Sen. Chuck Schumer (Jason Reed/Reuters)
Sen. Chuck Schumer, who heads up the Senate Democrats' political messaging,
promised an intense focus by Democrats on tax fairness, on keeping the Buffett Rule an issue from now until the election. He
wasn't kidding.
Congressional Democrats and the White House plan to target Republican senators in 13 states next week, in an effort to pressure them to vote for the “Buffett Rule” tax on millionaires, a Democratic official said. The Republican senators represent Tennessee, Missouri, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maine, Nevada, Nebraska, Alaska, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Iowa, the official said. [...]
The Democratic pressure on GOP senators appears likely to come in the form of media outreach such as op-eds, as well as public comments by Obama administration officials. President Barack Obama also is expected to make comments on the need to pass the Buffett Rule. [...]
The White House launched an early salvo on Thursday, issuing a release noting that 1,470 millionaires paid no income tax in 2009. About 237,000 returns reported adjusted gross income of $1 million or more in 2009.
So there's every indication that, this time, Democrats are really going to fight. Huzzah! Income inequality and tax fairness aren't just good issues to campaign on, they're critical issues for the country. This is a fight Democrats can win.