Seriously

I’ve decided to create a new award called the Do You Seriously Not See You Are Exhibiting Pathological Projection on Steroids, You Asshat? Award. And I’m going to give the first one to Power Tool John Hinderaker. And then I may retire the prize, because I don’t think anyone will ever top this.

See also the BooMan.

Who’s Your Friend?

Here’s a clip & save for you — “The White House’s Economic Case for Reelection in 13 Charts.” Keep it handy and use it to smack people who say President Obama made the economy worse.

Meanwhile — Krugman has been writing about the “fiscal phoniness” of Republicans who scream about the deficit and then propose economy policies that would make it worse. Today he says,

They issue apocalyptic warnings about the dangers of government debt and, in the name of deficit reduction, demand savage cuts in programs that protect the middle class and the poor. But then they propose squandering all the money thereby saved — and much, much more — on tax cuts for the rich.

And nobody should be surprised. It has been obvious all along, to anyone paying attention, that the politicians shouting loudest about deficits are actually using deficit hysteria as a cover story for their real agenda, which is top-down class warfare.

Also meanwhile, President Obama is touting the improved economy. And it does seem to have improved — U.S. auto sales just hit a four-year high — although it’s a tad early to be singing “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

Some are arguing the optimism theme could make the President seem out of touch (think George H.W. Bush in 20021992). But I think what he’s going for is marketing himself as the friend and benefactor of workers, as opposed to whatever the GOP nominates, who clearly will be the friend and benefactor of the corporate overlords. So from here it looks smart. For now.

Steve Kornacki argues that high gas prices won’t hurt the President. We’ll see. If the economy wobbles along as it has been I think we’ll be OK on that front.

Seems to me the real question mark is the Middle East. Lots of really alarming stuff is going on over there. I take it Americans aren’t focusing on the Middle East much these days, but if something happens that does get their attention, the political dynamics here could shift in ways that are impossible to predict. It wouldn’t necessarily shift against President Obama, however.