Interesting piece in the March 7 Fortune:  Bush to Blue States: "Drop Dead!"  Here is the opening:

When President Bush talked about tax reform last year, many Americans were hoping he’d tackle the new scourge of the middle class: the alternative minimum tax (AMT). The tax, whose origins date to 1969, was designed to ensure high-income taxpayers don’t avoid taxes by claiming excessive deductions, credits, and exemptions. However, every year it ensnares more and more members of the ordinary middle class. But there are signs that an AMT fix may not be a top priority for the GOP. One theory as to why? Kerry-supporting states — especially New York and California — are hardest hit, due to their higher incomes and bigger write-offs for things like local taxes, mortgages, and charitable deductions. "Look who’s affected by the AMT. It’s all those people in blue states," says Steve Moore, recently head of the Club for Growth. "Have [California Senator] Barbara Boxer and [New York Senator] Hillary Clinton deal with this situation."