In my Roll Call column this week, I take another shot at the Gallup poll on waste from about 10 days ago and on Steve Moore's characterization of that poll.  Thanks.  for listening.  I feel much better now.

Waste Not, Want Not — but First Define Waste and Want

Sept. 29, 2009

Gallup released a poll two weeks ago that unwittingly but perfectly explains the ever-intractable politics of the federal budget. The poll, which was released Sept. 15, found that the average American believes that 50 cents of every tax dollar collected by the federal government is wasted.

Steve Moore wrote a column published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday that tried very hard to use the results of a recent Gallup poll to convince everyone a massive taxpayer revolt is close at hand.  There are two problems: He's misreading the poll and he's doesn't understand its implications.

Bruce fowarded to me a remarkable poll from Gallup.  He suggested that I, rather than he, was the right person to comment.  I am happy to oblige one of my bloggers-in-crime.

The poll shows that, on average, Americans today believe that 50 cents of every federal tax dollar is wasted. Gallup makes a big deal of the fact that this is an increase from 46 cents per dollar in 2001.

There's one problem: the poll never defines "waste."

Is it: