The Hill News

The White House press office on Wednesday circulated endorsements of the tax-cut deal by two Democrats. 

The unusual move is an attempt by the White House to build momentum for the agreement, which has been scorned by most members of the president's party so far. 

The White House touted the support from second-term Michigan Rep. Gary Peters and first-term Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who both expressed hope the proposal could forge bipartisan agreement in Congress. 

{mosads}Hardly any Democrats in Congress have publicly announced support for the accord, which includes a two-year extension of all the Bush tax cuts in exchange for a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits. Most Democrats are enraged at the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy, and that anger is threatening the deal's passage.

President Obama has gone on the offensive this week in an attempt to sell the tax-cut deal to skeptical members of Congress and liberal critics who say he ce! ded too much ground to Republicans in both the substance and politics of the agreement. 

Webb called the deal the "ultimate stimulus plan" and echoed Obama by saying that passing the plan now will do good for the struggling economy. 

“No one will agree with every provision in the proposed agreement," he said in his statement. "The simple reality is that the American people, and particularly those who are out of work, cannot afford to wait while politics-as-usual blocks an effective, bipartisan plan to stimulate the economy and restore growth.”