Krugman: That Old Sick Feeling

[cthulu2016]

That Old Sick Feeling
Here we go again — or so I find myself fearing.

Obama’s fiscal deal offer was already distressing — cuts to Social Security, and a big concession, it turns out, on taxation of dividends, retaining most of the Bush cut (with the benefits flowing overwhelmingly to the top 1 percent). It wasn’t clear that the deal would have gotten nearly enough in return.

But sure enough, it looks as if Republicans have taken the offer as a sign of weakness, as a starting point from which they can bargain Obama down. Oh, and they’re not giving up at all on the idea of using the debt ceiling for further blackmail.

In other words, all of a sudden it’s feeling a lot like 2011 again, with the president negotiating with himself while the other side enjoys the process.

...

And if Obama does try to make more concessions, Democrats in Congress need to let him know that they’re not behind him, that he cannot count on their votes.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/that-old-sick-feeling/

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[MannyGoldstein]

1. Folding like a cheap lawn chair

Astonishing.

[Nay]

7. Astonishing it is. There is simply no one to vote for anymore; the rape and pillage

continues unabated, while the cheerleaders on this board tell us it's all okay.

You know what? I've come to the conclusion that 1) there's no fixing stupid, and 2) propaganda works. I hate that I will be leaving this mess for my kid and grandkid, but what do you do after you've hollered, written, e-mailed, and voted?

[AAO]

43. You hit the nail head

And it is true: there's no fixing stupid

[tama]

46. What do you do after?

Accept your own responsibility and understand that only thing you really can change is yourself. And that to change is to adapt to the environment...

If you are driven to act by strong social consciousness, there's of course always lot of practical helpful things to do, in your immediate environment.

If the game of politics is what you like, accept that there's no fixing stupid, that propaganda works, and that politics is all about manipulation of emotions, a theater spectacle. And play the play.

[Mojorabbit]

56. Great post. nt

[DonCoquixote]

12. I agree with you for once Manny.

The GOP needs to start acting like they lost in a landslide, especially because they did.

[Doctor_J]

18. They won't start unless someone makes them

And Obama isn't going to.

[onethatcares]

26. NO, the Democratic Party has to

act like they WON in a LANDSLIDE and promote the working class.

[midnight]

40. Yes...

[tama]

47. And if and when it does not

what happens to "has to"?

[pscot]

23. You personally have taken a lot of undeserved shit

form the Obama claque on this board. But you've been right all along. I honor you for your courage and insight. Unfortunarely it's like pounding sand down a rathole. .

[kentuck]

24. You can fool some of the people all of the time...

But you can't fool all the people all of the time...

[villager]

27. +1

n/t

[Hydra]

29. Truth is always ahead of the curve

I used to take flak here for how Bush was legalizing torture.

Can you believe people actually tried to shut me up about it?

[MannyGoldstein]

32. It's my lot in life.

I'm kind of a shit-magnet with insufficient executive functioning skills to STFU.

Thanks for your kind words.

[blackspade]

55. Right on brother.

[tama]

45. Astonishing only to those

who put their hope and faith in "leaders" and partisan politics.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I am sick at heart too. And very discouraged...

[TDale313]

28. Me too.

I mean, I knew it was most likely coming, but that doesn't make it any better. I guess a small part of me still hoped the President wouldn't go there, even though he's signaled so clearly over and over that he wanted to. SS should never have been part of the discussion.

[Gin]

3. Same here.....grrrrrr

[Fearless]

4. He was elected too young. A president needs to be somewhat jaded.

He needs to know what it means to have to fight for something important.

[DonCoquixote]

9. Too young

As opposed to Hillary and Bill, who have had plenty of experience selling us out.

[Hydra]

30. It's all the same team

So the face of it doesn't make much of a difference.

[Fearless]

54. You'd have to be more specific.

[DonCoquixote]

60. Ok

NAFTA(Killed American jobs and made Mexicans lives worse)

Repealing Glass-Stegall (allowed Wall Street to go derivative mad and wreck the economy)

Telecommunications act "Removed regulations that would have prevented Clear Channel from owning so much of the media, which allowed the Fox talking heads to dominate news)

Hillary Clinton is older, and touted that in 2008 against Obama, but old does not mean wise, as those three things proved. Yes, I believe she can be aggressive, but she is also capable of the very sellouts Obama gets pilloried for on here.

[DonCoquixote]

61. OH

and suppoting the Iraq War. She should have been old enough to know better.

[kentuck]

5. Can someone send him to Camp David...and lock the door...

Until after the New Year?

[BigDemVoter]

6. Wow-- Krugman commentary is always very powerful. . .

and I really respect him.

[Whisp]

11. unless he's on Obama's side on an issue...

do you consider Krug powerful and worthy of respect then as well?

[DonCoquixote]

16. Yes

facts are facts, and I am usually an Obama cheerleader, and I can get tired of Krugman talking as if his main job is to help Arianna huffington punish O for not bowing to Hillary. But he is right on this. And, unlike Hillary, Ariiana, Jane Hamsher, Cenk U, Paul was never once fighting for the GOP.

[BigDemVoter]

20. As a matter of fact I do. . . .

I find that he's intelligent & principled and isn't swayed by public opinion. He pretty much says it like it is, regardless of what others think or say.

[Poll_Blind]

8. DU REC +1 nt

PB

[greenman3610]

10. ok, so let the pres know how you feel. I did.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

[pangaia]

37. OK I did it.

For whatever it is worth.

[madrchsod]

13. we will see when the deal is done....

[edhopper]

15. Where do you see anything

but another cave. His opening here is already to far, and the GOP will demand more.

[magical thyme]

25. are you suggesting that he will rescind his offer of chained CPI?

Because imho, that's not generally how negotiation works. What's ceded is gone for good.

And he's folded so fast that I can only expect him to continue to cave to GOP demands.

[buzzroller]

59. I agree the offer is going to be near impossible to rescind

I agree. It is going to be very hard to take back the offer, which the President and Democrats now "own", unfortunately.
I can think of only one real reason that the President could support this policy- Even though social security is not in trouble and is not contributing to the deficit, our corporate controlled government will probably succeed at giving the corporate world low wages to pay and that may lead to more social security problems than projected. Low wages will pay less in but take more out proportionately. Unless our middle class increased in size, social security would have a problem.

[Gregorian]

14. As I watched manuf. go to China. As I watched mil. spending. I said we'd be like England soon.

That was the 80's.

Just plant millions of security cams all over the country.

[Doctor_J]

17. Time to stop calling him a Dem

it's ridiculous. I can no longer believe he's this incompetent. The only logical explanation is that he's been in on it the whole time.

I hope the entire Dem caucus tells him to fuck off

[kentuck]

21. You'll never know until...

Michelle writes her book.

[Hydra]

33. Both teams play for the 1% now

So trying to find the differences will simply be a matter of how it's all presented.

In the end, they'll get it all.

[tama]

49. Well, they always did so

a classic good cop - bad cop routine. And they wouldn't be doing if it wasn't working - for them.

[PasadenaTrudy]

19. Glad I didn't have kids

What a world and future to be leaving them...

[Buns_of_Fire]

22. All in all, "The Cliff" is starting to look pretty good. nt

[nineteen50]

31. Show me what you want and

I can do it. I don't remember him being told to chain CPI on S.S. so the 1% wouldn't have to pay more taxes. Trillions to the corporate bankers and their shareholders an cuts for the rest of us. I didn't vote for him this time actions are louder than words.

[OKNancy]

34. This was written before Obama said he would veto the latest Repub offer

and that he would not allow them to hold the ceiling hostage.

[JEB]

35. Fuck this shit.

Off the cliff. Best deal we'll ever get from the blood suckers.

[Poll_Blind]

52. Indeed!

PB

[on point]

36. Take the cliff. Its a better deal for the country that what's on offer.

[hifiguy]

39. Yep. I have assumed for years

after being trapped in low-paying jobs where I have never been able to do anything than subsist that my retirement plan will consist of a bullet in the temple. No family or kids, so I won't be walking out on anyone.

[JEB]

50. Your plan

may be better than mine....park bench and a wool blanket.

[Ruby the Liberal]

38. I loathe Republican mentality with the heat of 1,000 suns.

Must be that Masters in Economics I am still paying off monthly.

Thank you , Dr K - and burn in hell, R-Assholes

[supercats]

41. If This Is True, Then I Am Sure

If Obama gives them the chained cpi, in other words cutting social security, then we all know that he was
never a democrat. About all we can do is vote in a true progressive democrat next time and try to stop
this downwarding spiral of our basic human rights.

[Nay]

53. Except no true democrat ever actually gets to run. That's the problem. We get a batshit

drooling Republican or a corporate Republican with a D behind his name.

[FailureToCommunicate]

42. So damn disheartening... Time to post this toon again:

[jsr]

44. "It’s feeling a lot like 2011"? It's feeling a lot like Christmas for Republicans

especially if you're rich.

[limpyhobbler]

48. Primary challenges for any Democrat who votes to cut.

[Eddie Haskell]

51. I'm so fucking pissed ...

We didn't vote for the man to get sold into slavery. Lincoln he's not.

[Michigan Alum]

57. Someone who went to college w/ him said that he was always the conciliator, he pissed people off at

times. Some felt that he bent over way to much in his concessions to people.

[olegramps]

58. Read his books and you will discover that he has always been a sucker for compromise.

He definitely believes in going along to get along. He dreams of a congress that is loving and concerned with the welfare of the nation. He is hopelessly romantic for the Good Ole Days that never existed. He is not like FDR who said he welcomed their hatred and was willing to fight for what he believed in. He wants to be everybody friend. Does anyone think that Obama could have accomplished what FDR accomplished? Yes, he has had some accomplishments. But I really hate to admit that on the major issues such as we now face he is proving to not be up to the task. I sincerely hope to be proven wrong. But, the massive transfer of wealth that has taken place in recent years can no longer be tolerated and demands drastic action, not compromise.

[saidsimplesimon]

62. Krugman tempers his written words. I'd be delighted to hear

what he says among friends.

[sarcasmo]

63. Kick!

[woo me with science]

64. Kick