The Heritage Foundation has released a misleading document entitled "Ten Myths About the Bush Tax Cuts." The first "myth" that Heritage's Brian M. Riedl "debunks": Myth #1: Tax revenues remain low. Fact: Tax revenues are above the historical average, even after the tax cuts. Tax revenues in 2006 were 18.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which is actually above the 20-year, 40-year, and 60-year historical aver­ages.

The Senate debate on S.2, the Minimum Wage bill, is all over but the shouting. Doing most of the shouting at this point is Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ), who is merely delaying the inevitable by insisting on floor votes -- expected today -- on up to six amendments, most relating to small business expensing and depreciation treatment of leasehold, restaurant, and retail space improvements.

In an interview with BNA($) yesterday, House Ways and Means chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) indicated a willingness to consider a compromise on the $8.3 billion tax cut package the Senate seems certain to attach to its version of the minimum wage bill. As noted below, on Jan. 10 the House passed H.R. 2, a "clean" wage increase bill that attracted the support of 82 GOP House members. Yesterday, the Senate voted 87-10 to limit debate and amendments on a version of H.R. 2 that contains the $8.3 in small business tax breaks and revenue offsets approved by the Senate Finance Committee Jan. 17.

Constitutional scholars agree: Congress has the power to shape war policy. Army Times has more. A panel of constitutional scholars said Tuesday that Congress clearly has the power, if it chooses to use it, to stop the war in Iraq. The difficulty in exercising the power is political, not constitutional, in getting a veto-proof majority in the House and Senate to agree on binding legislation to either cut off funding for combat operations or repeal the previously passed authorization to use force, the legal experts said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.