Krugman: Does Obama Have the Balls to Take on the Right Wingers?

I have made no statement contrary to this. Krauthammer is an intellectual, but I believe is ideology is WAY off.

 

Do you think his political leanings tint his views on health care?

 

Of course they do. He is wrting an Op-Ed and not a news piece. That said it doesn't mean that he isn't a legitimate intellectual.

 

Can you name any public figure whose political leanings don't "tint" his views on health care?

I'm sorry, but the whole premise of this question is ludicrous.

 

I feel exactly the same way about Krugman.

 

Then why argue? The discussion of the Nobel came about because someone implied, somewhat stupidly, that Krugman lacks intellect.

 

I hear ya' man. I'm running out of space on my mantle and use several as doorstops.

I can sell you one cheap if you want...

 

I wasn't really, just responding as to why Klugman may be intellectual but, to some like me, way off base. My principal response was to the opening post.

 

Howabout this. Instead of saying "Krugman isn't an intellectual" can you provide a cogent and informed argument countering Krugman's POV?

 

No, they can't, thus the discussion about the relative intellectualism of a Nobel prize winner.

 

I would be embarrassed if I didn't understand the difference between a Pulitzer prize for journalism and a Nobel Prize in economics.

 

Ones liek a grammy and anothers is liek an Oscar?

 

Paul Krugman is insane

Paul Krugman is a liar

These have nothing to do with the OP but rather my dislike for the man.

 

LBJ was a blowhard and was the embodiment of the cronyism the left riles against today.

I don't think I would be asking for another LBJ if I were you. His act would not play well in this day and age where you are put under the 24 hour microscope and nothing fails to get reported.

 

LBJ took the IRT
Down to 4th Street USA
When he got there
What did he see?
The youth of America on LSD

LBJ IRT
USA LSD

LSD LBJ
FBI CIA

FBI CIA
LSD LBJ

 

Very true. A highly manipulative man that relied on cronyism, among other things, to get to the top. There's no doubting that the was an incredibly gifted individual in terms of politics, but he was definitely a crooked guy.

 

Can someone explain the parliamentary procedure called reconciliation and how it works?

 

Simple answer: When a budget/tax bill is passed by the House and Senate, they may not be exactly the same. If different, they go to Reconciliation, where a group of members from both chambers bang out the differences. Leaders in the House and Senate appoint members to the reconciliation conference (think committee). Presumably, on the health care bill, Dem leaders will stack the reconciliation conference to make sure a bill that they like comes out. When the bill is reconciled, it has to go back to each chamber for passage, but rules in the Senate do away with the requirement to have 60 votes to limit debate and thus a reconciled bill can pass the Senate with 51 votes.

Here's the more technical stuff: http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/bud_rec_proc.htm

Before the usual diatribes start from my friends on the right, I might remind them that this is not new and has been used by both parties to pass legislation. During the recent Republican reign in Congress, there were several bill reconciliations where no Democrats were appointed to the reconciliation conferences.