Why, Barack, why? by Paul Krugman

November 11, 2007, 3:20 pm
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/why-barack-why/

The great Social Security debate of 2005 was a seminal moment for American progressives. Conventional fiscal wisdom in the Beltway was that the aging population is THE big problem — when the truth is that grim long-run fiscal projections mainly reflect projected health care costs. And conventional political wisdom was that the Bush administration’s fear-mongering on the issue would work.

But a determined defense by progressives in the media, on the blogs, and in Congress beat back one spurious argument after another, while the American people made it clear that they really want a program that guarantees a basic retirement income that doesn’t depend on the Dow. And Social Security survived.

All of which makes it just incredible that Barack Obama would make obeisance to fashionable but misguided Social Security crisis-mongering a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s a bad omen; it suggests that he is still, despite all that has happened, desperately seeking approval from Beltway insiders.

Substantively, this is wrong — and the tone-deafness is hard to understand. Tim Russert doesn’t vote in Iowa.

demonstrated the political maturity or acumen to be President. IMO

Not ready for prime time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Friedman

http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine/short-film

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO ASK HIM IF HE'S READ THE SHOCK DOCTRINE!