We're having some scorcher this summer. And I'm not talking about the weather. I'm talking about taxes, specifically expiring tax cuts -- popularly known as the Bush tax cuts.

These tax cuts are set to expire at the end of this year. So, the Democrats and President Obama have a problem. Why is it their problem? Well, currently, they're in charge. And the expiration of these cuts is now getting a lot of attention.

It seems to me that the people in charge have three choices when it comes to these tax cuts. Do nothing, which means the tax cuts for the middle class and the rich (depending on your definition of each) go away, and that is a tax hike. Or, follow the Obama Administration plan and re-enact the tax cuts for the middle class -- on a permanent or temporary basis -- but not for "the rich." Or, re-enact all the tax cuts on a temporary basis so that the economy can stabilize. (Both the Tax Foundation and the Tax Policy Center websites have great information on the expiring tax cuts as well.)

Our economic recovery is shaky at best. If the powers in charge do nothing, they take the risk -- real or perceived -- that raising taxes will slow or end the recovery. I'm not sure what the effect on economic recovery would be if you just raise income taxes at the highest levels. So, as much as I hate "patches," I think I favor a temporary one to two year extension of the expiring income tax cuts for everybody.

What I am more sure of now is that the world view of this Administration will be involved here. This administration thinks that anyone earning more than $200,000 a year or a family earning more than $250,000 a year is rich. And it is the world view of the Obama Administration that it's time for the rich to pay up.

When talking about the rich, Treasury Secretary Geithner and President Obama refer to them as "fortunate," insinuating -- if not just stating it outright -- that the rich are lucky. That's why they're rich. This is a point of view I 'd expect from a couple of liberal arts college professors, not from those in charge.

I'm all for a progressive income tax system. And I'm all for a strong estate tax for the idle rich. But the people I know who are well-off work hard for their money. They worked hard in school and worked hard in business. They took risks, which weren't backed by government safety nets. They created things. And, as they rose, they learned that there are some in this country who like to demonize success -- even fear it.

There's a saying that I'm fond of: Trying to blow out somebody's candle won't make yours burn any brighter. I'm fully aware of the growing gap in this country between the haves and the have-nots. But building class warfare by arguing that the land of opportunity has changed into the land of the fortunate few is not the answer. The tone at the top matters.

Last week, the Associated Press reported President Obama as saying, "it was just a few years ago that we had high credit card balances, we had two kids, thinking about college. We had our own retirement accounts, wondering if we were going to be able to get enough assets in there." Forget about whether the President of the United States should be talking to the nation about his personal finances. Apparently, his family is OK now. I congratulate him on his luck.

Insulting, isn't it?