Republican supports new tax

There's a man-bites-dog headline for you. Today's Tom Friedman NYT column features an interview with SC GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham who apparently supports a carbon tax. This tax would create incentives for energy conservation and pollution abatement, as well as making us less dependent on foreign oil. Helps with global warming too, if you still believe that. More jobs, cleaner air, and a thumb in the eye to petroleum-supported autocracies (Russia, Venezuela, Iran) who have not been playing nice in world affairs -- what's not to like? One also could use the proceeds of such a tax to reduce the federal budget deficit, or make it budget-neutral by making off-setting tax cuts. In economic terms this would be far superior to the cap-and-trade bill passed by the House last year. Stay tuned, this could get interesting.