McCain's Housing Restraint

By George Will
Real Clear Politics

WASHINGTON - Hurling a compliment at Barack Obama in the hope of wounding him, Hillary Clinton's campaign has said that his proposals for responding to the economy's housing-related credit woes put him "to the right of the Bush administration." Her complaint is that the government spending and other market interventions that he proposes are a bit less flamboyant than hers.

Now, getting to the right of an administration that has increased federal spending twice as fast as did her husband's administration is a snap, and a virtue. But it is John McCain's policy minimalism -- these things are relative -- that merits compliments.