When the so-called "Buffett Rule" comes up for a vote in the Senate today, the Rethuglicans are expected to kill the loophole-closing measure with a filibuster threat. In the meantime, count on the Rethuglicans to trot out the usual defense of maintaining the tax loophole for the wealthiest Americans whose income derives from investment interest, not salaries and wages. You'll hear the phrases "job creators" (so where are the jobs created by the Bush tax cuts?), "class warfare" (a war which the wealthy have been winning for decades), and "income redistribution" (so how did "trickle down" work for you?) spouted in defending what 60% of Americans support.
The vote will put one party on record as saying it's more important for hedge fund managers and the Willard Romneys of America to pay a 15% tax rate than to ask that they pay at the same rate as a middle class family earning far less.
BONUS: And, as might be expected, the Rethug talking points have been handed out to their media water-carriers (both Jennifer Rubin in WaPo and Mona Charen are using the Rethug's "top 10 percent pay 70 percent of the taxes" red herring argument today.)
