Pew: Public says raising taxes on rich good for economy, fairness

Senate Democrats are standing strong on letting the Bush tax cuts expire, and coming back in the new year to extend the tax cuts on income under $250,000. According to the Pew Research Center, they've got a leg up on the political argument.

The American people see higher taxes on the wealthy as important for both helping the economy, and helping create fairness.

By two-to-one (44% to 22%), the public says that raising taxes on incomes above $250,00o would help the economy rather than hurt it, while 24% say this would not make a difference. Moreover, an identical percentage (44%) says a tax increase on higher incomes would make the tax system more fair, while just 21% say it would make the system less fair.

A majority of Democrats, of course, support the tax increase, but a healthy plurality of independents agree that it would make the economy stronger and make the tax system more fair. Only hard-core Republicans who are millionaires or think they're going to be someday are resisting the idea.

Standing tough on letting the tax cuts expire is just a no-brainer for Democrats. It takes a potential hostage in the end-of-the-year "fiscal cliff" negotiations away from Republicans, preventing a potentially disastrous grand bargain. It allows Congress to do what it does best'nothing. And they've got the public squarely behind them. Win-win.