Move Over Genius Grants, Here Comes The Idiot Awards

"Up to four people will win $250,000 apiece this September as the first recipients of the Bradley Prizes, a new set of awards for intellectual or civic achievement given by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation," John J. Miller writes at National Review Online (www.nationalreview.com)....

"Recipients of the Bradley Prizes will fall into one of two broad categories, says Grebe. 'There are the "thinkers" who make intellectual contributions, and the "doers" who implement those ideas.'

"In the coming weeks, the Bradley Foundation will invite about 100 people to submit nominations. They will include figures from academia, public-policy research, journalism, business and the arts. They won't be allowed to nominate themselves, and six of them will be asked to serve on a selection committee with three members of the Bradley board and staff to review the nominations and pick the winners. The members of the committee will remain anonymous until the awards are announced," Mr. Miller said.

"The Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation has been a vital funder of conservative causes for nearly two decades. This year it expects to [disburse] about $30 million in grants to groups and individuals that include the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute.