Provision that would give low income people, who don’t pay income taxes, a discount on Social Security taxes

From The Caucus:

The economic stimulus is President Obama’s first leadership test. But it’s also a test of his brand of politics, which emphasizes transcending partisan divides. So Mr. Obama invited the Republicans to come talk it out with him on Friday, and here’s what he said to Representative Eric Cantor when the Virginia Republican brought up his disagreement over a provision that would give low income people, who don’t pay income taxes, a discount on Social Security taxes:

“We just have a difference here, and I’m president,” Mr. Obama said to Mr. Cantor, according to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, who was at the meeting.

Mr. Emanuel said that Mr. Obama was being lighthearted and that lawmakers of both parties had laughed.

Mr. Cantor, in an interview later, had a similar recollection. He said the president had told him, “You’re correct, there’s a philosophical difference, but I won, so we’re going to prevail on that.”

“He was very straightforward,” Mr. Cantor added. “There was no disrespect, but it was very matter-of-fact.”