Here is one thing that is quite fascinating to me. There is a wave of stories popping up now about taxes being raised on the wealthy, or a fee put on banks, or restrictions put on executive compensation. Today, for example, there is a story in The Wall Street Journal:

The grassroots fervor that drove lawmakers to attack Wall Street bonuses last year has receded. But populist ire at Wall Street continues to simmer, and the proposed fee on banks being pushed by the Obama administration could get a favorable reception in Congress as the 2010 campaign year unfolds.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Democratic leadership team in the House, said he expected the proposed fee would "have strong resonance" on Capitol Hill.

   The changes are all being portrayed, in virtually the entire traditional press, as a reaction to "populist ire" or "outrage". Well, why should we not demand that these changes be made because they are SMART POLICY and make sense to have a functioning society? I worry that policy changes that should be done might not be done once the politics of the moment shift–which is all that most elected leaders care about.