Krugman: minimal steps are just a way of guaranteeing a devastating defeat

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

September 4, 2010, 9:40 am
Rahmism
Paul Krugman


...Look: early on the administration had a political theory: it would win bipartisan legislative victories, and each success would make Republicans who voted no feel left out, so that they would vote for the next initiative, and so on. (By the way, read that article and weep: “The massive resistance Republicans posed to Clinton in 1993 is impossible to imagine today.” They really believed that.)

This theory led to a strategy of playing it safe: never put forward proposals that might fail to pass, avoid highlighting the philosophical differences between the parties. There was never an appreciation of the risks of having policies too weak to do the job.

And then it led the administration to keep claiming that the legislation it had gotten through was just right, long past the point when it was obvious that the policies were inadequate.

And they’re still doing it. This is crazy: when you’re well down in the polls, minimal steps that won’t move the economy and won’t grab voters’ imagination are just a way of guaranteeing a devastating defeat...

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/rahmism/

[SpiralHawk]

1. Dear President Obama

Please pay attention.

(And then throw the clueless, arrogant, dangerous Rahmster under the bus.)

[still_one]

9. It isn't just rahm, look at his other appointments. Even Biden advised him to listen to

Volcker, but instead it was summers and the others

[bvar22]

80. You mean this team?

The DLC New Team
Liberals need not Apply!

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254886&kaid=86&subid=85

[tomp]

84. don't forget Holder. nt

[bvar22]

89. You mean...

Eric "Look the other Way on WAR CRIMES" Holder...(Or "Look Forward" or something)

What a FAB choice for fucking ATTORNEY GENERAL of the US!!!
He won't be rocking any Big Money Boats.
Big Business AS USUAL!

[tomp]

129. yep. one and the same. incredible what a bunch of conservatives....

....obama has put in place.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

91. Cute.

:loveya:

[xxqqqzme]

109. That's the one!

Put the middle class in cement shoes and push them off the end of the dock.

[Fearless]

133. +1

[IndianaJoe]

2. Krugman's right. n/t

[kenny blankenship]

3. They shat their mandate and momentum away so fast it's difficult to believe they did it accidentally

I've never seen anything like it. In politics or out.

[Steely_Dan]

5. Yep...Exactly n/t

[glitch]

17. Agreed. And I hate to see Congress, especially Pelosi, pay for it.

Yeah I know, Pelosi's not perfect.

[kenny blankenship]

23. I agree: the House Dems are the least responsible party

but the most likely to feel the pain - like the base. Meanwhile those that caused the trainwreck will steam ahead -declaring their views vindicated, no doubt- and bring still more ruin to us.

[glitch]

65. Ayup. Triangulating ever further Right, to Oblivion (for us, they'll be fine). nt

[Better Today]

59. Problem is, the ones truly paying for it, are not Pelosie or Congress, it's citizens, it's

so far the most troubled of our citizens, with policies favoring a continuation of top down economics.

[glitch]

63. No relief for we the people if we lose what little we have in the House. nt

[suffragette]

66. Good point

[pscot]

18. If they had deliberately set out to take down

the Democrats and re-legitimize the Republicans all this would make a lot more sense. I don't think it was deliberate. They're just clueless, but the results speak for themselves.

[rhett o rick]

70. Didnt you smell something when Bush/Cheney left so quietly? I think deals were made. nm

[readmoreoften]

78. Hey, listen, they just decided to not rig the machines this time.

:sarcasm:

[rhett o rick]

92. Everything was set up for Bush to extend his presidency "temporarily" to get thru the crisis (you

choose which crisis). But they hardly even said a word when they slithered out. I think that who ever really runs the show told them they were done. Let Obama win (with help by selecting Caribou barbie and dipshit to run) to calm the masses. Then come back stronger than ever in 2012.

[bvar22]

112. Yes.

And let the "Centrist" Democrats cement in place the controversial issues of the Bush Presidency,
like:

*The Patriot Act

*Warrantless Wire Tapping

*The Unitary Executive

*Expansion of Permanent WAR/OCCUPATION in the Middle East

*Non Prosecution of War Crimes

*Wall Street gaining access to the Public Treasury to pay off their bad deals

After the approval of a "Democratic" Administration,
ALL those will gain PERMANENT status.
THEY become The NEW NORM.

The "Democratic" Administration would also be useful in accomplishing things the Republicans could NEVER do,
like:

*Force every American to BUY Health Insurance from For Profit Corporations without Price Controls or a Public Option.

*Cut Social Security Benefits (Its coming)

A pretty package indeed.

When The Working Class & The Poor realize that we have more in common with each other than we have in common with the Rich, Elite Leadership of BOTH Political Parties, "CHANGE" will happen.
As long as TPTB can FRAME the debate as a narrow contest between Democrats vs Republican, no real "CHANGE" is possible.

[ooglymoogly]

113. +1 nt

[chill_wind]

114. Yes. A very pretty package indeed :-(

Good summary, bvar.

[Jim Sagle]

117. Privatize the profit and socialize the risk - and normalize the torture.

[Enthusiast]

175. Torture is the single worst crime in existence.

The single worst in whatever form it takes. And it has now become acceptable to the general public, normalized, as you say. We are no longer the United States of America.

[leftstreet]

153. +1 The Republicans could NEVER have passed this agenda

Good list

[Enthusiast]

174. Plus one. nt

[Enthusiast]

173. Yep. And blame it all on the Democrats.

They own the media so they control the message. Democrats = responsible for all the country's problems.

[glitch]

115. Looks like those of us who were mocked for 'they'll never relinquish power' weren't quite so far off

And I must continue to ask, were those 6 missing nukes ever returned?

[Enthusiast]

172. Deals are still being made.

IMHO.

[dotymed]

186. IMO

"deals were made" starting during the "election" process.
Sadly, (tinfoil hat and all) I do not believe that "our" votes count for shit. I think the "election" where Max Cleland was ousted, was the first "large scale" test of the ability of electronic voting machines to pre-determine "election" outcomes.
Now, the PTB dictate their demands to any national (and many state) candidates and if they are amenable, they miraculously win, upset or not.
If citizens would only take their "blinders" off, the evidence is so apparent.
Look at the "exit polling" during the Bush II election.
In the history of exit polling, it had proven to be extremely accurate.
Now, the MSM doesn't even bother with these polls. America has become a Fascist (and a police state to ensure all goes smooth) nation.
I have never believed in "pre-destiny", but in American politics, it is a given. Please the PTB, use the propaganda machine to "prove" you are a populist wanting change, and viola...
Oh, and never "look back".........

[readmoreoften]

77. +1

Either corrupt manipulators got into office again and the system is broken... OR
"Good" people can't get anything done in Washington and the system is broken.

Either way, it's time to think outside the ballot box because the system is a joke.

[Capitalocracy]

82. I wonder which one we should be hoping for

If it's deliberate, that's bad, if it's incompetence, that may also be incurable.

Obama's a tough nut to crack. It's clear Geithner and Rahmmy and Gibbs aren't on our side, I think it's safe to say.

[Enthusiast]

176. They simply can't be this incompetent.

Obama the enigma.

[Raksha]

95. I agree. In fact I don't believe for a minute they did it accidentally.

They did it because they are DINOs and corporatists, and they don't even bother to hide it any more.

[hulka38]

107. Great point.

It's amazing what has happened.

[Peregrine Took]

122. Yes indeed! I remember the Obama people leaping to his defense when every

thing started to turn ugly right from the get go.

"Give him a chance!" "He's only been in office "fill in the blank" months!" "You're asking for too much too soon!"

How shocked and disgusted we were watching him fill his administration with neo-Dems and Clintonista's and then installing the foul mouthed one in charge of the the staff.

Corporate man Holder in charge of Justice. Everything just revolting! I'll never vote for him again as I'm in a safe state I won't have to and I refuse to add one vote to his grand totals.

[MNBrewer]

184. I remember that all too well

As sad as I am that Obama hasn't turned out to be what we hoped, I'm glad to see that DU is regaining its sanity.

[Grinchie]

162. I'm glad others noticed the Lame Duckedness.

He proved it in April or May of 2009 for me, and at this put, I can't even watch his speeches anymore, simply because they are all full of hot air.

[Enthusiast]

171. It couldn't possibly be accidental.

I'm not liking the smell of this. Contrast this with how Bush behaved with a non-mandate.

[TMED]

187. Well, there was Michael Jordan playing baseball

I also saw him dance, once. Pathetic.

Fortunately, he was smart enough to go back into basketball.

[still_one]

4. They should have realized this six months into his administration

Not only has this failed, but their timid response to misrepresentations and lies from the republicans is pathetic

Unfortunately, what happened with the loss of Kennedy's seat is a lesson they did not learn from, and keeping Tim Kaine on the job shows they will continue to make the same mistakes

[Jim Sagle]

118. The same mistakes they've made for 45 years? These are not mistakes.

[Richard Steele]

169. Damn right they aren't "mistakes".

They are scripted maneuvers in a STRATEGY...
and a damnably successful strategy, as it turns out. :(

[Enthusiast]

177. Exactly nt

[Peregrine Took]

124. Also the dirty way they treated Howard Dean after everything he did for

the party and to help Obama get into office.

[marew]

6. Krugman and Robert Reich..

are completely on target but no one in DC is listening. I certainly don't remember the rethugs trying to placate the Dems when the rethugs were in control.

[area51]

87. +1 n/t

[jaxx]

7. Krugman must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

He's either hot or cold...and always thinks he's right. This isn't one of his better days.

[still_one]

11. The polls seem to correlate with what he says /nt

[jaxx]

24. The poll that says he's at 50% approval?

[still_one]

39. According to Gallop it says about 46% approval for Obama, which by itself isn't bad

However, it is the details that tell it all:

49% say repukes are better on the economy, 38% say Democrats are


http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx

Now, after what we went through with bush, or for that matter since reagan, and the populous feel this way, not only reflect their ignorance, but also that the Democrats have not sold themselves

[jaxx]

41. It was 50 the other day. All within 3%.

[still_one]

160. What I am saying is whether it is 46% or 50% those are respectable, and most likely

reflect that they like him, but the other questions regarding Democrats verses republicans are far more troubling

[chill_wind]

58. Not on the economy! He's at almost 60% disapproval.

That same CNN poll everyone's been flakking.

09/02/10 CNN permalink 40.0% 59.0%

http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/us-obama-job-approval-economy

That's up from a couple others a couple weeks ago.

08/26/10 Newsweek 40.0% 56.0%
08/24/10 CBS 44.0% 48.0%


And overall job approval.... Approve Disapprove Spread

09/02/10 Rasmussen 44.0% 55.0% -11.0
09/02/10 CNN 50.0% 49.0% 1.0
09/02/10 Gallup 46.0% 46.0% 0.0
09/01/10 Gallup 46.0% 45.0% 1.0
09/01/10 Rasmussen 47.0% 52.0% -5.0

[MilesColtrane]

67. The polls that indicate Republicans gaining 4 to 8 Senate seats,...

28 to 40 House seats, and 2 to 8 state governor seats in November...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/2010_elections_senate_map.html

[rfranklin]

12. And your evidence is what?

The constant cheerleading heard on DU for this "bipartisan" approach is pathetically delusional. The Republicans have used the same playbook from the past twenty years and they have turned their massive defeat around in two short years. They should have been crushed and vilified. They were not. Now we suffer the consequences.

[jefferson_dem]

21. "Cheerleading".

Cute.

[liberation]

101. Said the guy with the logo of the whitehouse in his sig line...

... one just can't make such level of runaway dishonesty.

It was cute and funny at the beginning, now it is starting to mimic the surreal spectacle of Bush's 25%ers.

The more things change... I guess.

[ozymandius]

125. And your point is?

What? The Obama administration can do no wrong?

[jaxx]

27. Surely you didn't just call me a cheerleader and a republican, did you?

We are only going to suffer for what was left on the burner by the previous adm, like the jobs and the economy. Please give credit where credit is due....and don't try to heap it all on Obama.
Bipartisanship ya know. :-)

[rfranklin]

56. I would not call you a Republican...

that is beyond the pale.

[jaxx]

60. You are then letting the cheerleader name calling stand?

That's too bad.

[readmoreoften]

79. Are you not a cheerleader? Why is that bad? I'm a cheerleader of many causes.

How is that name-calling? Are you ashamed of your unabashed support for Obama? Are you insinuating that you are not a cheerleader because you are willing to criticize Obama? What's the deal?

[liberation]

102. Technically your first post could be construed as somewhat of an ad hominem...

... kind of hypocritical from your part to know feign outrage for others doing the same. Don't ya think?

Cheers.

[JoseGaspar]

110. Who are you?

The junior, auxiliary, volunteer, prosecutor?

Do you have a badge?

[ThomCat]

151. If the shoe fits.

:shrug:

[niceypoo]

191. Indeed, we were told it was a 'chess move' by those same cheerleaders

Everything we said would come from playing footsies with the GOP has come true, sadly.

Lie down with dogs (The GOP) and you get fleas, just like we told you.

[ShamelessHussy]

16. I'm sure it just all in his head

:eyes:

[WillyT]

20. Yes... And Because Of This Minimalist Approach... It Won't Be One Of Our Better Novembers...

:shrug:

[paulk]

37. explain why he's wrong

rather than just trashing him - explain why what he's saying is wrong.

[jaxx]

45. It's a whine, going off someone else's article.....

Jon Cohn’s post about what the administration may be considering, and what it isn’t considering, makes we want to cry.<<

C'mon that's not reality, it's supposition.

[ShamelessHussy]

48. Funny, but that's exactly how your post resonates

To me anyways

When krugman speaks on the economy, I and many others, listen to his experienced, and highly regarded take on things. And as long as it continues to be my experience that his take is on the mark, I will continue to vs the likes of political wonks/hacks.

[jaxx]

54. I never whine. I'd rather talk facts.

And I thought it was EF Hutton that people listened to. ;-) Thanks for playing along.

[RaleighNCDUer]

130. Leeeve Obama aloooooone!!!!!

Sounds like whining to me.

[ThomCat]

152. "Don't you DARE say anything nasy about my HERO Obama!"

"Or I'll Pout and post something really really Nasty about YOU!"

:eyes:

Yeah, we see it over and over and over again from you.

[nashville_brook]

127. +1

:evilgrin:

[paulk]

57. at the very least Cohn is talking about a trial balloon

that's being floated by the Obama admin.


Krugman is right to shoot it down

[fascisthunter]

108. Explain why he's wrong... where's the explanation

you side-stepped the request.

[rhett o rick]

72. How do you know that he always thinks he is right? Dont you think you are right when you

say something. Very strange criticism.

[Raster]

119. He tends to be right far more than wrong. And admits if he is wrong.

He's not, unfortunately.

And I am sick-to-fucking death of "chill the fuck out, I've got it," or "...playing three dimensional chess," or "...inherited the biggest set of problems."

President Barrack H. Obama came legally and honestly to the Presidency of the United States with one of the biggest advantages: the will and support of the people. We were promised hope and change. We received nope and change from a buck stopping somewhere else. This President was handed a ready-equipped bully pulpit from a nation craving a new direction. The only thing President Obama has used the bully pulpit for is to wave to his supporters, many of which are now wondering where is the man they believed in and elected to office. And make no mistake, George W. Bush* was not a tough act to follow. Or so we thought.

[me b zola]

136. +100000

I "held on" for over a year into this administration, but I am beyond over it. This administration had the best vantage point since FDR to institute progressive policies, yet managed to bend over backward for rw policies & talking points and in the process found themselves in the weeds. And what did they do when they found themselves unpopular?--attack their base. Yeah, I'm over it.

[on point]

161. Well Put - Both note and signing statement...

[Raster]

193. Thank you! Much appreciated.

[niceypoo]

192. Show where he is wrong, if you can

Im curious what you have

[xchrom]

8. Recommend

[RKP5637]

10. Exactly what we've been sadly watching happen... n/t

[mike r]

13. Rahm Emanuel is no friend of the working class

His portfolio in Washington is ample proof.

[Catshrink]

15. Rahmsputin is Obama's biggest mistake.

Not only has he steered him wrong, he's managed to piss off core constituencies.

[snagglepuss]

62. Rahmsputin

BRILLIANT


:rofl:

[Catshrink]

75. thank you...

:blush:

[rhett o rick]

73. Rahmbo.

Hasnt done much right.

[Catshrink]

76. Not at all

He's actually done far more harm. It's time for him to spend more time with his family.

[rhett o rick]

90. .

[Dr.Phool]

100. You think they want him?

[Ignis]

120. !

:spray:

[WillyT]

14. HUGE K & R !!!

:kick:

[jefferson_dem]

19. Krugman is funny.

This entry is simply a whiny exercise in "foot stomping" (with typos).

Leaving aside the long list of significant accomplishments already in place ... what exactly would he have the administration do ... right now? Oh, I see. Fire Rahm. That'll sure advance the agenda. Krugman is generally solid when it comes to economics. Politics...not so much.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

22. His *political* analysis has been superior to the WH, so where does that put them?

Krugman is not a political mastermind by any means, but he has run rings around team Obama on the few purely political things he has to say.

The "Krugman doesn't understand politics" line was cute for a while but has become simply embarrassing.

Unless one wants to argue that our current political position is where the WH wanted to be.

[notesdev]

26. puts them in last place and second to last place

When the massive defeat comes this November, remember which way Krugman would have led you.

[jefferson_dem]

29. The White House is not into "analysis." They are into governing.

"Things he (Krugman) has to say," as you say. That's his job and I do not disparage him for it. He does it very well. And I read him always. Brutal truth is ... governing is more than offering recommendations and analyses.

Of course, none of us are where we want to be. Not Obama. Not Rahm. Not Pelosi. No Democrat. Are you?

[Enthusiast]

178. The point is we could be where

we want to be but for a completely wrong headed approach. The numbers speak for themselves. Time to consider an alternate point of view.

[leveymg]

146. Krugman's awards were earned. Obama's were given as acts of faith and wishful thinking.

[rucky]

33. We're kind of in a poorly timed limbo right now

We're waiting to feel the positive effects of the policies put in place, and there are no new ambitious plans being unveiled for voters to look forward to. I read Krugman's criticism as one of strategy, and there's some validity to it.

There is foot stopming going on right now among the base. Addressing it with dismissiveness will not get people to the polls. Fear of "Speaker Boehner" is real, but it's not enough to base an entire election strategy on. If we're running off our achievements, there is a disconnect right now between their passage and their implementation - reforms were big, but spread too thin and gradually for enough people to see a positive impact from them yet. What's going to get people to hang in there, if not new, ambitious plans?

[bvar22]

189. More "Audacity."

Less "HOPE".

[notesdev]

25. Krugman's an idiot

He lives in a fantasy world surrounded by the rich, famous, and influential, and can see nothing from the point of view of the average person. It is no wonder that he doesn't get it, no matter how wildly he flails in trying.

[Larkspur]

28. Stop living on Planet Bush

It went extinct a few years ago and Planet Obama is about to do the same.

Krugman was dead right about Bush and has been dead right about Obama's inept economic team and their bad decisions.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. Project much?

On the contrary. As far as I can tell, NOBODY in the White House is looking at things from the point of view of the average person. NOBODY.

Krugman is a Princeton professor, and therefore a bit removed from everyday life, but he's one of the blessed few elites who has not lost sight of how policies affect ordinary people.

Now the columnist who REALLY highlights the plight of ordinary Americans is Bob Herbert. Are you telling me that he is an idiot and out of touch with ordinary Americans, too?

Tell me, notesdev, are the ordinary Americans you know happy about long-term unemployment, health "reform" that fails to control costs, and continued wars?

[Raster]

121. Thank you, Lydia. You are a true progressive Democrat. I always read your posts.

[Enthusiast]

180. Plus one! nt

[WillyT]

34. LOL !!! - One Of The Funniest And Most Ironic Posts Of The Era !!!

Congratulations !

:rofl:

:wtf:

:crazy:

[MoonRiver]

51. Agreed.

dear God....:eyes:

[MilesColtrane]

71. His post could well be the MOAF.

(Mother Of All Facepalms)

[rucky]

35. What is the average person seeing that he's not?

Recovery? Stability? A clear path for our future?

Speaking of fantasy worlds...

[paulk]

40. such a well thought out argument

:eyes:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

47. That post said precisely nothing.

It's the equivalent of the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" point-and-shriek.

[ShamelessHussy]

50. Sounds like he struck a nerve

Must be on the right track!

[MoonRiver]

52. No, he just sounds uninformed.

Few professors, even Noble Prize winners, are part of the rich elitist class. :eyes:

[tomp]

86. oh. please! go ahead and tell us what krugman is uninformed about....

....if you can. this should be good.

[MoonRiver]

88. Actually, I was not referring to Krugman.

I thought that was obvious.

[tomp]

128. i see now. sorry. nt

[MoonRiver]

197. No problem!

:hi:

[ozymandius]

134. Do you think that Krugman would ever call you an 'idiot'?

I certainly have my differences with Krugman when it comes to come economic issues. But do you really think someone had to wipe the drool off his chin or shush him from blithering at the ceremony where they awarded him a Nobel Prize?

He is affluent an influential while he remains attentive to the priorities of those who are not. From humble beginnings - Krugman remains the liberal antithesis of thought to counter the mainstream DLC tripe that currently populates the Cat Food Commission.

Read the column again and consider how these opinions could be from an idiot.

[leveymg]

147. Look into the mirror, and repeat . . .

I will not project . . . I will not project . . .

[ThomCat]

154. LOL! You aren't fooling anyone.

:rofl:

You wish you had half as much insight and could express it half as well.

Project much?

[Enthusiast]

179. Funny how so many of us agree with him.

Retards I guess.

[niceypoo]

194. "and can see nothing from the point of view of the average person"

That is because he is an economist. He sees the economy from an economists point of view.

The average person only sees what is projected for them on the TV box

[OHdem10]

30. A Reminder: Democrats playing "Me Too" showed us how to

lose when Kerry ran. Me tooers just parrot Republican
positions never truly distinguishing themselves from
the other party.
when will they learn???

[jaxx]

38. That's what I'm wondering.

When will Democrats ever learn that trashing their own does nothing but fire up the opposition? You'd think by now a unified desire to win the 2012 election would be topmost in people's minds. Instead we get the carping constantly, and it does not help the Democrats. I do not want to see chinless McConnell and crybaby Boehner running the congress.

Vote Democratic Party in our own best interests.

[Dr.Phool]

104. "Our own"

That's where you don't get it. They're not "My own" anymore.

I was a liberal Democrat, leaning towards socialist, and my party was pretty much there with me since I cast my first vote in 1972. My own would put up a fight for working people, minorities, unions, and the oppressed.

When Blue Dogs, "New Democrats", and DLC Republican lites stole the Democratic brand name, and started voting for things like Welfare Reform, Bankruptcy Reform, Regulatory and Financial Reform, and on and on, co-opting Republican polices, They ceased being "My Own". I'm an independent voter now. You know, one of those voters they claim to want to win over? We're dis-affected Democrats, not centrists.

I'll never vote for a Republican. But, there's a lot of Democrats that will go "undervote" on my ballot.

[bvar22]

106. With You.

-----bvar22
A proud mainstream FDR Democrat
now relegated to the Fringe, Fucking Retard, STFU Wing of "The New Democrat Party"
I won't go quietly into that Good Night.

[Grinchie]

163. Checking in as another little (d) Democrat that has seen the party evaporate

Into nothing more than Corporate Marketing, sloganeering, jingoism, a fear of the bad of Republicans "For Your Own Good".

Maybe if the DLC idiots could do some tangible good, then maybe I could tolerate voting on Party lines, but at this point, they are serving up a shit sandwich and telling us that we should be grateful for it.

No more. I have seen nothing that actually furthers the safety and security of the Country or its people for the last 10 years and I've had enough.

Screw em.

[Enthusiast]

182. I'm with you. They are no longer my own.

And without Bankruptcy Reform the PTB couldn't have pulled off "The Great Wall Street Heist". And if they had not done away with Glass-Steagal it would not have been possible.

[bread_and_roses]

188. + 1000 + (n/t)

[hulka38]

111. "Don't give in to fear...."

"I do not want to see chinless McConnell and crybaby Boehner running the congress"

Those two thoughts in the same small post provides some insight to the inner confusion of the chronic apologists of the party leadership.

[Enthusiast]

181. Exactly nt

[mix]

31. Brilliant as usual...some harsh truths for Team Obama. nt

[notesdev]

36. He's an economist by profession

He know what Geithner, Bernanke, Summers, etc. are up to and has not once decried it.

He knows how we get out of this mess but because it conflicts with his personal interests and that of those who pay him, he will never mention it.

If you think he's on the side of average folks, you are quite naive indeed.

[mix]

43. cheap slander

:thumbsdown:

[paulk]

44. you must have him mixed up with someone else

he has berated the Obama economic team (Geithner, Bernanke, Summers) numerous times.

seriously - your comments on this thread make no sense

[mitchtv]

139. no sense at all

bizarre even
K&R

[chill_wind]

46. ?

These remarks make zero sense.

[Raineyb]

61. None whatsoever. When Krugman disagrees with the administration they say he he's a hater but now

suddenly he's never disagreed with the economic team? Talk about revisionist history.

You are so right those remarks make no sense whatsoever.

[Grinchie]

164. Propaganda need not make sense.. All it takes are people too lazy to think for themselves.

And then they spread the nonsense far and wide to all their friends.

[ShamelessHussy]

53. Huh?

He is challenging the admin to do more for real people, weTHEpeople, sounds like he's on the right side of history on this to me.

:shrug:

[CTyankee]

83. Yes, I agree. He's been clear that he thinks Obama went too small on the stimulus

all along. I read his column regularly. He has been completely consistent in his criticism of Obama's economic policies...

[MilesColtrane]

74. You don't really read his columns, do you?

Krugman back in January and February on the inadequacy of the White House stimulus plan, and the probable political fallout.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/stimulus-arithmetic-wonkish-but-important/


http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/what-the-centrists-have-wrought/

And that gets us to politics. This really does look like a plan that falls well short of what advocates of strong stimulus were hoping for — and it seems as if that was done in order to win Republican votes. Yet even if the plan gets the hoped-for 80 votes in the Senate, which seems doubtful, responsibility for the plan’s perceived failure, if it’s spun that way, will be placed on Democrats.

I see the following scenario: a weak stimulus plan, perhaps even weaker than what we’re talking about now, is crafted to win those extra GOP votes. The plan limits the rise in unemployment, but things are still pretty bad, with the rate peaking at something like 9 percent and coming down only slowly. And then Mitch McConnell says “See, government spending doesn’t work.”

[BlueCheese]

140. Krugman was wrong.

He said this:

I see the following scenario: a weak stimulus plan, perhaps even weaker than what we’re talking about now, is crafted to win those extra GOP votes. The plan limits the rise in unemployment, but things are still pretty bad, with the rate peaking at something like 9 percent and coming down only slowly. And then Mitch McConnell says “See, government spending doesn’t work.”

What happend was that things are still pretty bad, with the unemployment peaking at something like 10% and coming down only slowly. And now Mitch McConnell is saying "See, government spending doesn't work."

Shows what he knows...

(Yes, I'm being facetious.)

[ThomCat]

155. Have you bothered to READ any of his collumns?

He attacks them repeated! He has been attacking them from the very beginning of this administration.

Are you kidding?

:wtf:

[chill_wind]

42. K & R. He's done and said all he can.

[Faryn Balyncd]

49. K&R...We need to REPEAL the FIX thatgives the Catfood Comm a NO-AMENDMENT vote in lame duck Congress

[lunatica]

55. It reminds me of the battered spouse syndrome

You try to live a normal life but are always expecting to be beaten for something only your abuser thinks is worth the beating. After a while you aren't living anything even remotely normal.

[QC]

64. Krugman is just jealous because Obama is so devastatingly attractive.

No, seriously, that was a common attack against Krugman around here at one time.

:crazy:

[chill_wind]

68. PLEASE tell me you're joking.

The one I remember the most was that he wasn't entitled to a professional opinion because he wasn't working at the White House.

[QC]

69. No, I am absolutely serious.

The argument ran that Krugman is geeky and not terribly handsome, so he must be jealous of the president, who surely had no trouble getting dates back when he was college, and that is why K. thought the stimulus needed to be structured differently.

The standards of discourse at this place really fell into the basement during the primaries. Sometimes I feel like I am at a Jonas Brothers fanboard.

[Grinchie]

165. Isn't that the Plot of an old Toshiro Mifune movie?

[ThomCat]

156. I remember attacks saying that he was Jealous that he wasn't

part of the whitehouse economic policy team.

Yeah, that must be it. :P

[GreenTea]

81. I must say, Krugman as usual is absolutely 100% correct! But Dems don't listen they coward

frightened and just hope for the best as the republicans attack, lie making their fact-less points, spend as much as it takes money assaulting & distorting he Dems positions & ideology...the republicans lie and misrepresent their own positions while hatefully pointing all their blame and their destruction of our country on the Democrats...

As the Democrats just watch idly by....

The republicans will smear the democrat and their record while the feeble Dems are just too frightened to say or do anything of significance because the tough republican media might hurt their chances - What stupid fucking strategy for defeat.

The Democrats prefer to just hope that the people will see through it all(they won't) while the Dems just hoover, hide & hope is their disgusting strategy as the lying slimy corporate republicans march on in taking power.

The Dems have long given up, afraid to fight and just don't want to make waves.

Oh but then the will Dems get tough when it's too late, already lost nothing to lose long after the elections and were defeated.

Still the meek Democrats are happy with the feeble race they ran - Oh but it was honorable race run by us though - Bullshit!!

One must fight the best and hardest and any way possible to win never giving up!!

But the Democrats will of gotten theirs into retirement and screw all of us that donated fought hard and never gave up in the Dems behalf ....Pathetic!!

[L0oniX]

85. Obama could restore confidence real easy ...affirm that he will veto any bill that changes SS...

or medicare in any way. Will he?

[JoseGaspar]

93. Sit back and watch as 20 million people run out their unemployment...

... benefits, while having their homes foreclosed.

Slip the schedule for recovery: "Not this year; maybe next... or the one after... be patient".

Offer up wonkish pablum while promising nothing to stop this all too obvious "race to the bottom".

And then be surprised when people don't want to drag their ass up to vote for you again.

"What is wrong with you people? You are engaged in magical thinking. Things could be much worse."

Ummmm.... how?

[provis99]

94. the DLC is getting what they want: Republican control of congress.

Fuck you, Rahm Immanuel. Fuck you, Harold ford. Fuck you bill Clinton.

[Raster]

123. When the republicans are in control, the DLC has the "bogeyman effect" helping raise funds.

When the Dems are in control, it's time to "put up or shut up." Unfortunately, other than the usual worthless bluster, we're not seeing too much put up.

[MannyGoldstein]

126. DLC=Democrats Lose Congress

Like clockwork.

[Raster]

149. DLC = Democrats Love Corporations

The party fundraisers never met a checkbook they didn't like, as long as it was big and important. That's why they hate Howard Dean. He made it very clear just how important THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE.

[SoCalDem]

96. Like a half-dose of chemo

Pharmacists who "water down" chemo drugs, to make more profit, end up in jail...but politicians who water down lifesaving financial aid, end up re-elected.. crazy world..

[Turbineguy]

97. So this theory goes

something like this: "Since the repubs control the agenda anyway, we may as well just put them in there."

This bi-partisan shit was a mistake. Obama may as well admit it and then tell everybody to vote for democrats, throw the idiots out and then they can fix what they started.

[bvar22]

148. The bi-partisan shit was NOT a mistake.

It was the Cover Story for a designed move to The Right.

[ThomCat]

157. Yes. Our party made a deliberate move to start relying on

corporate money and backing instead of Labor money and backing. That means, by necessity, moving to the right because corporate backers demand it.

So our party MUST move into the space formerly occupied by Republicans because corporate backers demand it.

Thank you Clinton for creating and implementing this whole strategy of putting the party into Corporate pockets. :(

So, yes, this bi-partisan shit WAS a deliberate cover for a deliberate move to the right. All the efforts to give corporate sponsors victory on every issue was not a mistake. All the corporate victories at our expense was never an accident. :(

Just like the gradual decay of real journalism in the mainstream media, when you are dependent on corporate sponsors for your money your entire organization loses all real idealism and ethics in that quest for ever more money. What we saw in the decay of journalism, we are seeing in the decay of the Democratic Party too. x(

[depakid]

98. Krugman was right way back when- Obama was naive

and when it came right down to it- not at all pragmatic.

[geckosfeet]

99. Kruger hits it on the head. The administration has been playing a losing game.

[politicalmajority]

103. Rahm Emanuel Scares No One. He Is a Paper Fish (Something Even Less Than a Paper Tiger)

Rahm Emanuel is an irritant to real Americans but he scares no Republicans.

[RandomThoughts]

105. Fear has no purpose.

To use fear is to try and get someone not to follow a path they choose, let them be courageous in their destruction, for lack of fear as it drives those to do better, also will drive those of wrong spirit off the cliff to destruction.

[Safetykitten]

131. Very true. Can you imagine this guy scaring republicans? Republicans are

the crazy shit-house rats of the world. Nothing is to brazen, no lie to insane, yet people think that this guy scares them.

Hysterically funny.

[bvar22]

190. Rahm's job isn't to "scare Republicans".

Rahm's job is to control access to the White House.
He is Obama's Consigliere, and he does that well.

It is Rahm's job to make sure that the White House Doors are open to Republicans, Wall Street, Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Corps, and that the doors are closed to Progressives, Liberals, Unions, and the (dirty & poor) reps of The Working Class.
So far, so good.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[MannyGoldstein]

116. Seems like its time for Democrats to take matters into our own hands

Our leaders have failed us, they don't work for working Americans.

[Jackpine Radical]

132. The problem is in that business about taking matters into our own hands.

I think the average American has been conditioned into a state of learned helplessness and external locus of control. The only way out is for us to band together for mutual aid, forming "living co-ops" of some sort. But I think things will have to get a lot more desperate before we're able to overcome the many divisions of race, religion, etc. that have been foisted off on us by the wealthy so that we can stop seeing each other as the problem and look upward to see where the real problems are. Then, once we identify the 0.05% who are actually ruling the roost, we will have to figure out what to do about it. I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about this stuff and studying what has happened in other places, particularly Latin America, and the solutions arte not, to say the least, obvious. I'm ready to listen to you or anyone with coherent thoughts about potential courses of action.

[MannyGoldstein]

138. Are there any examples of grass-roots movements that succeeded?

I hope there's some way out of this.

[leveymg]

144. The New Deal, pretty much a success - sufficiently grass-roots to be credible and endure

[Jackpine Radical]

195. But it would have gone nowhere without the Gubmint.

This time I think we're on our own.

[ThomCat]

158. But they don't work for us anymore.

They work for the corporate sponsors. The democratic party has stopped being the party of labor and the people.

Clinton made the deliberate effort to make the party more attractive to corporate money. And it worked. The party started bringing in money on par with republicans, and even surpassing republicans.

But in exchange for all that money, the party now has to do what all those wealthy people and their corporate interests want. Our party is owned by them, not by us.

As our party took over that space formerly occupied by only the republican party, "the party of big money interests" our party had had to start dancing to the tune of those big money interests. And now our part is trying to prove that the Democratic party can do it better than the Republicans can in order to get a permanent lock on those sources of money.

Why the hell would anyone in the party listen to us if it means offending any of Them?

[craigmatic]

135. He's pretty much right. Obama should've went bigger sooner. It's too late to do anything big now.

[Jakes Progress]

137. Go ahead Obama.

Keep ignoring the good advice you get and keep listening to the asshats in your cabinet.

Then when the Democrats get their hats handed to them in the mid terms, they can just trot out the Belt Way common thinking that the liberals caused it.

What a waste.

[russspeakeasy]

141. Dear Mr. Obama

We threw you a nice catchable pass in the end-zone and you
dropped it.. I very much doubt that that opportunity will come
your way again.
Because of the poor advice you are apparently taking
concerning the economy and the war in Afghanistan, tells me
that you have done a piss poor job of picking your advisers.
The only thing that could disappoint me more is that you knew
what you were/are doing.

[leveymg]

142. I believe we hired someone who massively overpadded his resume.

Now, what do we do about that?

[ThomCat]

159. We hired someone who lied to us

because all his corporate sponsors, including everyone in the Mainstream Media and a hell of a large Public Relations Machine cooperated to build and sell us an image we would believe.

Immediately upon getting elected he ditched a hell of a lot of campaign advisers who were liberal and helped prop up his liberal credentials. He replaced them with conservative advisers. The liberal campaign advisers didn't know they had just been props. But once he got elected they weren't needed anymore.

That was our first sign that we had all been conned. x(

[highplainsdem]

143. K&R

[BEZERKO]

145. Yep,

1994 all over again.

[KakistocracyHater]

150. Put Stiglitz in where Summers/Geithner are

I knew it was high past time to change course-it's like a car speeding toward a wall made of bricks, covered with steel, & tiled with dolomite. We WERE further out, but the closer we get to hitting that wall-the sharper the angle becomes to avoid hitting that wall. A very sharp Left turn is now required.

Resurrect the 1950s tax rates & call it the Patriot Tax-NOW.

[Major Hogwash]

166. Pass a massive jobs bill in September and we will win in November.

Simple recipe for success.
Just that simple.

[Major Hogwash]

168. And pass a huge small business aid package to seal the deal.

And that way, we can work our way out of the recession.
Pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, the way the Republicans are always saying we should do.

[SILVER__FOX52]

167. precisely correct !!!

[JCMach1]

170. Obama forgot it was a 53% Progressive, Democratic coalition that put him in office

and proceeded with Center/Right policies that 'might' garner Repug votes in the 'name' of bipartisanship.

They were dead wrong and many of us have been saying that almost from day 1, if not -60.

If forgot to dance with those that brung him...

And that lack of enthusiasm from his coalition that feels jilted in some way (not some mythical, silent, RW majority) is going to bring down the Dems. in the midterm.

[democracy1st]

185. I think this is what they planned all along,there's to many bad moves for all to see repeated!

[Enthusiast]

183. K&R

I read every post.

[okieinpain]

196. i have to agree (twice now) n/t.