I’m fascinated by former Sen. Edwards’ misguided plan to reduce poverty: raise minimum wage, universal healthcare, etc. I have no doubt there are some people who end up in desperate circumstances through no, or little fault of their own. It is for these folks that I believe a social safety net is necessary and, yes, even moral. That said, we must also address the reality of individual choices and behaviors that lead to poverty. John Hood has written eloquently about this, and it has been summed up succinctly by academic William Galston, a former assistant to President Bill Clinton. Galston has noted that when people (1) finish high school, (2)marry before having kids, and (3) don’t have those kids until they’re 20 or older, only 8 percent of the families will wind up poor. This data is contained in The Marriage Problem by James Q. Wilson. Wilson was interviewed about all this by PBS in 2002. It is an enlightening and fascinating interview.