Comments on: Ezra Klein Still Thinks the 2001 Bush Tax Cuts were a Victory for Centrists

By: frandor55

frandor55 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:07:42 +0000

My view, exactly. I don’t bother reading Klein anymore, he’s a suckup.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:23:41 +0000

Ach der lieber
Ezra agrees with Jane

By: earlofhuntingdon

earlofhuntingdon — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:15:13 +0000

Kevin McCarthy or Dana Wynter?

By: OccasionalObserver

OccasionalObserver — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:01:30 +0000

Klein need not apply for Jane’s job offer. He’s got major Beltway career plans. This attempt to define victory down falls into a pattern: Play like you want to beat the right but turn that into a victory for them. This will drive suckers on the left into their ever-lovin’ arms and take the wind out of reform.

He’s not alone. Many are out there positioning themselves as champions of reform while doing their best to undermine the will to achieve it for real. If they have have careerism in their heads — which I assume — they’re banking on a Republican resurgence they can take some credit for. If on top of this they have a vision of the world — which I doubt — it’s a DLC worldview.

I’ve seen enough of this by now to see how the game is played. It goes on at Salon.com. Blanche Lincoln says she’s not for a public option, but describes the option in terms no one would be for. She’s obviously positioning herself to be walked in off the window ledge from the left and vote for the option. But a blogger presented her as a deserter.

On another occasion a “What would Teddy do?” blog subtly said he would of course trade the option for a bag of magic Insurance Company No-No Beans.

You really have to be really smart to outwit these people, with an IQ of at least 90. That’s smart enough.

By: Cellar47

Cellar47 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:55:48 +0000

Since the Washington Post placed a giant seed pod next to Ezra’s bed at night he hasn’t been the same.

By: hackworth1

hackworth1 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:23:33 +0000

The problems to be addressed are bigger than fine-tuning Bush’s massive mistakes. So far Obama hasn’t changed much of Bush’s policies…

Obama is adjusting the carburetor on a blown engine.

By: hackworth1

hackworth1 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:20:17 +0000

If Ezra keeps this up, he’ll give David Brooks, Tom Friedman and the other Klein a run for their money.

By: foothillsmike

foothillsmike — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:20:02 +0000

If single payer was still on the table then Ezra could consider PO a centrist victory

By: weekendclimber

weekendclimber — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:19:31 +0000

I like that: centrists – a politician who makes policy from the center of their own ambitions.

By: temptingfate

temptingfate — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:14:02 +0000

There is a difference between tactics and goals. Bush (well Rove) understood that he needed to support his base in order to get things done. Plenty of pundits, just after what passed for the results of the first election said he would have to be conciliatory and work from the center. The Bushies did the opposite. Ezra Klein’s rewriting of history not withstanding, Bush showed that being singularly interested in pushing your agenda does not necessarily put a President at a disadvantage. If Obama continues down the path of not playing the mandate card, that Bush said he had contrary to any evidence, we are in for the status quo established by the last eight year of Bush.

The problems to be addressed are bigger than fine-tuning Bush’s massive mistakes. So far Obama hasn’t changed much of Bush’s policies and is uninterested in dancing with those that brought him to the party. Maybe there is such a thing as being too different after all.

The more Obama looks weak to Republicans because of his hyper need to compromise with conservatives the harder they will push back.