SAMUELSON THE BRAVE. Robert Samuelson is dreadfully confused over why we don't spend more time talking about impoverished immigrants, who bear the brunt of the responsibility for our increased poverty rates. The reason is simple, even obvious: We're less concerned with transient poverty -- those families who are below the poverty line for short periods of interjob adjustment -- than about sustained poverty. The other reason -- and this is something Samuelson doesn't mention in his column -- is that immigrants are ever-less impoverished. In 2006, their poverty rate dropped by 1.3 percent. For non-immigrants, the drop was .2%. It would be bizarre to look at that data and spend your time worrying about immigrants. But you sort of wonder whether Samuelson is interested in any of this at all. Rather, like with his constant jeremiads about how we're all ignoring Social Security's fiscal problems, he seems mostly intent in proving his personal bravery. "Fifty-four reporters signed up for the center's briefing last week," he writes. "With one exception (me), none asked about immigration's effect on poverty or incomes. But the evidence is hiding in plain sight, and the facts won't vanish just because we ignore them." Who wants to option the film rights? --Ezra Klein
