For tax years 1944 through 1951, the highest marginal tax rate for individuals was 91%, increasing to 92% for 1952 and 1953, and reverting to 91% for tax years 1954 through 1963. This at the time when America became a superpower.

For the 1964 tax year, the top marginal tax rate for individuals was lowered to 77%, and then to 70% for tax years 1965 through 1981. The top marginal tax rate was lowered to 50% for tax years 1982 through 1986.

For tax year 1987, the highest marginal tax rate was 38.5% for individuals.[5] It was lowered to 33% for tax years 1988 through 1990.

For the 1991 and 1992 tax years, the top marginal rate was lowered to 31%. In 1993 the Clinton administration proposed and the Congress accepted (with no Republican support) an increase in the top marginal rate to 39.6% for the 1993 tax year, where it remained through tax year 2000.

In 2001, President George W. Bush proposed and the Congress accepted an eventual lowering of the top marginal rate to 35%. However, this was done in stages: with a highest marginal rate of 39.1% for 2001, then 38.6% for 2002 and finally 35% for years 2003 through 2010.[9] This measure has a sunset provision and is scheduled to expire for the 2011 tax year, when rates will return to those adopted during the Clinton years unless Congress changes the law.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxes_in_the_United_States

I guess I am just calling the Tea Party a bunch of bratty cry babies that do not want to pull their own weight to support a decent society.

There, I feel better! *edit: spelling