Wednesday items: Newt proposes gold commission; Domitrovic on Romney at Bain; Jenkins on the financial meltdown.

Big news: The Weekly Standard reports Newt Gingrich advocates a gold commission:



The WSJ argues Mitt Romney should use news of his 15% tax rate to argue for fundamental tax reform.

At Forbes, Brian Domitrovic explains the economic context of Romney’s work at Bain Capital.

On The Kudlow Report, James Pethokoukis discusses Gingrich’s rise in the polls:



At RCM, John Tamny suggests Ben Bernanke was right in 2006 for wanting the Federal Reserve to let the mortgage market unwind.

In The WSJ, Holman Jenkins examines the causes of the 2008-09 financial meltdown, but omits Robert Mundell’s claim that the rapid 30% dollar appreciation in summer 2008 was the central factor.

On The Daily Beast, David Frum defends the 15% capital gains rate.

Futureofcapitalism rebuts The NYT on the capital gains tax rate.

On The Mike Rosen Show, Cato’s Alan Reynolds critiques Ronald McKinnon’s call for a wealth tax.



At IBD, Walter Williams notes the inequality of wealth creation as opposed to income.

From Fox News, David Pietrusza cites Calvin Coolidge on marginal tax rates:

If we had a tax whereby on the first working day the Government took 5 per cent of your wages, on the second day 10 per cent, on the third day 20 per cent, on the fourth day 30 per cent, on the fifth day 50 per cent, and on the sixth day 60 per cent, how many of you would continue to work on the last two days of the week?

From Alhambra Partner, Joe Calhoun worries at bullish sentiments.

At TGSN, Ralph Benko argues mismanagement of the gold standard led to the Great Depression.

On NRO, Jim Manzi considers how to cut marginal tax rates on the poor.

In The WSJ, actor Rick Moranis satirizes modern economic theories.