I linked to this article on the FairTax earlier, appreciating what’s a pretty good look at a pretty bad idea. But I just noticed that Lawrence J. Kotlkoff, the economist who acts as the plans defender, gets his first quote in the 7th paragraph. It takes till the 22nd to find out that Kotlikoff “has been paid by the FairTax organization for his research.”

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.