This final note today, an ode to the $3 check-off box on your tax return. The one that lets part of your tax check be used to help publicly finance presidential campaigns.

Just to get back to where we started today — the deficit — this morning House Republicans introduced a bill to get rid of the $3 contribution and force presidential candidates to pay their own way. GOP leaders say it’ll save more than half a billion dollars over 10 years. The $3 thing was introduced as part of the post-Watergate election reforms.

It’s worth a note that the first candidate to opt out of public financing in the general election campaign did pretty well. He’s the guy who gave that big speech last night.