Krugman - Triumph of the Trivial (Takes on the Media Whores)!

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/opinion/30krugman.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

Under the headline "Voters Want Specifics From Kerry," The Washington Post recently quoted a voter demanding that John Kerry and John Edwards talk about "what they plan on doing about health care for middle-income or lower-income people. I have to face the fact that I will never be able to have health insurance, the way things are now. And these millionaires don't seem to address that."

Mr. Kerry proposes spending $650 billion extending health insurance to lower- and middle-income families. Whether you approve or not, you can't say he hasn't addressed the issue. Why hasn't this voter heard about it?

Well, I've been reading 60 days' worth of transcripts from the places four out of five Americans cite as where they usually get their news: the major cable and broadcast TV networks. Never mind the details - I couldn't even find a clear statement that Mr. Kerry wants to roll back recent high-income tax cuts and use the money to cover most of the uninsured. When reports mentioned the Kerry plan at all, it was usually horse race analysis - how it's playing, not what's in it.

On the other hand, everyone knows that Teresa Heinz Kerry told someone to "shove it," though even there, the context was missing. Except for a brief reference on MSNBC, none of the transcripts I've read mention that the target of her ire works for Richard Mellon Scaife, a billionaire who financed smear campaigns against the Clintons - including accusations of murder. (CNN did mention Mr. Scaife on its Web site, but described him only as a donor to "conservative causes.") And viewers learned nothing about Mr. Scaife's long vendetta against Mrs. Heinz Kerry herself.

<snip>

P.S.: Another story you may not see on TV: Jeb Bush insists that electronic voting machines are perfectly reliable, but The St. Petersburg Times says the Republican Party of Florida has sent out a flier urging supporters to use absentee ballots because the machines lack a paper trail and cannot "verify your vote."

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Can we rename the NYT the "Krugman Times" and.....

make it a real left wing paper?

[against all enemies]

12. Krugman is honest, not left wing.

You've been programed without knowing it.

[buycitgo]

2. great column, as usual

and this is a very concise overview of Kerry's main policy points, from somebody as close as you can get, I promise

Healthcare Plan:

JK's plan will extend coverage to 27 million americans who are currently uninsured (of approx 42 million who have no coverage). It will also lower premiums more than $1000 per household on average by creating a reinsurance pool for catastrophic care (Paul Krugman recently wrote a good op-ed describing the plan). What's important to note here, besides increased coverage, is the reduced cost (which makes the american worker more competitive) and the total price tag (approx 70-80 billion per year).

The Deficit


the core of our deficit reduction plan is to roll back the bush taxes cuts for those earning over $200k and to implement the reforms
of the McCain Kerry Commission on corporate wealthfare. I know the commission is meant to generate $30 billion in additional revenue by eliminating wasteful subsidies. The tax roll back, in addition to not making current tax cuts permenant, generates approx $100 billion or more per annum. (i am on the plane and don't have the exact # with me). This is at least a $50 billion in defícit improvement in year 1 and also makes the american workplace more competitive with overseas competitors, thus spurring hiring.

Philosophy


Perhaps most important are two rule changes that JK has pledged to implement if elected: Pay as you go (PAYGO) and spending caps. They are simple rules that most households abide by but that the current administration let expire in 2001. PAYGO rules are largely credited with reducing the deficit. Under those rules, any new spending is to be offset by a concurrent reduction. It adds discipline to budgeting. So do the spending caps, which limit increases in non military and education spending to a rate of growth pegged to inflation. Again, forced discipline.

In the end, the above philosophy, coupled with the tax roll backs and
increased competitivess, we believe the deficit can be reduced in half in four years (approx 175 billion). Increased economic activity and a more stable (or even contracting) military budget may be necessary to reach true fiscal equality, but that we'll talk about when we get there.

[necso]

8. I particularly like the fact

that the position on health insurance recognizes that reducing the health insurance/care costs borne by businesses and individuals means a fundamental improvement in (global) competitiveness.

Reducing overall health care costs and allowing "insurance" portability (which would give employees more freedom to choose jobs) would both also be a plus for competitiveness.

As much as this "economics" talk can be seen as a framing sort of thing, I see it here much more as an "explaining" sort of thing. Where we can do both at the same time (as here), we can have the power of "framing", without all the crass oversimplification and outright manipulation that it usually entails.

Score big points for both policy and statement.

Now, if people would only listen!

[billyskank]

15. Listen?

If only they could get to hear about it; is what I gather the problem is.

[Merlin]

3. Krugman rules. In the Kerry years, he will be America's columnist.

Paul Krugman has proven himself a courageous, astute observer even when he was all alone.

I once had an opportunity to give a brief talk commending him, at a dinner in his honor. I told of how the first couple of Bush years were very difficult for me emotionally, and no doubt many others in the room shared my feelings. But Paul Krugman lifted our hearts. In those days, he was a voice for reason--he was THE ONLY VOICE--he was a voice crying in the wilderness, and we will never forget him for his service to America during those dark days.
The place erupted in sustained applause.

I then asked him why he thought the NYT let him get away with it. He said by the time they caught on to the impact he was having, it would have been to risky to just fire him.

He said the key to his ability to write what he did was the fact that he had a fall-back job as a professor at Princeton. So he was willing to risk it all and pull no punches.

What a great man. And his best days are ahead of him!

[thebigidea]

4. great story, and a great man indeed...

I stumbled into him after combing through the Princeton Record Store some months backs, and babbled some effusive praise that he listened to graciously...

The perfect antidote to the ravings of the moronic Tom Friedman... after this all blows over, he deserves some kind of medal.

I can't believe I would ever be riveted by an economist!

[Merlin]

5. Right! And he's actually making economics seem interesting!

It's really gonna be fun watching him develop further. I think he also comes off well on TV.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. He was not the ONLY one, but possibly the best. Others that come to mind,

from that time: Jay Bookman at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Robert Scheer of the L.A. Times. The Washington Post just about completely let me down, and that's the paper I grew up with. NYT let me down with the exception of Krugman.

[Veggie Meathead]

10. What a great story about Paul Krugman! Thank you for sharing this with us.

[Leilani]

13. That is just a terrific story!

Before I discovered DU, Krugman was my lifeline...

The right wing & media were all in love with Dubya, & I thought I was alone on the planet. When I found Krugman, I was so relieved that I sent him fan letters.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. So the NYT will keep him for a long time!!!

[umass1993]

7. This whole specifics thing is a trap

Conservatives whine that Kerry is not giving specifics. That he needs
to tell American what he'll do. Bull! They just want him to say something they can shoot down.

Kerry understands this. I can see it. if he gets specific, it will be something that is impossible to criticize.

The repubs just want him to put something up so they can tear it down.

[Veggie Meathead]

11. Notice how they demand specifics from us while evading their

obligation to provide any specifics on the economy, health care, Iraq, AWOL's military record etc.

[Eric J in MN]

9. The Daily Howler addresses the vapidness of most

reporters/pundits, daily.

www.dailyhowler.com