Classless Krugman on "Fake Heroes" of 9-11 like Bush
“What happened after 9/11 -- and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not -- was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.” – Columnist Paul Krugman in a blog post at nytimes.com the morning of September 11.
News Flash: Paying Taxes Now Voluntary, According to New York Times
“Obama Tax Plan Would Ask More Of Millionaires – Called ‘Buffett Rule’ – Populist Sales Pitch to Press the G.O.P. in Budget Talks.” – Headline to lead story of September 18.
“President’s Plan On Deficit Mixes Cuts And Taxes – Foes See Class Warfare – Trimming Entitlements and Asking the Rich to Pay More.” – Headline to lead story of September 19.
The Iran-Contra Anniversary: Noticed by Nobody Else on Earth
“While the Nixon library marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of the Pentagon Papers by declassifying the documents -- a gesture that was more symbolic than anything else -- there is no plan to mark the 25th anniversary of the Iran-contra scandal, Reagan museum officials said.” – Adam Nagourney discussing the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, September 13.
Do As Buffett Says, Rich Guys, Or Watch Your Mercedes Burn
“But altruism does not fully explain why members of the global elite are suddenly keen to prevent the deep budget reductions that will occur if governments don’t raise more money. They are also moved by what some might call enlightened self-interest. Their walls may be high, but the wealthy live in the same world as the poor and the middle class, who have been walloped by unemployment and cuts to social welfare programs. When Mercedes-Benzes burned in Berlin and riots broke out on London’s streets, the rich were watching on TV.” – From a September 10 editorial, “The Enlightened Want to Be Taxed.”
32 Months into Obama’s Presidency, It’s Still All Bush’s Fault
“The decline in Obama’s political fortunes, the Great Disappointment, can be attributed to four main factors: the intractable legacy bequeathed by George W. Bush; Republican resistance amounting to sabotage; the unrealistic expectations and inevitable disenchantment of some of the president’s supporters; and, to be sure, the man himself.” – From recently retired Executive Editor Bill Keller’s column on September 19.
Obama’s “Moderate” Big-Spending, Tax-Hiking Stimulus
“Mixing politically moderate proposals with a punchy tone, President Obama challenged lawmakers on Thursday to ‘pass this jobs bill’ -- a blunt call on Congress to enact his $447 billion package of tax cuts and new government spending, designed to revive a stalling economy and his own political standing.” – White House reporter Mark Landler, September 9.
“On Friday, the White House was basking in positive reviews of Mr. Obama’s spirited performance on Capitol Hill, in which he presented a plan that was more robust than had been generally expected, as well as forecasts from economists that his mix of tax cuts and new spending would spur growth and appreciably reduce the jobless rate.” – Landler following up on nytimes.com, September 10.
Obama Picked on By Republicans Who “Simply Do Not Like the Man”
“While most of those fights stemmed from deep policy divides, the relentless acrimony between President Obama and Congressional Republicans also seems strikingly personal, almost petty. And Democrats worry that Mr. Obama, hampered, too, by his own inexperience and dispassionate style, is increasingly weakened by what they fume is a party that fundamentally disrespects him and his office....Since then, Congressional Republicans have turned down requests for White House meetings, refused to return the president’s call and walked out of budget talks. It seems they simply do not like the man....There is the persistent and deeply uncomfortable question of race. Many African-Americans, including black lawmakers, and even white Democrats, have complained that some of the disrespect for Mr. Obama stems from distaste among some whites at the idea of seeing a black man in the Oval Office.” – Jennifer Steinhauer, September 2.
You can read the rest of the latest issue of Times Watch Quotes of Note here.
