Krugman: Rand Paul "actually has no idea that the deficit is falling; it’s quite possible that

[rlegro]

22. I suspect Krugman is knowingly giving Paul and Cantor the benefit of the doubt

...not because they deserve it, but for rhetorical reasons. I think Krugman really believes, as I do, that these characters are lying. Circumstantial evidence notwithstanding, such mind-reading from the left tends to change what passes for political debate in this country. Consider this imaginary news conference:

Reporter: Paul Krugman said you knowingly lied when you claimed that deficits are expanding.

Paul: He's a typical liberal blowhard and he's got his facts wrong. The deficit is in fact expanding, if you count spending honestly [see what he just did there?]. Everyone knows that if you put Social Security and Medicare entirely on the books, the US is running huge deficits and will continue to do so.

Reporter: But you appeared to be talking about the actual deficit that the Treasury and the Office of Budget and Management and the Congressional Budget Office all agree is shrinking. Republicans agreed with Demcrats on how to measure deficits. George W. Bush measured them the same way and no one in the GOP said anything except Dick Cheney, who said deficits don't matter.

Paul: Well, well, did I say "deficit"? Slip of tongue. Debt! Federal debt! The national debt is still increasing. Every year by many billions of dollars. And that's what's important, not parsing every word I might say in casual, un-telePrompterd conversation. The American public knows it's true and so does Krugman.

Etc. etc. These guys are coated in oily Pam[TM] non-stick cooking spray.