"Too cute by half" = unconstitutional (frequently)

I appreciate that the Tennessee Center for Policy Research often takes principled stands that it could easily (or pragmatically) shirk. For example, TCPR has been a critic of Tennessee's so-called "crack-tax" that statutorily provided a means for the state to levy a tax on people engaged in illegal activity.

Well, a division of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has concluded that the law violates Tennessee's constitution, and that sounds right. ("Court finds state drug tax unconstitutional" on Nashville City Paper). It seems that many clever--even overwhelmingly popular, legislative ideas don't square with constitutional principles. And courts are tasked with fairly discerning if a law fits in this category . . . regardless of how popular or "necessary" a law may be.

And this reminds me of a phenomenon that often happens in the bidding contest also known as a Presidential campaign. It is a serious temptation to "unveil" some novel pandering strategy for fixing everything, and it only enhances a candidate's credibility with me if s/he resists that urge.