Krugman: the left's new anti-Obama

[steven johnson]

It appears that President Obama is going to receive criticism a lot tougher than Rush 'The Bloviator' Limbaugh can dish out.

...Paul Krugman, the bearded New York Times op-ed columnist and Princeton economist, appears on the cover of next week’s Newsweek, with the headline “OBAMA IS WRONG: The Loyal Opposition of Paul Krugman.”

Krugman, who won the Nobel Prize in economics last fall, has been arguing that Obama is doing too little to respond to threats to the nation’s banking and economic system, and he has contended that the $787 billion stimulus bill should have been bigger.

Krugman personifies a conundrum for Obama: He has to cope with complaints from the political left, as well as the more predictable opposition of the right.

The prolific professor has been pushing his views in his column, on his blog and in Rolling Stone.

“There is little doubt that Krugman—Nobel laureate and Princeton professor—has be come the voice of the loyal opposition. What is striking about this development is that Obama’s most thoughtful critic is taking on the president from the left at a time when, as Jonathan Alter notes, so many others are reflexively arguing that the administration is trying too much too soon.

http://mobile.politico.com/story.cfm?id=20592&cat=topnews

Mar 22, 09 4:06 PM CDT
The Obama administration bore an avalanche of criticism this weekend from the usually friendly New York Times. Influential columnists Paul Krugman, Frank Rich, Thomas Friedman, and Maureen Dowd—plus the paper’s editorial board—all piled on a president who “is increasingly overwhelmed, and not fully appreciative of the building tsunami of populist outrage,” Politico reports.

http://www.newser.com/story/54643/krugman-emerges-as-voice-of-loyal-opposition.html

[Cleita]

1. Anti-Obama is a strong word. I don't think Krugman sees himself like that.

I think he is trying to warn him away from making some big mistakes.

[MercutioATC]

3. Agreed. Krugman isn't working against Obama...

...he's acting on his responsibility to sound the alarm when he sees a catastrophe approaching.

[burning rain]

12. I agree.

Krugman's a critical ally, and those are the best kind -- not the ones who fawn all over you whether or not you're taking the best course. I'd put the Trots in the anti-Obama category. Much as I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, it's hard not to suspect bad motives with the awful results of the 2000 anti-Gore / pro-Nader campaign still dogging us.

[Orrex]

2. Funny that they describe the NYT as 'usually friendly'

And then immediately list Friedman and Dowd among the "influential columnists."

In her time Dowd has single-handedly done more damage to the Democratic party than just about anyone else. :puke:



It's also funny that the media feels the need to paint Krugman/Obama as some kind of fight card to exaggerate intra-party strife...

[Idealism]

4. Its Politico. Nuff said n/t

[Orrex]

5. Doh! You're right, of course!

Silly me! :blush:

[Captain Hilts]

10. I like both and don't pick sides in this complicated issue. nt

[jwirr]

6. The last thing we on the left and President Obama want is to turn him

into a isolated leader with only yes men around him. I do not see Krugman as the enemy. He has been singing our song for as long as I can remember.

[MasonJar]

7. Obama should have Krugman over and several other sensible economists.

I thought he wanted to listen to all sides; the left seems to be sorely left out of that package. Geithner and Summers are not the ones to advise. They are insiders. I am furious that Obama cannot find money for universal health care, but has no qualms about spending my tax dollars for the banks and for the Pentagon and more war.

[MarjorieG]

8. Obama is not in a bubble. Listens to other economists, and has budgeted for health care. Talk

to Congress.

[ErinBerin84]

11. Marc Ambinder

reported a couple of months ago that Krugman was invited to the meeting of Liberal columnists with Obama, but he chose not to attend. And the Newsweek article did say that Summers initiated a call to Krugman last week, and the two had been playing phone tag. So it's not like they haven't reached out at all. But yes, I think that they should meet.

The newsweek column was kind of weak. It focused little on Krugman's opinions/policy, and mostly on the personality of the supposed feud for drama's sake.

[Captain Hilts]

9. People ignore how Krugman praised Obama's budget enthusiastically. nt

[Skink]

13. I think Obama should be challenged from the left in 2012.

what I had hoped for was Kucinich as VP so he could run in 2016. Even now I hope Biden retires in 2012 and Obama replaces him with a real progressive.

[kaygore]

14. We need to really push back on Obama's attempts to

pander to the very people and groups that brought the world to its financial knees.

We can't let him think that we will let him be the best Republican president since Clinton...or maybe even better than Clinton.

We can't let him cave in to the power elite and he sure has surrounded himself with those that do.

[Skink]

15. Right on. He is a centrist but I had hoped he wasn't a Republican.

[spag68]

17. Biden

Joe is a nice guy, with a great personal story. The fact is that his state is corporation central, and they will prop him up as long as they need a man on the inside. Don't forget his votes on the credit card issues.

[FrenchieCat]

16. Krugman's just being used.......

and he knows it.

While the Budget fight is on for next week,
this is what those standing waiting at the grocery store will see.

It's quite elementary and has nothing to do with "principle".

I don't blame Krugman for the media using him,
but I hope he starts writing about the budget,
since that one column he wrote back in February,
obviously was not enough.

He has repeatetly spoken on what's bad about Obama,
so I pray he will focus on what's good,
now that he has been given a larger voice by the Corporate media.

[jaysunb]

18. "loyal opposition"

or honest disagreement without being disagreeable.
Another "novel concept."

[Larkspur]

19. Krugman is perfect as Obama's loyal opposition

He is not politically motivated as in he's not interested in running in a primary against Obama in 2012. Krugman is a professional economist who is doing his duty, as he did during the Bush Admin, of telling us and our leaders the Truth as he sees it. Unlike the Right Wing hacks, who come out of Right Wing Think Tanks like a plague of flies, Krugman is actually competent to analyze what our leaders are doing economically. Krugman is a liberal in the old fashion sense -- well educated man who analyzes data and bases his decisions and critiques upon reason. Krugman in a sense is doing what the Old Testmanet Prophets did to their leaders and people -- tell them the Truth even if they don't want to hear it.

[Prophet 451]

20. Krugman is the best kind of ally

The kind who supports you when you're right but is not afraid to offer constructive criticism when you're wrong. And the word "constructive" is important, he's not just knocking Obama's proposal, he is offering alternatives. If I were Obama, I'd have him on speed-dial.