For a lot of them, I'm afraid to say, the same thing Washington Democrats stand for: reelection.

The problem with Washington is systemic, not so much the elected officials. Once it was established that it was not only legal and constitutional, but actually proper and virtuous to use taxpayer money to buy votes, the system naturally selects for politicians that throw the money most enthusiastically. Evolution in action.

It takes a very sophisticated voter to appreciate a representative who tells you that a free person has responsibility for his own life, that the government shouldn't be your keeper/owner/nanny/sugar daddy, and that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Not surprisingly, the guy touting the Free Lunch gets the most votes, and not just on one side of the aisle.

Frankly, I'm not sure the problem is even solvable any more, and I expect us to be in the same boat as Europe in another thirty years.

Virginian Postrel gets the point. She is a well-known libertarian, with Reason magazine.

Brad DeLong seems to be stuck in the Democrat rut: it's all about those damned tax cuts, and hey, what's wrong with socialized medicine anyway?