Paul Krugman On 'Republican Death Trip': This Opposition Cannot Be Appeased

New York Times:

"I am in this race because I don't want to see us spend the next year re-fighting the Washington battles of the 1990s. I don't want to pit Blue America against Red America; I want to lead a United States of America." So declared Barack Obama in November 2007, making the case that Democrats should nominate him, rather than one of his rivals, because he could free the nation from the bitter partisanship of the past.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[emlr]

Unfortunately this is turning into a Democrat Death Trip. What the hel* is wrong with our elected officials? Are they all numb?

[IslandGyal]

I hope he can!

"So can Mr. Obama, who can be so eloquent when delivering a message of uplift, rise to the challenge of unreasoning, unappeasable opposition? Only time will tell".

[amdink1]

I know what the President should do. "He should do everything he can to shut off Fox News!

[CommonSenseMom]

I think FOX News should be held liable for treason. And if anything violent happens because of the LIES and FEARS and HATE MONGERING that the UNEDUCATED SICKOS that listen to FOX perpetuate then they should be held legally responsible.

FOX News is daily yelling "Fire" in a crowed theater with their LIES.

[JJinWI]

A sensible voice rises from it's slumber. This op-ed is spot on, as usual from Mr. Krugman, who is still my choice to replace that 'tool' Geithner.

My 'hope' is that the Democratic majority get their act together. They were given a majority to deal with reform, real reform, not this bi-partisan crap we're still getting.

Note to Prez Obama:

Enough. Get the job done and quit playing nice guy. You and the Congress were elected to provide results, not to continue this crazy bi-partisan rhetoric about who's not playing fair. It's the bottom of the ninth for true health reform, time to step up to the plate and grow a pair.

[mcmutter]

NOTHING will make the republicans happy.

They cannot and will not accept the first black President. The Civil War is not over for them.

[Siebenstein]

YOU GOT IT !

That is what all of this is about. They hate him and weshould punish them for it !

Switch your TV to another channel, every time you see garbage.

Write, phone, organize against these filthy creeps!

[factotem]

It should be easier to reach Krugman's stuff on this site. Why can't I just get a list of his recent columns? I want to see 2 weeks worth of links to recent Krugman articles, but you don't offer it. I have to use your tragic search tool which gives me results in no partcular order dating back to 2000. ? Why?

[gouge]

This is flat out, one of the best, finest pieces of political writing I have come across in the last several years. Should be required reading for those wanting to understand the nature of America's decline. Thank you Mr. Krugman

[factotem]

Republican assumptions:
Republicans are right about evrything
They are so right they don't even have to assemble coherent sentences to persuade anyone else (a hold over from Bush)
Lather, rinse, repeat

They're the least common denomination.

[Okieborn]

Thank You Mr. Krugman !!!
The truth shall ring out for good !!!

[gobarackgo]

Krugman writes, '. . . any Democrat who made it to the White House would face “an unending procession of wild charges and fake scandals, dutifully given credence by major media organizations that somehow can’t bring themselves to declare the accusations unequivocally false.”'

That's what happens when you have repeaters instead of reporters running the show in the MSM.

[jozzie]

So why isn't Obama working around what they are known so well to do so badly?

He's the "great communicator" isn't he? Didn't he see this train coming? All Krugman's points are golden.

[IslandGyal]

I was thinking the same thing; maybe he's too idealistic and wants to give these hypocrites a.k.a. republicans the benefit of the doubt about innate goodness of mankind?

[Whinger]

They don't want to be appeased, they want this administration to fail.

The eyes of the south are on 2012!

[jozzie]

Duh. Welcome to the world of politics. Same as ever.

[clueless JD]

Krugman, again, is right. Obama has had both brilliant and naive moments.

Brilliant: Sotomayor. Republican opposition in racist terms puts latino vote squarely in the D column. It's a rabbit out of a hat. If the Rs weren't racist, the cultural issues would align the latinos with the Rs. Obama let them dig their own grave.

Naive: Thinking Republicans would put country first if only the Ds would offer an olive branch.

He did so on stimulus and financial reform and that resulted in spending without the intended effects. Non-hateful Rs can use this to run in 2010 and 2012 because Rs got to water down the legislation so that it would be less chance of success without voting for it. On this, he was outsmarted by Rs.

Health insurance reform is going the way of the stimulus and financial bailout. It will become spending without dramatic benefits. Obama is being suckered into a contest against the fringe. He thinks any victory at this point is a victory. Without a public option, there is no point to reform. It will be spending that doesn't affect our lives. And the Rs will tell us that in 2010 and 2012. And it will seem true.

Obama should think big. Bi-partisanship between Ds and Greens, Ds and I's, Ds and Libertarians. Bipartisanship between Ds and Rs is a fool's errand.

[martinfrosa]

Krugman and others might want to talk to Claude Castonguay, the "Father of Quebec Health Care." He does not have much enthusiasm for the system he helped create. See the link to the story entitled, "Canadian Health Care We So Envy Lies In Ruins, Its Architect Admits"

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=299282509335931

[chedet]

There are many other countries we can learn from about health care and not necessarily from Canada. We should learn from their mistakes and that's how people become better. So you are saying because of this, we should stay with this broken system? That's like saying because your parents are failures, you also stay a failure? That's very weak argument.

[elfish]

This story has being circulated on conservative web sites for the last six months. They very conviently leave out some important details. First Castonquay is not the father of the Canadian system, Tommy Douglas is. Second Castonguay may have suppored the Canadian Health care system back in the 60's, but he has been an insurance executive ever since. What he wants is more private health insurance in Canada. Do you really think you can believe anything a health insurance executive says about the Canadian system?

[Archivist1000]

martinfrosa: there is a lot of 'information' on the Internet .... I know it's hard to sift through it all, but the most important thing is to CHECK THE SOURCE of anything you choose to believe ... starting with that link you put up ....

[seattlejames]

Let's just forget about this bi-partisenship, the Republicans do not want to play. They would rather disrupt and discourage any type of change. The argument is not about policy it's about hate and I'm sick of it. I'm sure many us see what's happening and will no longer tolerate this nonsense. If the Republicans think they are out in the cold now wait until next year when their number of elected officials dwindles even more. People will not forgive or forget how they have betrayed this country with their lies, treachery and deceit.

[CloseToTheEdge]

Mr. Krugman is an American Hero. The President needs to listen to him.

[merinoo]

I wonder if all those currently unemployed agree with this hero's suggestion of creating another bubble, considering it was the biggest bubble ever that eventually led to their unemployment.

[johnmorgan]

Krugman does not suggest creating another bubble.

[jmpurser]

Agreed