Krugman: With Friends Like These...

[n2doc]

April 12, 2011, 9:02 AM
With Friends Like These, Who Needs the Enema Man?

The Post says that Obama is going to more or less endorse Bowles-Simpson in his Wednesday talk.

Sigh.

Now, I know that Bowles and Simpson are Serious People, who say things like this:

“This is a fakery,” Simpson said on Fox News. “If they care at all about their children or grandchildren, and sometimes I doubt that – I think, you know, grandchildren now don’t write a thank-you for the Christmas presents, they’re walking on their pants with the cap on backwards listening to the enema man and Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dogg, and they don’t like them!”
(I think the enema man is Eminem.)

Beyond that, though, Bowles-Simpson was a really bad proposal. Its cost-containment plan for Medicare was nothing but a magic asterisk; it proposed raising the retirement age without giving any consideration to the fact that life expectancy hasn’t risen much among lower-income Americans; it arbitrarily set a cap on revenues as a share of GDP.

And by endorsing an already right-leaning document, Obama will of course define the center as being somewhere between the right and the far right.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/with-friends-like-these-who-needs-the-enema-man/

[ProSense]

1. Obama first to put tax increases on budget table

here

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. lol!

Just like he wanted a public option and promised to close Guantanamo.

Cheers!

What's the weather like in DC? Cherry blossoms blooming yet?

[ProSense]

3. LOL!

Obama isn't supposed to propose this because his detractors don't need the facts getting in the way of the negative spin.

Isn't it good that he's proposing tax increases?

Did Bowles-Simpson?

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

7. "At least Simpson is honest about somethings"

Simpson 2012!

[Bandit]

11. Haven't you figured out yet Republicans are not about to allow Tax increases on the wealthy.

Obama knows that and that gives his word no credibility. He showed he wasn't willing to actually fight for those tax increases just a few short months ago.. He hasn't changed any. He still buckles every time a Republican squeeks. With the fillibuster in the Senate unchanged (even though Democrats had a good chance to do so) do you honestly believe tax increases are going to pass?

[ProSense]

12. Hmmmm?

"Haven't you figured out yet Republicans are not about to allow Tax increases on the wealthy.
Obama knows that and that gives his word no credibility."

Summary: Obama has no credibility because Republicans are not about to allow tax increases on the wealthy.

Got it!

Agree, he shouldn't even propose these.

[Bandit]

13. The bottom line is Actions speak louder than words.

We have been witness to his "actions" for over two years now but his words are still lofty and unrealistic.

[Marr]

15. You can't possibly be fooled by that. He's all talk on this issue and it couldn't be clearer.

To propose an end to the Bush Tax Cuts now, after quickly endorsing them in December... it's almost cartoonish.

When they actually had the ability to end those tax cuts, the Democratic leadership-- and Obama in particular-- found excuse after excuse to punt the issue before finally extending them with another excuse.

Now, when the Republicans have control of the House and are pushing to end things like Planned Parenthood, Obama summons the courage to request an end to the Bush Tax Cuts. It's political. It's not going to happen with the Republicans in place, but this way he can point the finger at them.

He made his position clear in December.

[ProSense]

16. Wait

I agreed: He shouldn't even propose it. Leave it out of the budget altogether.

[Marr]

18. Do you agree that he made his position clear in December when he endorsed those cuts?

[ProSense]

19. Yes, he

was clear, which is why he shouldn't even mention them again. Leaving them out of the budget is the best and most honest thing to do.

[Marr]

20. Well, don't worry-- you'll soon have a new link to cite.

Just like the comments he made while signing that bill, this throw-away proposal is merely there to give people like yourself another line to quote when arguing that he didn't really mean what he did in December.

[_ed_]

4. "Obama will of course define the center as being somewhere between the right and the far right."

As usual.

He also said this: http://youtu.be/4mRRKz9E0m8

We'll see...

[inna]

5. Obama re-defining "the center as being somewhere between the right and the far right"

^that is the key quote and the sad reality.

[Shandris]

8. Paul says that the Medicare proposal is made 'without giving...

...any consideration to the fact that life expectancy hasn't risen much among lower-income Americans.'

I disagree.

I think it was most ~certainly~ taken into consideration, and was one of the KEY reasons used to decide to propose to raise the retirement age. A disgusting 'cost measure'. :puke:

[n2doc]

9. Well, in fairness the official reason is "Americans are living longer"

But unofficially, you are right.

[bvar22]

10. BOHICA.

Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?

[truebrit71]

14. "Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dogg"?

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

That has to be one of the best Grandpa-isms of all time...

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Major Hogwash]

17. Hahaha, he's really up on the social scene ain't he? Wonder what he thinks of Snookers.

From Jersey Whores.

LoL