Krugman: Going for Broke (SOTU)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/opinion/20KRUG.html

According to advance reports, George Bush will use tonight's State of the Union speech to portray himself as a visionary leader who stands above the political fray. But that act is losing its effectiveness. Mr. Bush's relentless partisanship has depleted much of the immense good will he enjoyed after 9/11. He is still adored by his base, but he is deeply distrusted by much of the nation.

Mr. Bush may not understand this; indeed, he still seems to think that he's another Lincoln or F.D.R. "No president has done more for human rights than I have," he told Ken Auletta.

But his political handlers seem to have decided on a go-for-broke strategy: confuse the middle one last time, energize the base and grab enough power that the consequences don't matter.

What do I mean by confusing the middle? The striking thing about the "visionary" proposals floated in advance of the State of the Union is their transparent cynicism and lack of realism. Mr. Bush has, of course, literally promised us the Moon — and Mars, too. And the ever-deferential media have managed to keep a straight face.

But that's just the most dramatic example of an array of policy proposals that don't withstand even minimal scrutiny. Mr. Bush has already pushed through an expensive new Medicare benefit — without any visible source of financing. Reports say that tonight he'll propose additional, and even more expensive, new initiatives, like partial Social Security privatization — which all by itself would require at least $1 trillion in extra funds over the next decade. Where is all this money going to come from?

[gristy]

1. Krugman at his finest.

Meanwhile, the lying has already begun, with the Republican National Committee's willful misrepresentation of Wesley Clark's prewar statements.

Man. Not used to seeing that word, even from Krugman.

[dennis4868]

2. "Krugman at his finest."

As always!

Seems like there are not too many Krugmans anymore :-(

[jbfam4]

3. Thanks for posting this

Krugman always tells it like it is...


"Judging from the latest CBS/New York Times Poll, these promises of something for nothing aren't likely to convince many people. It's not just that the bounce from Saddam's capture has already gone away. Unfavorable views of Mr. Bush as a person have reached record levels for his presidency. It seems fair to say that many Americans, like most of the rest of the world, simply don't trust him anymore."

It really is a matter of trust.

[Catfish]

4. I don't fault Bush much

for lying, people tend to continue their bad behavior if there aren't any consequences. Bush lies and the media, who know it, just go along. Regarding tax cuts and the huge spending initiatives Bush proposes, all you need to know is basic arithmetic to know something is horribly wrong. I guess the major media organizations can't afford a $5 calculator. Then there's their complete suspension of logic in reporting. I like this Krugman line:

"Mr. Bush has, of course, literally promised us the Moon — and Mars, too. And the ever-deferential media have managed to keep a straight face."

[dennis4868]

6. people tend to continue their bad behavior if there aren't any consequence

That is exactly the premise of Paul Wldman's new book called, Fraud.

The media is not holding Bush accountable for anything he says or does as President so why should Bush and his cronies stop lying their asses off? There is no reason to.

This is the exact opposite of what Clinton had to deal with and Gore for that matter. Every word and move they made was analyzed and investigated by the media and congress.....from 30 year old land deals toa BJ in the oval office!

[Catfish]

8. I appreciate the information

about this book. This issue has been bothering me lately. I'll look into this book, might help divert some of my disgust.

[CatWoman]

5. ....

[jbfam4]

7. l o l

and he could deliver these words with a straight face.

[Terwilliger]

9. hahahahah

:-) :loveya:

[Skittles]

11. hey CatWoman

how come all of your cats' pictures look like mug shots ???

[ixion]

10. confuse the middle

sad, because it's so easy to do. :-(