Here's a priceless stroll down memory lane from Think Progress. It's President Ronald Reagan, talking about a letter he received from a highly paid executive. Watch:



"He wrote me in support of the tax plan, because he said, 'I am legally able to take advantage of the present tax code, nothing dishonest, doing what the law prescribes, and wind up paying a smaller […] tax than my secretary pays.' And he wrote me the letter to tell me he'd like to come to Washington and testify before Congress as to how that's possible for him to do and why it is wrong."

Sen. Chuck Schumer defended proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy as an issue of fairness Monday ahead of President Barack Obama’s trip to Florida this week to tout the “Buffett rule.” “This is such a bogus argument,” the New York Democrat said on CBS “This Morning” when asked to comment on Republican charges that Democrats are taking up the issue only because of the fall election. “We have believed, as a country, that higher-income people should pay a higher percentage of income since the 16th Amendment, which was 1912. It came in with Woodrow Wilson and the Progressives.” “There’s no class warfare involved; it’s a question simply of fairness,” he said.

Well, that's slightly inconvenient for Republicans, isn't it? Maybe their favorite president can change their minds about next week's "Buffett Rule" vote, the one that would make sure that highly paid executives paid a higher rate in taxes than their secretaries. Because, as Reagan said back in 1985, it's just a matter a basic fairness, the theme Democrats hearken back to If it wasn't class warfare when Ronald Reagan was calling for it, why is it class warfare now?

The Senate will hold a cloture vote on the "Buffett Rule" on tax day, April 16. E-mail your Senators and tell them to vote "yes." Tell 'em Ronald Reagan sent you.