Patrick defends Obama's tax plan

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts today stood by his friend and political ally -- President Obama -- on Obama's plan to let tax cuts expire as scheduled in 2010 for the highest-income Americans.

To help slice the federal deficit, Obama plans to allow the tax cuts passed under the Bush administration to lapse for individuals making $200,000 or more a year and families earning $250,000 or more.

Critics call it a tax increase that will hurt the economic recovery and is unfair to people already paying the lion's share of total taxes.

But asked about it on MSNBC, Patrick said Obama's plan would impose "a fair amount of taxes" on people who are relatively wealthy.

"Nobody is talking about taking that wealth away," Patrick, who is in Washington for a National Governors Association meeting, said from in front of the White House.

Patrick said he would be hit by the increase and had no problem paying more, having come "from nearly nothing" to where he is blessed to make an ample living.