Costs related to elementary and high-school education would be an excellent start. Second, he should invite state governments to participate in the program. Adding state tax credits to the federal government's reduces the cost to the latter and helps conservatives trying to reduce the size of state governments. But cost concerns shouldn't get in the way of a bold agenda. No doubt some Bush advisers will prefer to use additional surplus funds to pay down the debt instead.
Debt paydowns poll well.
But pro-investor policies offer concrete benefits to specific voters, and do so in a way that expands the constituency for conservatism. Nadler has argued for several years that tax policies designed to aid small investors were bound to grow larger thanks to the normal processes of politics. The presidential candidates are now engaged in a bidding war for the allegiance of the small investor. And there is no reason Republicans should lose this bidding war.