Virginia Postrel devotes her Bloomberg column to the light bulb issue: "It was crony capitalism with a touch of green."
More: "Though sponsored largely by Democrats, the ban was a bipartisan effort. It never would have become law without support from Republican senators and the signature of President Bush. Through filibuster and veto threats, Republicans got other changes in the 2007 energy bill -- changes that had vocal corporate constituencies -- but they didn't fight the light bulb ban."
It's a really excellent column all the way through. And well-timed — though Ms. Postrel doesn't mention it, President Obama is reportedly headed Monday for "Durham, N.C., where he will meet with the Jobs and Competitiveness Council at the corporate and U.S. manufacturing headquarters of Cree, a leading manufacturer of energy efficient LED lighting."