One of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s big crusades has been simplifying the tax code by paring back tax credits, exclusions, and deductions. A Huffington Post reporter observes that Ryan has backed various credits, exclusions, and deductions in the past. I have a hypothesis as to what’s going on here: When everyone was scrambling for credits, exclusions, and deductions, Ryan joined in the fun. Having recognized that credits, exclusions, and deductions undermine allocative efficiency, he’s had a change of heart. This seems like a pretty straightforward narrative. Has the reporter in question done anything to undermine it?