And then there is the grand finale, the intellectual coup de grace, the crowning glory of KrugmanThink: “Given the combination of G.O.P. extremism and corporate power, it’s now doubtful whether health reform, even if we get it — which is by no means certain — will be anywhere near as good as Nixon’s proposal, even though Democrats control the White House and have a large Congressional majority.”
So there we have it: The Democrats control the Beltway, but “lobbying and lies” have worked their magic. The lobbyists and the right-wing fringe have gotten to the centrist Democrats, who don’t know lies when they encounter them. It’s a huge conspiracy designed to deny health care to the masses. The only thing missing is a grassy knoll.
Now, let me be blunt: This argument is shameless in its dishonesty even by Krugman standards. All those seniors and others deeply concerned about their future health care needs? They are the right-wing fringe. All those lobbyists — Phrma and AHIP and the AMA and the AHA, ad infinitum — that the White House and the Congressional Democrats have coopted? They are tools of the Republicans. Etc.
And so I have a simple question: Does the New York Times op-ed page have any editors at all? Just asking.
— Benjamin Zycher is a senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute.
This blog post originally appeared on National Review’s Critical Condition.
