PRESTOPUNDIT

And Barro isn't the only classicly liberal economist who's turned on the "private accounts" version of Social Security reform. The WaPost has the story:

In his column, Barro argued that politicians will never allow private accounts to replace the Social Security system. So the accounts system -- as outlined by Bush -- would end up being what Barro views as an unwise supplement to existing benefits. Instead, he argued, the program should be stripped down to a minimum payout to keep the elderly out of poverty while putting Social Security on solid financial footing. "There is no good reason to go beyond the minimum standard; that is why I view personal accounts as a mistake -- they enlarge a Social Security program that already promises too much," Barro wrote.

The Washington Post was excited to report this as a split among conservatives on the Social Security issue. In fact, I believe that conservatives are quite united in their belief that it is a fiendishly bad program ..