At Least He is Lying

Paul Krugman (who has completely ignored my instruction to write 9 posts on other things for each attack on Obama over health insurance mandates) claims Obama is totally lying about Clinton's health care proposal.

More Obama ugliness on health care

I really, really wish he would stop this:

Obama likened Clinton’s health care mandate proposal to eliminating homelessness by requiring everyone buy a house.

The Clinton plan does every bit as much to ensure affordability as the Obama plan. This is just grotesque.

As an Obama enthusiast, I am very glad to say that Krugman is totally right. Obama is suggesting that his objection to the Clinton proposed mandate is that a mandate alone isn't enough. Of course, he is neglecting to mention that Clinton will subsidize health insurance for the poor and lower middle class. Thus he is suggesting that his objection to Clinton's proposal is on a point where they agree and not on subsidies, restrictions on insurance companies which will will make mandates necessary and mandates or just subsidies and restrictions on insurance companies which will will make mandates necessary but no mandates.

This is good. So long as Obama pretends he is objecting to something about Clinton other than her somewhat greater frankness on the need for mandates, he will not cripple his ability to introduce mandates under a different name if he is president.

I have lived through two campaigns of honest candidates. I don't remember Goldwater '64 too well (OK only my mother saying "if I had known it would be a landslide I wouldn't have been so scared and laughing at Barry's sorry as..persions). I don't like to remember McGovern '72 (Saint Jimmy was no saint when he was campaigning -- anyone remember the Sonnenfelt doctrine ?). I have no intention of ever voting for an honest hopeful in a Democratic primary (I'd consider pulling the dirty trick of voting for an honest Republican if there were any left).

I note that Krugman's friend and co-author Brad DeLong voted for Obama.

Finally, I note that I am also a Clinton enthusiast, that the tiresome Krugman campaign has convinced me to be neutral, and I didn't vote (and not just because it put off getting an absentee ballot until it was way to late).