How can I control widths on table th and td tags?

I have 2 tables. The css for both include: table-layout:fixed.
The css for both tables is exactly the same yet the widths of the td tags are different based on the content in the given tag.

Why is table-layout:fixed; not working?
More importantly, how can I control the widths of the td tags in a table?

deathshadow - help?

How can I control widths on table th and td tags? WordPress ...