One of my favorite Johnson quotes. But GOP discontent with their presidential contenders seems to be continuing, according to newly-released polling data from Pew. 52% see the field as fair or poor, an increase from 44% in the beginning of January. (There's more at the link. So click, ye clickritude.)

I just finished reading MLK's "Why We Can't Wait," and while it focuses on the civil rights struggles of 1963, a lot of it is applicable to today if you think broadly. One point he made was that the civil rights movement should not be discounted because its leaders disagree with each other. "Unity has never been defined as uniformity," he wrote, and then went on to discuss how Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton et al overcame their differences in throwing off England and establishing the United States. I do think the Republicans are going to coalesce around Romney; the protect-the-SCOTUS argument will work better than anything else. I just don't know if it's going to generate sufficient turn-out to help the down-ticket candidates. (As I've said before.)

You probably know the basics already: Warren Buffet wrote a column long ago where he pointed out that it was wrong that his secretary paid a higher tax rate than he does. And you know that Obama invited her to be his guest at the State of the Union address, to Limbaugh's disgust.

You may be less aware that the RW has been very interested in picking apart the concept that she pays a higher rate than Buffet, probably as a diversionary tactic to the simple concept that Warren Buffet's rate is too low. The chief way they've been doing this has been to pick on a figure reported by ABC, probably erroneous, that her tax rate is 35.8%. In order to slay the idea, the RW has worked to position Buffet's secretary as some rich person making more than $200,000 per annum, and thus not deserving pity. (Others point out a simpler explanation, that Buffet's comparison included payroll taxes.)

But let's take a moment for a collective "whatever." Let's say his secretary does not pay a 35.8% tax rate. Let's say it might only be 28%. Feel better, RW? Because Buffet's tax rate is still too low. That's the point; we do not have a progressive tax rate in this country, and the conservatives are so intent on defending the rich that they are willing to do everything they can to distract from the fact that our tax rates are far less progressive than they would have us believe.