Krugman's Cockroaches

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In the wake of the Dem victory of November, Paul Krugman isn't merely doing a victory dance. He brings to mind one of those ardent football fans up in the stands after his team scores the winning touchdown. Stripped to the waist, painted in team colors, getting up in the face of an opposing fan to taunt "na-na-na-na, goodbye" followed by a rousing chorus of "start the bus."

In his pay-per-view opus of this morning, "A Failed Revolution," Krugman proclaims that not merely has the Republican revolution of 1994 failed, but that it "was always based on a lie."

Just what is that lie? According to Krugman it was the belief expressed by Dick Armey at the time that: "most government programs don’t do anything 'to help American families with the needs of everyday life . . . and very few American families would notice their disappearance."

And how does Krugman prove that Armey was lying? By noting that "more than a few families would notice the disappearance of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid." No doubt. There's only one problem. The leaders of the Republican revolution never called for the abolition of any of those programs. So who's lying now?

After hurling some more invective Republicans' way - "utter failure," "failed revolutionary" movement, "web of corruption," "adversaries . . . harassed with smear campaigns and witch hunts," Krugman closes with this charming little analogy:

"Is that the end for the radical right? Probably not. As a long-suffering civil servant once told me, bad policy ideas are like cockroaches: you can flush them down the toilet, but they keep coming back."

Sore winner.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net