The idea of moving tax day closer to election day is a damn good one.

Right now the filing deadline and Election Day are almost as far apart as possible, Bartlett [R-Mary.] said, and by the time people vote, they probably do not remember how much they paid in taxes.

Too bad it will never happen. With Republicans and Democrats both dedicated to increasing the size of government, and both using taxpayer dollars to buy votes, politicians on both sides of the aisle will be likely to fight this measure. With the passage of the campaign finance reform incumbent protection act, it became clear that almost all politicians are willing to step on a minority of constituents to woo votes from the majority. In the future look for more big spending bills, including 'free' drugs for seniors and other expensive entitlements that will invariably be paid for by the minority.

This proposal, while delightful, will be swept under the rug by both parties, before it can generate too much steam.