Mona Charen discovers the economic concept that will be the focus of much political energy over the next decade - "Rent Seeking".
Rent Seeking has always been around of course. And it can't be avoided entirely without sounding like on one of those loons who thinks we can privatize the Army. But we can minimize it, and if my radar is right, we're going to be spending much more time in the next few years discussion how to limit it.
The right (and the right wing opinion media) is discovering it now in the form of union rent seeking - and pretty soon the left will discover it too. They won't complain about GE (the big rent seeker in Washington these days) because they are lobbying for their green businesses. And the left will believe any kind of ridiculous nonsense to defend that view. But the kind of thing that Ford, GM, and the other heavy industries are doing might get some attention.
Worst case, the left will discover the concept as soon as it's a Republican reaping the benefits instead of Obama. Then the money that big business spends in DC will all be fair game. With any luck that's less than 3 years from now.
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