So long, Milton Friedman

My interest in economics was sparked way back in about 1980 or so when I heard about Friedman's negative income tax (NIT) proposal. It appealed to my juvenile mind back then, and it still does.

Yes, I realize that that could be interpreted to mean that I still have a juvenile mind.

Anyway, it seems to me that a NIT could largely satisfy 1) the flat-tax people; 2) the progressive-tax people, and 3) the tax simplification people, all at once.

Alas, the lobbyists who make the Washington world go 'round would all have heart attacks.

Dumbassery

The stupidest post-election blather I've heard yet*: soon-to-be-former-Senator Rick Santorum said something like "This was just a little too steep of a mountain to climb, but it was not for lack of people wanting us to climb it."

I'm pretty sure it was for lack of about a third of a million people wanting him to climb it.

*But it's early on Wednesday. Surely several people will top this by week's end. Howard Dean? Tony Snow? John Kerry? Dubya?

Miler

Jim Ryun lost? C'mon, people! The guy ran 3:51.1!