So what do you care about more:

• Forcing rich people to pay more taxes
• Giving small businesses another tax deduction

 According to our sources, you can't be for both. So Democratic operatives have lined up one side of this tax question, and Republican operatives have lined up on the other side. (We'll give you a hint: Democrats want to raise taxes; Republicans want to cut taxes.)

Before anyone yells "Stop the presses," there's more: Both sides have picked the week your taxes are due to trot out bills that would do one or the other. The hope on either side is not that either bill will pass. Everybody in politics seems quite comfortable with the minor detail that neither bill has any chance of going anywhere.

Now you're yelling, "What's the point," right? Well, the point on both sides is simply to begin framing the general election argument to win over the middle class.

Republicans want to win over that coveted group by saying if businesses paid less in taxes, they would hire more folks, or they would give their employees pay raises or fat bonuses. You'd benefit if we're in charge is how the argument goes.

Democrats want to draw on middle class voters who are sick of seeing the greedy megarich get richer thanks to rules that benefit them. So Democrats are touting an effort to make the tax code "fairer" by making the rich pay more, which they say, will relieve the middle class and will alleviate the need to cut programs for the poor so deeply.

In an Associated Press story Sunday, neutral economists said neither bill would do much for the economy or job creation. And some political types are even questioning whether people care one way or the other.

Be honest: Is there a tax policy you care more about, or do you wish politicians would take up another cause. Let us know your thoughts on this issue by commenting on our blog.