Bring Out the Pitchforks

James Stewart in the NY Times business pages has this astounding (once again) report:

 …this summer the Internal Revenue Service released data from the 400 individual income tax returns reporting the highest adjusted gross income. This elite ultrarich group earned on average $202 million in 2009, the latest year available. And buried in the data is the startling disclosure that six of the 400 paid no federal income tax.

The I.R.S. has never before disclosed that last fact.

…Besides the six who paid no federal income tax, the I.R.S. reported that 27 paid from zero to 10 percent of their adjusted gross incomes and another 89 paid between 10 and 15 percent, which is close to the 13.9 percent rate that Mr. Romney disclosed that he paid in 2010. (At the other end of the spectrum, 82 paid 30 to 35 percent. None paid more than 35 percent.)

 Actually, the import of Stewart’s article is why Romney won’t release say, 10 years, of income tax returns — especially 2009.

Some rally-trackers with big 1040s censored out, mounted on pitchforks, would be an excellent way to pressure him about this.