Economists are the real "party of No." They keep saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch -- and politicians keep on getting elected by promising free lunches.

Random thoughts on the passing scene:

It is hard to come up with Christmas gifts for people who already seem to have everything. But there are few -- if any -- people who can keep up with the flood of books coming off the presses. Books can be good gifts for such people.

Walter E. Williams is my oldest and closest friend. But I didn't know that his autobiography had just been published until a talk-show host told me last week. I immediately got a copy of "Up from the Projects," started reading it before dinner and finished reading it before bedtime.

Guess who said the following: "It is incredible that a system of taxation which permits a man with an income of $1 million a year to pay not 1 cent to his government should remain unaltered."

No country has better airport security than Israel -- and no country needs it more, since Israel is the most hated target of Islamic extremist terrorists. Yet, somehow, Israeli airport security people don't have to strip passengers naked electronically or have strangers feeling Israeli travelers' private parts.

One of a surprising number of old, well-established politicians being challenged in this year's election by some unknown newcomer is Sen. Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. In a recent debate between Sen. Feingold and his new challenger, businessman Ron Johnson, the difference between the old pol and new guy on the block stood out.

Few things have captured in microcosm what has gone so painfully wrong where racial issues are concerned, like the recent election for mayor of Washington, D.C.

For more than 200 years, the political left has been coming up with reasons why criminals should not be punished as much, or at all. The latest gambit in Missouri is providing judges with the costs of incarcerating the criminals they sentence.

When people learn that you are an economist, they often want you to predict which way the economy is going. There seem to be more than the usual number of calls for such predictions lately. But an economist should be more aware than others are of how hazardous such predictions can be.