Paul Krugman: Obama Jobs Plan 'Bolder And Better Than Expected'

New York Times:

First things first: I was favorably surprised by the new Obama jobs plan, which is significantly bolder and better than I expected. It’s not nearly as bold as the plan I’d want in an ideal world. But if it actually became law, it would probably make a significant dent in unemployment.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[TheGoodLocust]

05:12 PM on 09/12/2011

According to Krugman we should print 10 trillion dollars and use it to hire illegals to build tunnels from Mexico into the US and at the same time increase unemployment and welfare benefits so that everyone makes $300,000 a year.

He is truly a great liberal intellect.

[TheGoodLocust]

05:06 PM on 09/12/2011

The plan is worthless, Krugman's opinion is worthless and our current president is worse than worthless.

[lovealwaysroe]

06:44 AM on 09/12/2011

a real nit wit enough said.

[mamacat]

06:54 PM on 09/11/2011

It is a very good, common sense plan, and the Republicans will kill it, for that very reason.

If the economy gets better, they reckon that Obama will get the credit. If the Republicans can keep the economy in the tank, they think Obama will get the blame.

It is all about grabbing power, for the Republicans.

[johnbachar]

03:45 PM on 09/11/2011

Krugman failed completely to analyze the effect of Obama's plan on Social Security.

Remember when Obama once solemnly promised not to touch SS? But for 2011, his tax cut deal on SS payroll tax cuts with the GOP allowed a loss of $140 Billion to the SS Trust Fund, and now this: payroll cuts for both employees and employers that come to a $240 Billion loss to the Fund (2012). That comes to a $380 Billion loss! That is almost one-half of the SS benefits for 2011! What a double-crossing lying hypocrite Obama is. It's akin to prescribing toe amputation in order that the patient may walk better.

Read on "PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY INTO PERPETUITY"
by clicking on:
http://www.absentlinks.com/uploads/6/6/4/2/6642350/july_2011_with_tables_social_security_exposing_the_destructive_fixes_and_showing_how_to_preserve_it_intp_perpetuity.pdf

[2012Next]

02:14 PM on 09/11/2011

I wish the GOP would just let the dems rase the top rate from 35 to 40, since if you listen to most progressives this 70 billion a year will solve the debt crisis, the job crisis, the growth crisis, the health care crisis, the social security crisis, the medicare and medicaid crisis, the teacher/fireman/police lay off crisis...

PS Mr. Krugman your comments in the NYT time today were vile, even for you.

[mamacat]

07:03 PM on 09/11/2011

I wish they would too, although I do not share your skepticism.

The last time we had a balanced budget AND a healthy economy was before the Republican tax cuts of 2001 and 2002. After the tax cuts, the GOP kept the economy going for awhile with massive deficit spending, until the whole house of cards finally collapsed in 2008.

It isn't enough to raise the top income tax rate back up to 39.6%, since the truly wealthy make most of their money in other ways, and the GOP simultaneously lowered the capital gains tax rate by 25%, from 20% to 15%. Most of the lowered taxes for the wealthy is from the capital gains tax slash, not the income tax slash.

By the way, even at 20% the capital gains tax rate was much lower than the tax rate for middle class working people. The rich in this country have it made, as far as paying taxes goes.

[TheGoodLocust]

05:05 PM on 09/12/2011

Actually, those were "projected" surpluses and they were during the dotCom bubble - which crashed right when Bush took office - I'm sure that was Bush's fault. FYI, check your numbers, the second Bush cut taxes revenues went up for several years until the housing bubble burst - you can thank the democrats for that bubble.

[Joninwm]

10:25 AM on 09/11/2011

Exactly how could he know what it will be like, since Valerie Jarrett has said the bill is not even written yet and won't likely be finished until next week?

[beaker55]

01:54 PM on 09/11/2011

Krugman has a Nobel prize to prove his omniscience.

[TheGoodLocust]

05:07 PM on 09/12/2011

Yep, Obama has a Nobel prize too, so they are obviously incapable of being wrong. :)

[beaker55]

01:58 PM on 09/11/2011

He's also a courageous and brave shining example of a real man. So much so, that he has disallowed any comments to his twisted NYT op-ed on 9-11. Perfect example of a Liberal value system.

[Joninwm]

02:24 PM on 09/11/2011

Exactly! If he really believed what he is saying, he would be willing and able to handle any criticism of his opinion. By saying his opinion and then not willing to have comments proves he doesn't believe what he says, nor can he back it up.

[cajn2010]

08:10 PM on 09/11/2011

Krugman isn't a man! A pure wimp and pathetic Nazi sympathizer. He is a Nobel PIECE. No doubt the "Morning Joe " Klan will ooze over the Fruitcake tomorrow! Certainly they will not distance themselves from him.

[joeisright]

09:10 AM on 09/11/2011

It's not going to work. The payroll tax cuts are going to cost more than anything else in the plan, but they will do very little to create jobs.

Government spending up. Consumer confidence down.

[abhorson]

05:15 AM on 09/11/2011

I always knew these two Nobel prize winners could reconcile and be friends again; it was absurd to see Paul eating his crackers and cheese in the corner of the room at all the DC receptions ...

[tbone99]

06:04 PM on 09/10/2011

The only reason Obama was bolder is because he can rest assured it has no chance of getting past the GOP in Congress, which was not true the the first time around.
He can count on them to take him on his request to cut Medicare however.

So we will get "part" of his plan - what a bipartisan victory for him

[mamacat]

05:35 PM on 09/10/2011

Prof. Krugman is a voice of sanity in a sea of madness.

[TheGoodLocust]

05:09 PM on 09/12/2011

He is quite dependable at being utterly wrong.

[Totto]

04:56 PM on 09/09/2011

It's revealing that, when Paul says anything positive about the President, few respond with a comment. So many want so much more than any President could ever deliver.

[Jond0]

08:53 PM on 09/09/2011

Real leadership?

[Totto]

11:03 PM on 09/09/2011

Mussolini would have been your choice.

[ElBruce]

03:51 AM on 09/10/2011

Telling us what we need to hear and showing us a way forward constitutes leadership in a democracy.

[winwithoutrwar]

04:37 PM on 09/09/2011

Paul is the best econmy advisor Obama should reply on. Paul always right on his comments and suggestions.

[abhorson]

05:17 AM on 09/11/2011

"always" ??

[chance1946]

01:50 PM on 09/09/2011

If Krugman likes it , I am really worried.

[AgMan]

02:40 PM on 09/09/2011

If you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of where to find a single GOP or Tea Party member who has put out a specific plan, outline or anything of substance about ways out of this economic nightmare I would be happy to read them. Oops, there aren't any. I'm shocked....

[jwalter]

02:13 PM on 09/10/2011

Paul Krugman continues to advocate for the very policies that got us into this mess as a solution. The Federal Reserve and the Federal Government are directly responsible for this situation. The Federal Reserve should be abolished and the Government should get out of the way.

[billw8017]

05:07 PM on 09/10/2011

My impression is that Paul Ryan projects that after his tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and after deregulation, after reducing entitlement benefits, unemployment will go to 1% and the various taxes left for ordinary people will cover the deficit.

Simply to say such a thing will strike some as sarcasm, but others will say, "Why yes! How Obvious!"

[Mistinguette Grandison]

09:59 PM on 09/09/2011

You are really worried about a plan that a Nobel Prize winning economist likes? And don't talk about Obama's. The Nobel Peace Prize is rewarded a different way (aka. Not about what you've done, but what you are expected to do or the effort you have put forward. e.g. Jimmy Carter in 1979, Desmond Tutu in 1984 ten years before the apartheid ended)

[jwalter]

02:17 PM on 09/10/2011

Krugman won his Nobel prize at a time when the business media were still lauding Alan Greenspan as a genius. We know where his credibility ended up.
Obama ranks right up there with Henry Kissinger as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

[billw8017]

05:17 PM on 09/10/2011

Carter led Egypt and Israel to establish diplomatic relations. Desmond Tutu was working for a rapprochement between South Africa's black majority and the apartheid regime. The Nobel Peace Prize is given so that it, itself, promotes peace.

Don't be so disappointed that Switzerland doesn't win every year.

[The Lone Stranger]

01:47 PM on 09/09/2011

I am tired of Obama buying into GOP BS and then proposing half way measure for problems because he is too chicken to pick a side in the class war that is destroying our nation.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

10:00 PM on 09/09/2011

This was not a half measure at all. I guess all you want to do is open your mouth and bash him though and rarely ever look at substantively what it is.

[ElBruce]

03:53 AM on 09/10/2011

Krugman begrudgingly gives him credit for this one.

If we want Obama to go full progressive, then maybe we should give him a 77% Democratic Congress in both houses and then see what happens.

Until then, he's swimming against the tide - and doing a damn good job of it.

[joebaggadonuts]

02:24 AM on 09/11/2011

The tide must turn. But our castles will be in ruins first as it continues to rise.