I wrote on this earlier this week but Paul Krugman does a great job of beating a dead horse, to make sure he’s dead.
About that [federal workers’] pay freeze: the president likes to talk about “teachable moments.” Well, in this case he seems eager to teach Americans something false.
…freezing federal pay is cynical deficit-reduction theater. It’s a (literally) cheap trick that only sounds impressive to people who don’t know anything about budget realities.
Ironically, Krugman beats the president about the head and shoulders for a surprising reason:
Anyway, slashing federal spending at a time when the economy is depressed is exactly the wrong thing to do. Just ask Federal Reserve officials, who have lately been more or less pleading for some help in their efforts to promote faster job growth.
Krugman confuses a bloated federal payroll with the kind of federal spending that purportedly, by liberals at least, boosts the economy, requiring a supsension of disbelief that the American people have no tolerance for, the elections being exhibit A.
Krugman goes on to incredulously assert that the extension of the Bush tax cuts is a “break” for the wealthiest versus a tax hike. He ignores the fact that those cuts were very good for the economy and the equally pertinent fact that a tax hike for anyone in this fragile economy is a ridiculous notion to anyone that would benefit by our economy creating more jobs.
But then he goes on to redeem himself by exposing Obama’s dundering miscues:
he apparently intended the pay freeze announcement as a peace gesture to Republicans the day before a bipartisan summit. At that meeting, Mr. Obama, who has faced two years of complete scorched-earth opposition, declared that he had failed to reach out sufficiently to his implacable enemies. He did not, as far as anyone knows, wear a sign on his back saying “Kick me,” although he might as well have.
There were no comparable gestures from the other side. Instead, Senate Republicans declared that none of the rest of the legislation on the table — legislation that includes such things as a strategic arms treaty that’s vital to national security — would be acted on until the tax-cut issue was resolved, presumably on their terms.
It’s hard to escape the impression that Republicans have taken Mr. Obama’s measure — that they’re calling his bluff in the belief that he can be counted on to fold. And it’s also hard to escape the impression that they’re right.
The real question is what Mr. Obama and his inner circle are thinking. Do they really believe, after all this time, that gestures of appeasement to the G.O.P. will elicit a good-faith response?
Mr. Obama almost seems as if he’s trying, systematically, to disappoint his once-fervent supporters, to convince the people who put him where he is that they made an embarrassing mistake.
I think they already know that Paul.
What’s even more telling is Krugman referring to 0bambler as Mr. Obama, not President Obama.
And we just got a $1,500,000,000 “food safety” bill enacted that will do little more than add $1,500,000,000 to the gov’t payroll. But hey, it’s just money (borrowed from the Chinese).
One
Big
Ass
Mistake
America
So Krugman is a racist now?
It’s hard to tell what team is winning when the players keep swapping their jerseys.
Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, Terry.
It’s really sad to see Krugman more or less claiming that the premium spent by the government to hire a SEIU janitor is helping the economy more than simply leaving that money in the private sector. I realize Keynesians have been repeating that nonsense for close to eighty years now, but one would figure that eventually data would eliminate the fiction that there is some kind of “multiplier” which magically occurs because it’s the government spending money.
What’s even more telling is Krugman referring to 0bambler as Mr. Obama, not President Obama.
No surprise, just standard journalistic style – First reference is “President (President),” subsequent references are “Mr. (President).” Even NPR does it this way. Can you believe it?
This is NOT a tax hike. It is removing a tax cut that never should have been made. You can’t have tax cuts and fight two wars! These tax cuts have not created one job. All they have done is to give the rich more money to speculate on gold, oil, and other commodities – driving up the costs for the rest of us. Let me say that again – not one job in 9 years. Speaking of one big a** mistake – nice “caribou barbie” button advertisement!
Krugman is, as usual, incredibly dense. He sets up the strawman that the fed employee pay freeze is supposed to somehow help the deficit.
Can you think of a single conservative who has ever made this argument. Just one?
The usual intellectual dishonesty from Krugman. When he cashes his paycheck from the NY Times it is like robbing a bank.
Note the gratuitous Palin mention from youhavegottobekidding?
These libs are wacky. Palin has totally gotten in their heads.
This is NOT a tax hike.
Sure it is.
If taxes in 2011 are > taxes in 2010, it’s a hike. Period.
It is removing a tax cut that never should have been made.
Er…based on what? You wanted the 2001 recession to continue indefinitely?
You can’t have tax cuts and fight two wars!
Well, that depends on a bunch of variables, so it really can’t be stated as an absolute.
These tax cuts have not created one job.
Right. They created millions. They were why the dotcom recession ended. They didn’t do the whole job, but they were an integral part of the boom we had from about 2002 to 2006ish.
All they have done is to give the rich more money to speculate on gold, oil, and other commodities – driving up the costs for the rest of us.
So you’re saying every dollar saved on taxes went into gold futures? Huh?
And by the way – I’m not “the rich”, not by a long shot. And I got a tax cut. And it was *hugely* helpful. And it still is. It gives me more money to spend or save – every dollar of which is more useful to the economy than a dollar paid to another idiot federal program.
Let me say that again – not one job in 9 years.
You’re just as wrong as the first time you said it.
Speaking of one big a** mistake – nice “caribou barbie” button advertisement
I sure thought so.
To reiterate, thanks to the “tax cut that never should have been made”, we had over 16 quarters of solid job growth. Solid as in six digit. Wouldn’t that be nice right about now?
Youhavegottobekidding. Such an appropriate name to choose. You might want to consider BuyersremorsewhathaveIdone.
Ohgodhelpmeivotedforanemptysuit
Bidenisaheartbeatfromthepresidency
Heneverreallydidcorrecthimselfaboutthe57states
Please God please let the democrats take Michael Lerner’s advice:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120304148.html
Sounds like Sour Grapes, the Official Fruit of Liberals®.
The rich get richer!
That’s right, so get with the program.
You know the difference between cannibals and liberals? Cannibals only eat their enemies – President Lyndon Johnson