The Ice Is Breaking

They think the way you solve things is by electing the right people. It’s nice to elect the right people, but that isn’t how you solve things. The way you solve things is by making it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. –Milton Friedman

Let me share some impressions.  I think that Utah Senator Mike Lee is a basically principled politician and that Florida Senator Marco Rubio is a more opportunistic politician.  It was good news when Lee came out in favor of an expanded child tax credit and making it easier for workers to upgrade their skill.  It is even better news that Rubio has come out with a set of pro-work and pro-mobility policies aimed at people below the earnings median.  I’m not sure what I think of Rubio’s proposals but it is an encouraging sign that he is pushing the GOP to emphasize policies that go beyond its 2012 comfort zone of tax cuts on high-earners and fewer regulations on business.  Congratulations to the Ramesh Ponnurus, Ross Douthats, Yuval Levins and Reihan Salams who have been slowly changing the climate of opinion on the right.