Paul Krugman Nails It Again

You can't beat New York Times columnist Paul Krugman for consistent insight:

"The real division in the race for the Democratic nomination is between those who are willing to question not just the policies but also the honesty and the motives of the people running our country, and those who aren't."

"What makes Mr. Dean seem radical aren't his policy positions but his willingness -- shared, we now know, by General Clark -- to take a hard line against the Bush administration. This horrifies some veterans of the Clinton years, who have nostalgic memories of elections that were won by emphasizing the positive. Indeed, George Bush's handlers have already made it clear that they intend to make his 'optimism' -- as opposed to the negativism of his angry opponents -- a campaign theme. (Money-saving suggestion: let's cut directly to the scene where Mr. Bush dresses up as an astronaut, and skip the rest of his expensive, pointless -- but optimistic! -- Moon-base program.) ..."

"...any Democrat has to expect not just severely slanted coverage from the fair and balanced Republican media, but asymmetric treatment even from the mainstream media. For example, some have said that the intense scrutiny of Mr. Dean's Vermont record is what every governor who runs for president faces. No, it isn't. I've looked at press coverage of questions surrounding Mr. Bush's tenure in Austin, like the investment of state university funds with Republican donors; he got a free pass during the 2000 campaign...."

A testimony to Krugman's persuasive powers ... he became the object of a Republican smear campaign claiming he was mentally unbalanced.

But, golly gee, he sure writes like he has all his marbles (and maybe half of Bush's too).