I'd like to hear some of the responsible rich come out and say the things that Warren Buffett, et al have been saying- "Pony up, Fat Cats, and Do The Right Thing."

I'm old enough to remember a 90%-that's NINETY- top tax bracket, and I don't remember the Mellons, Scaifes, and their ilk dining on stale crusts of bread as a result.

Speaking of food, when all else fails, Eat the Rich. . .

Whether this will constitute welcome progress among Blue Dogs remains to be seen.

My money is on NO. Blue Dogs are Republicans with D's after their names. Republicans core motivation is No New Taxes EVER! There is nothing you can do to change that (except maybe tax the poor).

So far it seems that only those with very low incomes can get on the public option. How about letting people who have larger incomes and want to join the public option pay a little higher premium?

So far it seems that only those with very low incomes can get on the public option. How about letting people who have larger incomes and want to join the public option pay a little higher premium?

This is the same goddamn mistake the Democrats ALWAYS make (at least in recent decades- FDR knew better.) They go out of their way to do nothing for middle-class voters and then wonder why the voters eventually stop being motivated to do anything for THEM.

These non-House broken Blue Dogs demonstrate the importance of spaying and neutering.

I think the million threshold is low. Any day now I expect to hit the lotto jackpot and then this confiscatory policy will apply to ME!

okay, the dems are a spineless bunch, it is their chief characteristic (just as the republican's chief characteristic is that they are borderline sociopaths)

but

it is quite sad to see -- as a scale of measure -- that what is likely to be a raise in taxes on those doing very very well in this country is so very very minimal in ratio to the incredible suffering, distress and family disasters exploding all over the country financially -- and otherwise due to the economy.

a really nerdy dude could use the reference as a rule of thumb as to how lost we are as a society from a healthy sense of the "common good."

a nietzschean dude can use his nose and smell the stench of it, everywhere.

it is quite sad to see -- as a scale of measure -- that what is likely to be a raise in taxes on those doing very very well in this country is so very very minimal in ratio to the incredible suffering, distress and family disasters exploding all over the country financially -- and otherwise due to the economy.

And let's not forget that those disasters were in fact CAUSED by a large, criminal subset of the rich assholes whose ill-gotten gains we're so tenderly concerned not to over-tax. That just makes the whole thing even more oderiferous.

Our society is broken. Badly broken.

let's not forget that those disasters were in fact CAUSED by a large, criminal subset of the rich assholes

you betcha -- and the criminal corporate thuggery by which they operate...

Why not just return to the days of Ronald Reagan? A 50% marginal tax rate on incomes over $1 million. Yes. St. Ronnie had a 50% marginal tax rate for most of his terms.

Neill & Steve LeBonne: Thanks for your comments above. Sad, but so true....

I don't have a problem with the surtax idea, but how about throwing in some taxes on stock speculators and banks while we're at it? They need to pay back taxpayers for screwing up the economy anyway.

I don't have a problem with the surtax idea, but how about throwing in some taxes on stock speculators and banks while we're at it? They need to pay back taxpayers for screwing up the economy anyway.

Proposals have been around forever -- since the birth of the Republic -- for a small transaction tax on stocks, etc. that would not only raise useful revenue, but damp down by some tiny fraction market volatility by making prices sticky.

What most people don't know is that such a federal tax actually existed from 1914 to 1966...

Here's the question... would wealthy Americans rather help pay for a healthy society now now with a minor tax, or pay for the consequences later when massive amounts of people (baby boomers) who do not have health insurance start flooding the hospitals and nursing homes.

The speaker would like the trigger raised to $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for families, "so it's a millionaire's tax," she said. "When someone hears, '2,' they think, 'Oh, I could be there,' because they don't know the $280,000 is for one person.

Are these the same people who aren't sure how many houses they own?

I left my party lying around here somewhere... I just had it! Anyone seen it?

Why does everyone think taxing the rich doesn't get passed along in thier products to the poor. The tax will not be absorbed by the producers. It will be passed along. How about we stop making everyone think somebody will take care of thier problems for them. We should be helping them provide for themselves. The biggest responsibilty we have as humans is to take care of ourselves and our family.Not to see if we can use the power of the gun to take what others have earned. If you think anyone needs to pay more tax then I think you should at least voluntarily pay more yourself. Wasn't this what started the Revolutionary War? Isn't this a big reason for us founding a system different than England? Remember, what one person consideres excess another one may not. Bottom line is if they earned it they should keep it. If they stole it they need to be in prison. Not everyone thats rich is a thief. You keep your "services" and I'll keep my money. I bet I will live better than you! Sorry for the rant but this is utter BS. Whatever happened to the idea of freedom?

People forget previous democrat lies:

Origins of the income tax: 1% only on the rich
Socialist Security: 3% on those who voluntarily want to participate.

How'd thoe work out?

Employers will ensure their employees are insured or pay a penalty fine which will go to insuring the employees.

Individuals who are not insured at that point can buy into any insurance plan they want and can afford.

Anybody can buy into the public option!

The poor can receive a subsidy. That's where the big cost of this reform is.

Soooooo, the millionaires and billionaires and trillionaires can buy into the public option the same as anyone else. They might even go for the barebones plan to save a few bucks.

Wouldn't that be curious - millionaires, middle-class, the working poor and the seriously poor all on the public option if they're not otherwise covered through an employer plan?

The Bluedogs just need to be smacked....hard. If you can't sell a surtax on somebody making 280K you aren't a pol. How come these idiot Bluedogs always manage to sell really crappy legislation but they can't sell good legislation. And I finally figured out why they're called blue dogs - it's because not enough good red blood gets to their brains. They are suffering from brain hypoxia.

Hi guys. Truth has beauty, power and necessity.
I am from Barbuda and also now'm speaking English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "During the five aid court on february 23, 1761, otis rarely went low flat sums, visiting their actor of top individuals and playoffs of battle."

With respect :-), Melva.