This should be basic economics, but apparently it isn't. From a Politico article on the White House's curious reticence to outline how much additional money the so-called Buffet Rule would bring in to federal coffers:

But in a cash-strapped government, policymakers may have little choice but to embrace the advice of bank robber Willie Sutton and go “where the money is.” That’s increasingly with the top 1 percent of Americans.

Actually, "where the money is" is in the middle class. There aren't enough of the "top 1 percent of Americans" to make a dent in the debt or deficit even if you took every dime of wealth (not earnings) they possess. You want to make a serious dent in the debt and deficit, you've got two choices: Cut the bloated size of government or raise taxes on the middle class.