More worrying than Obama saying nice things about Reagan's optimism is Hillary Clinton aping Reagan on taxes. Elections are, I realize, elections, and folks will do what they've got to do to win, but for Clinton to attack Obama on a plan that doesn't so much raise as equalize taxes on the top 3 percent is low stuff, and unhelpful to her in the long-term. One of the heartening elements of this elections has been John Edwards' forthright willingness to say we needed social investment before deficit reduction, and tax increases if necessary. Obama, too, has toed up to that line. Clinton is a bit more a budget hawk (which is, it should be said, an under-noticed difference between the three), but that's no excuse for demagoguing on taxes.
