Paul Krugman writes that Obama's effort to use the alleged 'Social Security crisis' as an example of how he is the candidate who can find 'common ground' with Republicans merely proves that Obama is someone who Republicans can play for a sucker.
In other words, Krugman suggests that Obama is naïve and inexperienced.
Paul Krugman:
Lately, Barack Obama has been saying that major action is needed to avert what he keeps calling a “crisis” in Social Security — most recently in an interview with The National Journal. Progressives who fought hard and successfully against the Bush administration’s attempt to panic America into privatizing the New Deal’s crown jewel are outraged, and rightly so.
But Mr. Obama’s Social Security mistake was, in fact, exactly what you’d expect from a candidate who promises to transcend partisanship in an age when that’s neither possible nor desirable. . .
Why would he, in effect, play along with this new round of scare-mongering and devalue one of the great progressive victories of the Bush years?
I don’t believe Mr. Obama is a closet privatizer. He is, however, someone who keeps insisting that he can transcend the partisanship of our times — and in this case, that turned him into a sucker. . .
Paul Krugman Presidential News Politics Obama Democratic Social Security Bush Republican Propaganda
