The Tax Increase You Probably Haven't Heard About

President Obama irked many members of his party by not pushing for increased taxes in the debt ceiling and budget cap bill he signed Tuesday, but I've heard the White House told veterans groups at a meeting yesterday that a tax increase plan is in the offing.

The White House Office of Public Engagement invited representatives from a bunch of groups, including the America Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project over for a budget chat yesterday, and I'm told high level officials "were adamant that new taxes were on the table."

The White House assured the groups that the Veterans Affairs Department and its programs were "safe" from grand plans to cut $2.1 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade.

If you believe that, you also probably believe that the Defense Department and VA will deploy a joint electronic heath record next year.