What We Learn from Obama's Tax Return

Some points to ponder about Obama's tax return released yesterday.

• Obama paid more in federal in come tax ($855,323 ) than Bush reported as income in 2007 ($719,274). 
• Obama's charitable contributions ($172,050 ) were more than half of Bush's federal tax payments ( $221,635 ). Not bad! 
• Noteworthy:

"The Obamas contributed $6 in 2008 to the federal fund that provides public financing of presidential campaigns, a program the Democratic nominee bypassed himself."

In other words, Obama made a voluntary contribution to help his 2012 competitor!

Now I'm plenty suspicious of Obama's cozyness with the banks, reluctance to prosecute torturers and willingness to let political prosecutions by the Bush administration stand. But it is clear from his tax returns that Obama's not that bad at the whole successful-in-the-free-market thing.