F. Scott Fitzgerald: "The very rich are different from you and me." Ernest Hemingway: "Yes, they have more money." The statisticians at the IRS quietly updated their fascinating data on the richest 400 Americans in response to a Congressional request. The Wall Street Journal's Tom Herman picked it up and published the tables, which we have posted on the Tax Facts website. [Table 1, Table 2, Table 3]

After a brief winter break, the AMT wars have resumed. By next week, the House will pass a fiscal 2009 budget that, among other things, would extend the annual Alternative Minimum Tax patch for another year. The House Budget Committee projects this would keep 20 million mostly middle class taxpayers off the dreaded levy. But, as it did last year, the House will also insist that the $62 billion fix be paid for with offsetting tax hikes.

The political Left claims the war in Iraq is ruining the U.S. economy. At the very least, they insist, we would be using the money that is supporting the occupation for more important domestic priorities, such as reforming health care. At worst, they insist, the war is to blame for current economic slump.

The tax break for employee-sponsored health insurance is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Internal Revenue Code. It gets absolutely no respect.

For years, conventional wisdom in Washington said the nation's long-term fiscal crisis is being driven by the aging of the Baby Boomers and their impact on entitlements, such as Social Security and, especially, Medicare and Medicaid.

Today's Washington Post takes Senator John McCain to task for promising unsustainable tax cuts, including making permanent President Bush's tax cuts, repealing the AMT, making permanent the research and experimentation tax credit, cutting the top corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 percent, and allowing businesses to immediately write off all capital investments (rather than depreciating them over time). He has also proposed to require a super-majority vote in Congress for any tax increases. (Last week, TaxVox raised its own questions about how tough it would be for McCain to keep his tax cut promises.)

Hillary Clinton has an uphill struggle to win the Democratic nomination for President. But she is still battling, so I have a few questions for her, as I've had for John McCain and Barack Obama.

John McCain now says "no new taxes." It may be a great way to play to a still-skeptical GOP base, but it will be a hard pledge for President McCain to keep. To see how tough, just take a look at his own health care plan.

After convincing primary wins in Maryland and Virginia on Feb. 12, Barack Obama has the momentum in the Democratic race for president, so, it seems like a good idea to ask some important questions about his fiscal policy agenda.

Now that the presidential primary season is heading into the homestretch, the candidates may begin to focus on important issues they’ll face if they are actually elected. With that hope, TPC has put together an online briefing book on the U.S. tax system—with lots of background information on tax and budget policy along with options for reform, both incremental and sweeping.