In the long list of polls that reflect majority support in the country for allowing the tax cuts for the rich to expire, there was one highlighted by the Wall Street Journal that has gotten lost in the hub-bub:
As Congress and President Obama fight over the Bush tax cuts, a small number of left-leaning rich people have come out in support of paying higher taxes. The most famous are the members of the Responsible Wealth Project, who say they pay too little in taxes and want to address inequality.
They may be an eccentric minority, or (in the view of conservatives) a lunatic fringe. But a Quinnipiac University poll this year showed nearly two-thirds of those with household incomes of more than $250,000 a year support raising their own taxes to reduce the federal deficit.
So not all of the wealthy are angry about tax hikes. But that doesn’t mean they just want bigger government. What they want is better government – and investment in growth.
Here's that poll, from March, before this became a political flashpoint and in relation to dealing with the deficit. By the way, here's the findings on cutting Social Security and Medicare: "On Social Security, 73 percent of Republicans, 84 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of independent voters are opposed. On Medicare, 75 percent of Republicans, 80 percent of Democrats and 74 percent of independents are opposed."
So two-thirds of people making more than $250,000 are patriotic Americans willing to pay more, to sacrifice a little for their country. Ben Stein and Brad "Deling's" correspondent should be ashamed, but I'm not sure that Ben Stein is actually capable of it.
(H/T Chris in Paris)