Ben Stein agrees with Paul Krugman, defends Obama, blames Bush for destroying economy

[Hamlette]

And now for something completely different.

Stein was on with Wolf on CNN today basically trashing the Bush administration. All but calling Paulson a criminal and agreeing with Obama's budget and Paul Krugman. I didn't see it but did see this clip from media matters via the comments at John Cole. If anyone has more of it I'd love to see it. I take more pleasure than most when conservatives have to admit they were wrong about all of it.

As Cole said, Ben prolly lost a ton of money in the market. Brought him right around to his senses that!

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=17883

http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200902270025?f=cf_clips

[Stellabella]

1. Oh. My. God. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE!!

Mind whirling. Hatred of Ben Stein clashing with facts. What to do??

[Ishoutandscream2]

4. No kidding. Quick, someone retrieve my smelling salts

Where did this come from?

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. So, will all this hell freezing over delay Climate Change?

[roguevalley]

25. He was on after madoff and whining the hell out of things, desperately mad

at what had happened. It took a friend of his who had survived the holocaust losing his money completely to care about things other than himself. That is what started this.

[LittleBlue]

3. lol they're all conservatives until they get swindled.

Then they demand accountability.

[Hamlette]

5. isn't that the truth. Ben must have lost a ton of money on the market and he's taking names.

While I was looking for the full interview from today's CNN show, I found a clip of him from late November on Cavuto on TARP. Stein was supporting it, almost sounded reasonable, hell, he DID sound reasonable. He questioned Cavuto's facts (it will cost 2 trillion $) and said Cavuto was making up numbers. Then he said, if the banks go under, the government will be responsible for all the savings accounts which will be MUCH more than even the made up numbers.

When stark reality hits, some republicans go sane. Happened to my dad when Reagan was prez, he came to see Ronnie as a complete nut case/war monger (and my dad was military). I'm of the school that once a republican really makes the switch, they make the best liberals because they can interpret the code speak (back in the day when some republicans sounded sane because they had reasonable sounding code speak. Now they just sound insane.)

Anyway, I'd love to see the full interview. I'll post it if I find it.

[MurrayDelph]

18. You mean he finally realized that Bush's policies

lost Ben Stein's Money?

[genna]

28. I am glad you gave that story because I find myself looking at Arianna Huffington

and saying wasn't this the same woman who was ODing on Clinton scandals? I forgot why she did the about face with the Republican party. Does anyone remember?


She was such an aggravation on Bill Maher's show. I'd shout at the television. Now I watch her and say, What!


So you are saying take a few breaths and understand her and the guy who was all about the Right Wing echo chamber have seen THE LIGHT? It is a sincere effort and there is nothing time can't heal?

[Quantess]

6. But, did he admit he was wrong?

Or did he pretend he hadn't changed his tune?

[Lugnut]

7. Whoa!

Now that's a real shocker.
:wow:

[tridim]

8. My parents are the same way, supported Bush until it was obvious McCain would lose

and then claim Bush sucked after the fact.

I guess it's better than the alternative, but it just doesn't seem honest to me.

[vaberella]

9. Ben Stein? The racist?! It's like I woke up in the movie The White Man's Burden. n/t

[genna]

29. I laughed so hard I choked.

Is Ben Stein that big of an asshole that White Man's Burden is apt?

I'm not being facetious. I just remember this guy being in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

[pansypoo53219]

10. whoa,

that nixon sniffer? he must have lost a LOT of money. but if it woke him up, i don't mind.

[samplegirl]

11. Sure is fun to watch the rich

suffer. Ben Stein....:puke:

[ErinBerin84]

12. He was on CBS a couple weeks ago

Where he was in a segment saying that he didn't like the stimulus, blah blah blah. And then said "I supported and voted for John McCain, but I am SO proud that our country elected an African American man to president, an elegant man", etc etc. It was really awkward. It was like "Ok, Ben Stein. Crawl back into your rabbit hole now".

[butterfly77]

26. Sounds like Donald Trump...

at first he was for McCain and then he was for Obama and wanted the recovery bill to pass when he was on Larry King then last night he was on Hannity crying about how he hates the stimulus bill because he is not getting what he wants.

[Cha]

13. And pigs are flying with

faces of glee~ Old Ben was part of the problem..I don't suppose he'll wake up to that?

[MiniMe]

14. It is hard to take the man who's most famous line is "Buehler.....Buehler" seriously

[Festivito]

22. "Dumbass ..... Dumbass ..... Dumbass .... Oh, that's me.":BS /nt

[Johnyawl]

15. Hmmmm... Madoff preyed on wealthy jews...

...have to wonder how much of Ben Steins money he stole

[progressoid]

16. Fuck you Ben and the hypocritical lying ass you rode in on.

[Honeycombe8]

17. Hell has frozen over. You KNOW the pubics are in trouble, when their rank and file

agree with the opposition.

[Blue Belle]

19. I saw Paul Krugman speak a few weeks ago...

and he said that Ben Stein was a nice guy, but his Dad is smarter and funnier.

[Hello_Kitty]

20. Stein has been surprisingly sane on economic issues for a couple years now

He wrote an article back in 2006 telling rich people to shut up and pay their taxes.

[roseBudd]

23. Ben Stein wrote tax the rich in May 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/business/10every.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[Vinca]

21. Someone check the temperature in hell. nt

[Peacetrain]

24. Pinching self.. really hard.. Ben Stein.. you have to be kidding me.. hell has frozen over

[harry_pothead]

27. Great

All he has to do is renounce creationism and I'll start liking him again.

[uponit7771]

30. Small man bites big ass'd dog....

[crimsonblue]

31. Ben Stein probably invested with Bernie Madoff.

They run in similar circles, so I bet Stein lost millions to Madoff's ponzi scheme.

[shaniqua6392]

32. If Ben is not careful, FAUX News will not call him back.

He was a frequent visitor on various news programs. He will be on the sh*t list for saying anything positive about President Obama!!