Michael Kinsley

Two of the most laughably overvalued words in Washington are "studies show" (right up there with "sources say"). In academia, a study is an occasion for thinking and discussion. In politics, a study means you can stop thinking and cut off discussion.

Try to forgive my obsession, but here is another proof that President Bush's designs for Social Security cannot work. This one's not mine. I first heard it from the actor/director and liberal activist, Rob Reiner. Like the argument I have been hawking (see latimes.com/proof), this one doesn't merely suggest that Bush is making bad policy, it demonstrates with near-mathematical certainty that the idea he endorses cannot work. Period.

As I wrote last week, I'm convinced that Social Security privatization is not merely a bad idea but a certain failure, and I offered a logical proof, challenging supporters to find the flaw or give up.

If you're going to peddle opinions for a living, self-assurance is essential. If you don't have it, you need to bluff. People don't want to read a lot of "Oh dear, this is so terribly complicated, I just can't make up my poor little mind…. " Many's the pundit who has retired on full disability after developing a tragic tendency to see both sides of the issue.