what compromise is about," Axelrod said, adding: "We have to move forward."
President Barack Obama's senior adviser ruled out any major changes to the tax package negotiated with Republicans, saying Sunday that it is time to move forward on a compromise that includes