Buffett with Pres. Obama in 2010 (White House)
A new United Technologies/
National Journal Congressional Connection
Poll shows huge support for President Obama's "Buffett Rule" tax reform proposal.
By a whopping 76-percent-to-19-percent margin, Americans agreed with Obama’s proposal to “impose a minimum tax on money American companies earn from their operations abroad to discourage them from creating jobs overseas and encourage them to create jobs in the U.S.”
They also support the basic idea behind Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's "Paying a Fair Share" legislation. By a margin of 65 to 31 percent, poll respondents said Congress should act to ensure that people making more than $1 million should pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes.
Unfortunately, the public is also depressingly realistic: "[A]n eye-popping 70 percent of respondents said it was not too likely or not at all likely that the president and Congress would agree on the major ideas Obama presented."
There's a silver lining to that cynicism with Democrats newly committed to a populist message. It should be very clear to all these would-be voters who is obstructing the tax policy they support.