David Brooks roots for a bipartisan overhaul of the tax code. He imagines President Obama going before Congress during his next State of the Union and declaring the current tax code is rotten and needs to be junked. He supports the proposal of Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Judd Gregg.

The Wyden-Gregg plan simplifies the tax code and reduces the number of rates from six to three. Most taxpayers would be able to use a one-page 1040 I.R.S. form. It preserves some deductions, like the mortgage interest deduction and the child tax credit, but eliminates many others. The Heritage Foundation calculated that the measure would reduce the federal deficit by $61 billion a year and create 2.3 million jobs. The Tax Policy Center found it would make the tax code more progressive and reduce the tax bill for most families making less than $200,000.

Sounds reasonable.