47% of Americans pay no income tax

From The Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama has proposed allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire for families making more than $250,000, a change that would return their top rates to 39.6% and 36%, lift their capital-gains rate and trim some deductions.

Given the still-precarious economy, the coming election and the looming need for a broader look at spending and taxes, it's possible Congress will decide to simply extend some or all the Bush tax cuts for a year or two. And prospects are growing that Congress will punt on the tough tax decisions until after November.

But sometime soon after the election, lawmakers will try for a broad bipartisan deal on taxes and spending, perhaps aided by a recently formed fiscal commission.

At least some Democrats remain optimistic, despite Republicans' resistance to new taxes and their own members' reluctance to cut entitlements.

Republicans complain that already, almost half of American households pay no income tax [the AP reported this week that 47% of Americans pay no income tax], a trend that Rep. Pat Tiberi (R., Ohio) worries will continue. Still, even some Democrats appear to be questioning Mr. Obama's pledge to protect all families making less than $250,000.