by Bartleby the Scrivener | Deb's taken a couple of runs at the specious arguments of the "Blue Dog Democrats" in whose money-greased palms the fate of health care reform (and maybe of the Obama administration) currently rests. Can Obama appease their concerns? Paul Krugman thinks not.
So what are the objections of the Blue Dogs?
Well, they talk a lot about fiscal responsibility, which basically boils down to worrying about the cost of those subsidies. And it’s tempting to stop right there, and cry foul. After all, where were those concerns about fiscal responsibility back in 2001, when most conservative Democrats voted enthusiastically for that year’s big Bush tax cut — a tax cut that added $1.35 trillion to the deficit?
But it’s actually much worse than that — because even as they complain about the plan’s cost, the Blue Dogs are making demands that would greatly increase that cost.Continue reading "Krugman on Blue Dogs: Why Obama Can't Throw Them a Bone" »