Compare education to buying a car---do low rate loans or tax credits (i.e., for electric cars) drive down the price for a car? No, they simply make it possible for people to buy a more expensive car than they otherwise could based on the cash they have. Absent the loans or tax credits, the auto manufacturer would have to cut their prices to get customers to buy the same car. The same is true in education: subsidized (and deferred) loans enable students to pay more in tuition than they otherwise could afford. Providing more loans or tax credits to students will not bring tuition down, but will relieve the pressure on colleges to reduce the cost--the opposite of the desired result.

Because there ends up not being a lot of price competition (at least for comparable institutions), the schools turn to competing on amenities, like nicer dorms, health club-like recreational facilities, diversity officers and the like, which in turn increase the cost.

Understood--I am not saying that tax deductions or credits are a good thing. I am just looking at the reality of the moment, which is that deductions are part of the tax code and are a target for increasing revenues. Given the possibility of limiting deductions, I was pointing out the relative "unfairness" of limiting charitable deductions in comparison to other deductions.

Good point. Since there is little consensus any more about what shared values should be encouraged, it is harder to draw the line at "appropriate" subjects for deductions.

Further to AIG's point, to appreciate the difference between assessing probabilities involving ball bearings and predicting elections involving human voters, one would have to imagine the challenge of the former if some ball bearings actively avoided being measured (like people who refuse to answer telephone surveys), if some ball bearings could change their size between the sample measurement and installation, or if some ball bearings were one size, but when measured appeared to be a different size.

No--its Obama up 52-47 in Michigan.

I can't explain it, but every time I see a picture of Valerie Jarrett, I get the heebie-jeebies. I wouldn't send her to negotiate with the White House chef!

"I voted against the stimulus because I thought it contained wasteful spending, but once it passed despite my vote, I figured some of that money might as well be wasted in my district."

Politico is reporting that the US consulate in Benghazi was not protected by the contingent of Marines that safeguards embassies.

OK, maybe I was too sanguine. From Gwen Ifel:

@pbsgwen One mistake does not change this. @DavidChalian is God's gift to political journalism. #IStandwithDavid