Obama Administration Axes Its Tax on Christmas Trees ... For Now

Reeling from "Grinch" charges, the Obama administration delayed a 15-cent Christmas tree tax before the ink had barely dried on the announcement.

Announcing the levy in the Federal Register Tuesday, the administration planned to impose the tax on Christmas trees to pay for a new board to promote the Christmas tree industry.

The Agriculture Department would levy the fee on "producers and importers" of fresh Christmas trees, provided they sell or import more than 500 trees a year.

But confronted with an all-too-predictable flurry of criticism, the administration delayed implementation on Wednesday. But the idea isn't dead yet.

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich spun the story this way to ABC News:

I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing Christmas trees. Whats being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign, similar to how the dairy producers have created the Got Milk? campaign.