A half-too-clever idea from the WSJ editorialists...

Larry Summers, the White House economic guru, is taking some hits from the left after his official disclosure forms revealed late last week that he got rich thanks to the financial industry he is now charged with reviving and re-regulating...$5.2 million last year...He also made a bundle in speaking fees, including $135,000 for a single appearance for Goldman Sachs....

We've got nothing against getting rich, though it is worth noting that Mr. Summers will pay Bush-era tax rates on his Wall Street windfall profit. So if the man...is looking to make a gesture of political solidarity with the middle-class masses, here's an idea: Honor your principles, and pay taxes on that income at Bill Clinton-Barack Obama rates.

Mr. Summers could simply calculate his taxes for 2008 based on what he'd pay if President Obama's tax proposals had been law....Mr. Summers could write a check to the IRS for the difference.

And of course he wouldn't forget to deduct any charitable giving at only 28 cents on the dollar, rather than 35 or 41.6 cents.

The editorialists are forgetting (perhaps) that liberals (especially) politicians do not as frequently give their own money away. But perhaps Mr. Summers is different in this regard.

Mr. Obama likes to say it's the "era of responsibility," and if that's true then we assume Mr. Summers will want to lead by example.