Krugman's reply to Bayh: Obama's economics lacks courage, not focus

[BurtWorm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/opinion/05krugman.html?src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

Op-Ed Columnist
The Focus Hocus-Pocus
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: November 4, 2010


Democrats, declared Evan Bayh in an Op-Ed article on Wednesday in The Times, “overreached by focusing on health care rather than job creation during a severe recession.” Many others have been saying the same thing: the notion that the Obama administration erred by not focusing on the economy is hardening into conventional wisdom.

But I have no idea what, if anything, people mean when they say that. The whole focus on “focus” is, as I see it, an act of intellectual cowardice — a way to criticize President Obama’s record without explaining what you would have done differently.

After all, are people who say that Mr. Obama should have focused on the economy saying that he should have pursued a bigger stimulus package? Are they saying that he should have taken a tougher line with the banks? If not, what are they saying? That he should have walked around with furrowed brow muttering, “I’m focused, I’m focused”?

Mr. Obama’s problem wasn’t lack of focus; it was lack of audacity. At the start of his administration he settled for an economic plan that was far too weak. He compounded this original sin both by pretending that everything was on track and by adopting the rhetoric of his enemies. dropped the ball during its first two years. Beyond that, Plan B is still available. He can propose real measures to create jobs and aid the unemployed and put Republicans on the spot for standing in the way of the help Americans need.

...


Would taking such a stand be politically risky? Yes, of course. But Mr. Obama’s economic policy ended up being a political disaster precisely because he tried to play it safe. It’s time for him to try something different.

[Imperialism Inc.]

1. Dead on.

Realize that most everyone saying he didn't focus would have been opposed to the things he could have done. Or would have declared that he couldn't possibly get what he wanted.

[mod mom]

2. Of course Bayh blames HC over reach, his wife made a mint from Wellpoint. He has a vested interest

in seeing HC overturned.

If these type of corporate Dems gain control of the agenda, it'll be time for me to seek a 3rd party. Begala, Bayh, Penn and other corporatists are the problem!

Kudos to Krugman, as usual!

[Loge23]

3. If only...

Today's Krugman column nails it - just as Krugman did when the weak stimulus was announced.
Obama fell, head over heels, for one of the oldest tricks in the book: appease, and then be blamed when your watered-down plan comes up short.
Would there even be a debate about HC if we had went for a strong Public Option and phased it in by now - not 2014?
Would there be a slew of morons and fools elected if Obama had pushed through a strong infrastructure/stimulus/jobs program?
Would we be threatened with a rollback of FIN reforms if Obama had brought criminal charges on the WS thieves?
Would GWB be allowed to appear in public if Obama had sought a SP against the last administration?

The Progressive left need to get tough if our elected officers will not. Our opposition is full of lies, threats, imagined bogeymen, and theocratic nonsense. But they are winning the debate because we still expect stupid people to understand the facts - and many of us don't even bother to show up at the polls. In FL, many Dems and left-leaning voters abandoned an absolute champion for us, Kendrick Meek, thereby falling into the trap the right set for us. If we are indeed smarter (and I do think we are) then we need to start showing it.