More Dodo Than Peacock...

Lefty super-genius Paul Krugman continues to fall out of love with Bambi:

Last week, the Center for American Progress, a think tank with close ties to the Obama administration, published an acerbic essay about the difference between true deficit hawks and showy “deficit peacocks.” You can identify deficit peacocks, readers were told, by the way they pretend that our budget problems can be solved with gimmicks like a temporary freeze in nondefense discretionary spending.

One week later, in the State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a temporary freeze in nondefense discretionary spending.

Wait, it gets worse. To justify the freeze, Mr. Obama used language that was almost identical to widely ridiculed remarks early last year by John Boehner, the House minority leader. Boehner then: “American families are tightening their belt, but they don’t see government tightening its belt.” Obama now: “Families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same.”

What’s going on here? The answer, presumably, is that Mr. Obama’s advisers believed he could score some political points by doing the deficit-peacock strut. I think they were wrong, that he did himself more harm than good...

Krugman goes on to restate his oft-repeated contention that all the Federal Gubbermint has to do is spend like a bunch of drunken sailors and we'll be farting ambrosia in no time. I'm not interested in arguing about that shit. Krugman's head is lodged firmly up his ass, and no matter how strong the dose of reality might be, it's going to remain there. Not that he's going to get even a mild dose of reality fucking around at Princeton and The New York Times, mind you.

What I find fascinating is that only now does it seem to be dawning on Krugman that what Obama is about, first and foremost, is striking poses and making gestures. You'd have thought a super-genius would have figured that one out a while ago. Of course Obama is trying to do the deficit-peacock strut. It's both a gesture and a pose, and it's just the sort of thing you'd expect from a president who not only doesn't have the answers to our problems, but clearly doesn't fully understand the problems themselves. Most importantly, doing the deficit-peacock strut helps Obama disguise the ugly truth: What what he's really doing is the March of the Dodos.

Comments

[David]

"Not that he's going to get even a mild dose of reality fucking around at Princeton and The New York Times, mind you."

Likely true, but he might when the NYT goes the way of Krugman's other employer, Enron.

My plank for the next presidential campaign: end all federal subsidies to private universities. They can pay for their own fucking research. I would then tax, at a rate of 100%, any tuition these same universities collect from their students. Distribute these taxes to vocational schools. See how long the Ivies last. Spread the wealth!

[Simon]

If Krugman was a real super genius he would have worked out that the photo on his webpage makes him look like an earnest child molester and that the title of his webpage 'Conscience of a Liberal' makes him seeem like a cock, and he would have changed both.

He didn't and he isn't.

The question is - what principles does Obama believe in ? To answer that without referring to Obama's speeches, or his book, or even to his voting record, but to things that Obama has actually done would take a real super genius.

[Mark A]

Obambi will be just like Carter. One (term) and done. Then collect huge speaking fees at liberal colleges and universities, where the listeners will delude themselves with thoughts such as: "If only he could have had a second term! Then the world's problems could have have been solved!! Damn the Republicans!"

Maybe the Right should lay down or go away for a decade or so. That would put a permanent end to the Liberal agenda. After everybody had a taste of their 'vision', we'd elect another TR.

[just passin by]

You ever see "Idiocracy"?

10 years of liberal rule would have us living like that. Hell, 40 years of liberal education has us pretty close.

[TmjUtah]

Mr. Obama actually chided the Republican congressional caucus meeting in Baltimore for imagining the Obama agenda to be akin to a "Bolshevik Plot".

He got crickets from the hall on that one.

I shit you not.

This is neither the time nor the world for a mediocre president. Since we are sliding right past mediocre to fail, with three years to go, my outlook is less than sunny.

[Randy Rager]

I'm not sure we could survive 10 more years of liberal rule.

[Lefty]

You can watch Obama at the Republican retreat here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/29/president-holds-open-discussion-across-aisle/?e=29&ref=image

What's puzzling is why they invited him. Did they really believe their own nonsense about him not being able to speak without a teleprompter? About 86 minutes with over an hour of back and forth.

Pay particular attention starting at about the 55 minute mark. Try to listen objectively. It shows you where you guys fail. Remember that when you're licking your wounds again in November.

[David]

"Try to listen objectively."

Objectivity is a myth. When you learn how to perceive reality, do let us know.

[David]

"Remember that when you're licking your wounds again in November."

Hello, Markg8!

[Randy Rager]

"Remember that when you're licking your wounds again in November."

Looks like you are now where I was in '06. Good.

This time around, though, it looks like the Dems have overstepped so badly they won't be trusted with a majority again for a very long time. That's fine by me. I prefer it when the adults run things, even if they are rather stupid adults like the Republicans.

[Lefty]

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

[Dennis The Peasant]

Lefty-

Once you're finished with the Orgasmatron, I'd ask you to explain just how Bambi's performance helped further passage of the health care reform bill (whichever one is today's preferred model for the White House), or the climate bill, or help gather support for the budget freeze amongst Democrats, or get either party to take his deficit reduction commission seriously.

Nobody doubts that Obama is, in a certain sense, very intelligent. But I.Q. isn't the exclusive determinant of success. Neither is success in sparring with a bunch of Republican Congressmen. Once again, Obama has veered off into territory that does absolutely nothing to advance his overall agenda.

In other words, he's still wasting time.

[Allen]

That's assuming Obama actually has an agenda for legislation. It would appear that his main agenda is avoiding all criticism, and taking credit for other people's risk taking. I don't think he particularly knows, or cares, what is actually in the bills.

All of his political theater is just a way to vote "present" without actually saying that.

[just passin by]

I guess bipartisanship means being lectured to by a pompous socialist...think I'll pass on that one. Does the Messiah's nose ever get out of the air? The only time it breaks a horizontal plane is when he is looking down at his teleprompter.

[Randy Rager]

"Don't say I didn't warn ya."

Back atcha, with bells on. The Dems are going to get annihilated this November. It's going to make 1994 look like a warmup game.

As an Independent, I'm fine with that. One party owning all three branches bugs me, although if I had to pick the party to do it, it would be the Republicans.

[Lefty]

Of course you're an independent Randy. Like Dennis you can no longer hold your nose and call yourself a Republican.

One party doesn't own all three branches of government. The Dems have the executive, half the legislature, (they apparently don't control the senate with 58 votes), and Repubs control the judiciary as evidenced by the Supreme Court's ruling on corporate political speech.

[Randy Rager]

I've always been an Independent. But you just keep on projecting. How long do we have to wait before you finally admit your disenchantment with The Lamb Of Chicago?

The Dims have the Executive, the Legislature (just because you guys can't get your ducks in a row doesn't mean that big fat (D) by their names suddenly took a vacation) and the Judiciary, as that ruling you idiots are whining about freed up massive amounts of union money to enter politics.

Nice try, but you're really not equipped for this game. Have you considered tiddlywinks? Hopscotch? Hell, judging by your comments, you might even still be young enough for jump rope.

[Eric]

"Farting ambrosia." I am so stealing that line.