Indeed Collins, Murky, Lindsey G., and many others will go down in ignominy along with Trump, but they don't seem to care.
They don't hear history calling. Possibly the worst of the lot; Grassley.
27
Before the accusation of attempted sexual assault was revealed, while watching the questioning of Kavanaugh, I said to my husband, “He looks like an alcoholic.” I’m highly sensitive to that look as I had an alcoholic mother and am, myself, 43 years sober. I have no idea if it’s true, but I have good radar for it. Maybe it’s just a “vibe” of some other secret in his life. Alcoholism is a progressive illness and there are many successful, highly functional, active alcoholics. But a kid who drank the way he apparently drank in high school certainly set himself up for drinking issues down the line. I would want to know if he was currently in a program of sobriety. That’s one question I hope is asked of him on Monday. Just like on a doctor’s form - “how many alcoholic drinks do you have per week?” There is SO much we don’t know about this man and his fitness for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
26
While I have never lived in Maine. However, I have followed her disingenuous adoption of the label "Republican moderate" for many years on critical votes for this country.
In so doing, I could find no evidence that supported her, or the media's, characterization as such. So to Maine voters I say: vote her out in the next election. Indeed, I would argue that if you don't you will live to rue the day that you had an opportunity and failed to recognize her charade.
19
ReNad the history of (at least) the 20th century (maybe minus T. Roosevelt) and you'll see a party that is on the verge of treason. They have undermined any good faith they may have had. They would not let the U.S. participate in the League of Nations therefore ushering in WWII. Nixon and Reagan began in 30s and 40s red-baiting . They supported Shek to take over China long after he had wasted tanks and supplies. They supported McArthur nuking China during the Korean war. And on and on. As Martin Amis said the Republican party deserves not a single vote for its racism, voter suppression, bad policies (tax cuts for rich, etc) and I add the anti-refugee or immigration in general.
13
I think it is going to be revealed that this wasn’t the only incident where BK acted in bad faith. He has had allies that have shielded him throughout his life, maybe even would “catch and kill” reports of misconduct or bad behavior. Could this be just the tip of the iceberg...?
45 had a wealthy father (and later David Pecker) who would “scrub and fix” any bad acts for his sunny-boy. Sent him off to military school, rather than jail him for some discipline. That is what people with juice do.
Anita Hill’s stories demonstrate what a carnival circus at a county fair it is to testify before a televised Senate committee in public, to the entire country and to be undressed before the world in a rush without a credible investigation done beforehand.
The hall of mirrors parallax to Comey springing out of his seat in right field to thwart HRC from catching the game winning ball are striking.
Could it be that Comey had brought that info to Obama, who knew it was a ploy that would improperly influenced the election, but Comey went ahead on his own anyway?
We need to have a through vetting of all the R-E-Q-U-E-S-T-E-D documents in hand before any further proceedings, for ANY pick for SCOTUS.
That is all that WE asked...!
8
Typically, in the Kavanaugh case many other women (or girls) would by now come forward with similar stories of his misconduct. Where are they? Does their absence perhaps make liberal/progressives wonder if maybe the accuser's story is off track?
1
@JimVanM Not really, Jim. I see what has happened across both the news media and social media - a torrent of accusatory, inflammatory and just plain wildly hostile material - and my question is - knowing that this is what typically happens - why *did* she come forth.
As a side note, did you know that she has been doxx'ed and has received threatening calls and threatening e-mails to her personal e-mail?
I lay these ugly, churlish activities squarely at the door of the trumpians/republicans/alt-rightians who seem to have no problem at all in accusing people of bad faith while they claim that others accusations are polluting the waters.
Me, I think that she and Judge Kavanaugh should both appear before Congress and testify, that their testimony should be publicly available and that the extraordinary redaction of Kavanaugh's personal information performed by the majority Republicans should be removed so we can see this candidate for the highest court in the land as fully as possible - just as has been done for essentially all candidates, and just as the Democrats did for "their" candidates.
I know. Call me a dreamer.
17
Going by Susan Collins' past behavior, it's easy to predict that she will dither like Miss Emily Litella (a.k.a, the great Gilda Radner), making a show of deep concern, then vote for Kavanaugh because he's such a clean cut guy and he coaches girls basketball and, most important, he is The Federalist Society's chosen one.
18
You choose the issue: Infrastructure? Health care? Global trade? Diplomatic stability? Education? Immigration? Economic security? All are soaked in GOP hypocrisy. For Republicans to accuse any of their opponents of "bad faith" is Godzilla accusing Bambi of looking too tasty.
12
Joseph John Amato
September 18, 2018
To command the honor for a seat on the high court's bench this event of his teenage happenings is surly worthy of best of Judge Kavanaugh judgment to show his grace to manage his command for and about justice and its interpretative atonement when give light of discourse to the degree worthy for the best rights in how law / laws are to guide everyone and for all adjudications albeit personal or collective staying the course for the historical narratives learning.
jja, Manhattan, N. Y.
2
The "bad faith" of Republican Congressmen comes from the Faustian bargain they made when Ronald Reagan began to destroy America's middle class.
They are solely focused on having the good life for them and their friends until their empty souls float down to Hades.
Everyone else can fend for themselves.
Even if their children and grandchildren won't have enough air to breathe twenty or thirty years from now, at least they had a good time.
9
Kavanaugh is no different than the Cabinet members who passed the Senate and took their jobs in the Cabinet.
They all failed their Hearings miserably by either outright lying or hedging and even worse, most of them did not understand what their job was. Yet the Republicans approved each and every one pf them.
Kavanaugh is cut from the same cloth, even without the new accusation of an attempted rape, with a friend of his helping out.
Are their any decent Republicans left?
12
I wonder if some Repubs secretly pray for a Dem victory - it is their only possible salvation from the monster they created: outrageously successful gerrymandering combined with a rabid, bigoted, fact averse base. Their hypocrisy, manipulations, and lies have to become more audacious and outrageous with each passing day, or they risk being turned on by their own frothing monster. Flake, Corker, and McCain have already been consumed, and it looks like Collins and Graham are desperate not to be next.
6
The one thing that I give Trump credit for is finally pulling the mask off the GOP. He has shown that Republicans have no real convictions or scruples other than maintaining power and giving tax breaks to the wealthy. EVERYTHING else they have claimed to stand for is just smoke and mirrors of rile up their ignorant base. The GOP stands for NOTHING. Trump is their natural leader; a man without morals, scruples, honesty or integrity. RIP GOP.
22
You can fool all the people some of the time, but the GOP's hypocrisy is now impossible to hide. The jig is up.
It's time for some serious, principled political hardball.
If the Dems can take the Senate, either the GOP will have rammed Kavanaugh through and he should then be impeached for lying under oath, or, if the seat is still vacant, Dems should tell Trump that Garland is only one nomination they will consider.
If Kavanaugh wants to avoid the ignominy of impeachment (because Democrats *will* eventually return to power) he should withdraw.
3
17 is not young. In a year, the gummint can put a rifle in his/her hand and sent him/her far away to kill people he/she doesn't even know without a declaration of war.
Just following orders.
If he was old enough then to consider war, he was old enough then to fathom good from bad.
Let's hear her story and....a bit more about this man, Kavanaugh.
We the people don't need just this hearing we need more information and more time to consider the appointment.
After what you did to Obama-Garland, what's the rush?
Scared of losing the Senate, Mitch? What if they turn on YOU and your lovely wife?
Why then, you'd have a friend on the Supreme Court to help you out, huh?
We are on to you, big time.
Vote Democratic in November. Down ticket. The GOP is not to be trusted.
18
The worst part about Kavanaugh is that even if we liberals are successful in derailing him, Trump will appoint another neoconservative just as bad.
4
@c-c-g It will buy us some time - time that, after the mid-term elections we may be able to use more effectively.
3
Just for clarity's sake, Clinton was impeached for lying under oath, not for his actual behavior.
14
Thank you, Paul Krugman.
9
Oh the majesty of this presidency, where the official portrait will be on velvet and the presidential library will be an Otter Box containing the tweet phone. His staff selections and judicial nominees are par for the course.
3
"Some pundits praised his courage in making such a proposal."
Gee, I wonder who Paul has in mind?
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/opinion/05brooks.html
As far as not being able to come up with an example of principled Republican behavior, I don't know if PK would agree, but McCain had two good moments:
1. His public reproach to the lady who was trashing Obama as as dangerous Muslim.
2. His vote against repealing Obamacare.
Oh, I forgot one.
3. Effectively disinviting Trump to his funeral.
But I certainly agree, Jack Kennedy's Harvard thesis, Profiles in Courage, would be a very short book if it had to restrict its subjects to Republicans.
3
Let's not lose sight of the bizarre policy positions this Kavanaugh holds. He is against abortion, against birth control for god's sake, against women having equal status with men in 2018. My mother was an advocate of planned parenthood and adult sexuality in 1964 when I was just a teenager.
These and all the other policies for which they stand as a symbol are so retrograde, so historically obsolete, as to be obscene and ridiculous. History is not progressive. Republicans are proof of that. Dominated by nostalgia for a romanticized past, they seek to turn the clock back in time as if this can ever be done.
Make no mistake about this. This is a small minority of our population, yet they want to control and tell everyone else how to live. And the way they want us to live is to go back to the 1950's. From a historical and intellectual point of view this is completely appalling and a refusal to turn bravely to the future. This monoority wants to use all its cleverness and considerable money to make a whole population live a lifestyle of an antiquated conception of men, women, sexuality, family planning, etc. But it's not enough that they be left alone to practice their arcane and nostalgic version of marriage, sexuality and the rest. Oh no they have to make all of us live that way too, or like Osama Bin Laden they may feel so left out as the modern world stride into the future, that they'll have to harm us in various ways. The lack of progress is so disappointing.
16
The Republicans deal in bad faith because their motive is to overturn American democracy. They have to obscure the fat that they, or at least their all-powerful donors who pull all the strings, don't want the people to vote or to enjoy the security of social programs. Their intent is to form a completely unfettered, unregulated capitalist paradise where the oligarchs and other aggressive, self-interested individuals can bully their way to the top without the burden of taxes, needy people or less self-interested do-gooders getting in their way. This is Putin's Russia, and the goal is, in the end, to make America a Great copy of the Russian model.
14
When Sen. McConnell described the midterms as a knife fight in an alley, he was talking about everyday Republican tactics. They have become a gang which has a single goal; retaining power for as long as possible. The Republican election ads in my area never address what they have done or will do, they are vicious, lie-filled attacks on their opponents. Whatever they need to say, do, stand for to do this will change as needed.
14
"Is Susan Collins next? Instead of attacking those activists back in Maine, she should be thanking them, for giving her one last chance to save her political soul."
Political soul... oh, God.
I haven't laugh so hard ever since I binge-read the Discworld books.
Thanks, Paul, I needed it.
9
Bad faith is how the GOP runs itself. This is not the first example of bad faith. The entire party was disrespectful towards President Obama. They sent an unauthorized letter to Iran while Obama was negotiating with its leaders. They refused to renew long term unemployment benefits for people in need of them. They are hypocrites to the point where if they say that the sky is clear I look out the window to see if it is.
The GOP does the right thing only when it's glaringly obvious that doing the wrong thing might lead to criminal charges or losing votes. And even then they aren't sure. Trump, the GOP, and Kavanaugh deserve each other. They also deserve prison cells on the same block.
18
From sea to shining sea the perception held by just about everybody is that bad faith is rampant, particularly in politics.
I would suggest that this perception is generally accurate, particularly at the level of national politics, and that it applies equally to politics, the law, industrial food production, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, the automobile industry, the construction industry, and high- and bio-tech (and their enablers in venture capital).
That's a lot, I know. Trouble ahead. For all of us. Millions of people will die because of bad faith. None of us will be untouched.
5
The devil has a big backlog on soul repossessions. You will see a lot of Republicans disappear in January.
8
Kavanaugh should be rejected above all else because he will be a right-wing judicial activist who ignores case-law and precedent, to join with Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch on their mission to use the Founding Fathers as grotesque ventriloquist dummies in pushing a constitutional Originalist judicial agenda. That alone should be sufficient for the Senate to reject him; his weasel words, evasiveness, and the sexual assault allegations are merely the rancid icing on an ugly, half-baked cake.
9
"Donors and activists try to influence politicians’ votes all the time, often by warning of adverse electoral consequences if the politicians make what the activists consider the wrong choice."
When does a warning cross the line and become a threat? At what point does the threat become illegal? Surely you can withdraw donations, you can even donate to the opposition. However, all too often, the failure to do what I tell you to do becomes the launch point for smear campaign ads that usually cross the line between political speech and libel or slander.
We no longer live in the age when a libelous or slanderous statement was met with a physical challenge called a duel. It was the way to settle libel and slander in the court of honor. Later libel and slander were prosecuted in courts of law.
Today libel and slander are deemed political speech even though the claims go way beyond political or even informational, into the realm of doing actual, often permanent, harm.
I have the feeling that a lot of these threats are made in private and the politician isn't willing to pick up the phone and call the FBI to have the threat dealt with as a threat.
Can I make up stuff about Paul Krugman that will damage him and get away with it? I don't think so, because he's not a politician.
Perhaps all the political people have to do is make the threats and the source of the threats public. Few of us like bullies who demand their own way consequences be damned. Out them!
2
Thank goodness that I am surrounded by Democrats where I live. I don't have to deal with angry Republicans who requires anger management like Donald.
6
It is hard for me to distinguish between bad faith and bald faced lies. Different words, same bad outcome.
3
This is truly an indictment of Republicans, and as much as they might want to deny it, Mr. Krugman is right on in his analysis . How to explain these inconsistencies otherwise would be hard to do other than that they have no moral core.
Trump is just the fulfillment of 25 years (since Newt Gingerich's times) of false claims, distorted facts, trumped up inane charges (Benghazi furor), and general hypocrisy from their leaders. All given full throated voice on their own TV channel as they fired up their base in order to win elections.
Let's hope that the tide is turning against them and that, starting this November, they are forced to "wander in the wilderness" for 40 years.
6
Bad faith is a somewhat diplomatic way to put it. In plain language, it's deliberate and calculated deceptiveness and lying. And you're right that it has become the political currency of the GOP.
That alone is deeply troubling. What is even more so for me is the fact that the demographic with the highest support for Trump and this GOP is one to which I used to belong: white evangelicals. This is a faith that claims to follow the one who not only demands truthfulness but who claimed to be truth incarnate. That should mean a lot (it still does to me), but clearly it has been cast aside amid the worst kind of vile grasping for worldly power.
11
The whole affair of denying Obama a Supreme Court appointment doesn't pass the smell test of constitutionality.
11
I'm totally with you, GOP hypocrisy is at new record highs. That is what happens when people claiming to be Christians and Conservatives get to take over a party, the party becomes about their specific religious views, what the framers tried desperately to protect us from.
But..............calling the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinski thing a consensual affair is not exactly truthful. When one person is in a directly supervisory position over the other and has more experience in terms of age, well its con-sensuality is at best questionable.
4
Good to see The Krugman challenge the usual corporate media meme - both sides-ism.
1
Mr. Krugman comes closest to the heart of this case. But it is not so much about "bad faith". Justices or judges on the American federal judicial branch do not necessarily hold a "lifetime" appointment. That is simply American custom. Here is what the U.S. Constitution states under Article III, § 1:
"The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office."
The question is whether Judge Kavanaugh has shown "good Behaviour" while a member of the American federal judiciary; or, conversely, whether he has shown "bad Behaviour" while a member of the American federal judiciary.
Here, Justices or judges from the American federal judiciary who got a nomination from an unindicted co-conspirator to a federal crime (i.e., a felony) for his illegal acts before he became the President of the United States of America so that he could become the President of the United States of America are not in "good Behaviour" because they no longer value what is at the heart of the American legal system: to find the truth.
The American People (i.e., the employer) shall prevail over this moneyed, corporate, minority coup (both foreign and domestic).
9
Is Brett Kavanaugh now lying about a horrific event form 36 years ago? If after you have heard the testimony and you believe that he is lying, how can you vote for him? If you are running on bad faith decisions now, what's a little more thrown in for good measure. The reasoning probably goes something like this: We better get what we can get while the getting is good. The difference with the Kavanaugh vote is, it will last a lifetime.
5
Forget Senator Collins soul or what her voters want, the real
question is what do her big donors want her to do ?
She will vote for Brett in a snap, saying that Mitch promised her....
And speaking of bad faith, why didn't the Democrats, represented by stern owl Chuck and twinkling Nancy and her high heels reading Dreamer's letters aloud, what happened when these Democrats had rare leverage and did not use it to save the Dreamers as promised?
These corporate Democrats have big donors too who invest in the Democratic party and expect a return on their donation for their business investments and interests. This leaves us regular voters having to pay for their interests as well.
Well at least is only 80 %of the Democrats. Better than 100%
of the Republicans. So until we can get money out of politics and it is beginning to happen, both sides of the aisle are suspect.
But when I think of Beto and Bernie and Alexandria Ocasia Cortez and Elizabeth Warren and all the progressive who have surprisingly, to some, won their primaries. And all the Democratic presidential front runners, except for old cranky
pants Bloomberg who will be his own big donor, when I think of these politicians who will not take big donations I feel
hopeful that they will hang on to their souls serving us regular people. They are a start for good faith politics, for honest actors!
9
In the law, there is no greater criticism of a judgment than to label it "outcome determinative." The pejorative applies to any argument where the conclusion is driven by the outcome rather than the facts and the applicable law. The shame lies in the reversal of legitimate legal thinking, which requires mastery of the facts and a bottom line decision grounded in the law.
Decisions that are outcome determinative are derived from bad faith analysis that begins with the desired outcome and shades the law and the facts to reach the desired conclusion. Starting at the finish is unethical, through and through. Justice requires starting at the beginning.
For the many whose bottom line here was outcome determinative, it's time to reacquaint yourself with your conscience and to let it be your guide..
7
Think about how many more women and children will be living in poverty when Roe is overturned. Think about how more tax dollars will go to prisons if Roe is overturned. Think about how out of reach a college education will be once Roe is overturned. Think about how many more men will owe child support when Roes is overturned. Think about how quickly Medicare will be cut, when much more of collected tax dollars go to cover interest on the national debt because of the above.
14
When the Supreme Court prevented the counting of ballots in Bush vs Gore, the politics of bad faith was established. The highest court in the land abandon the principles on which it was founded. Then we thought a corner had been turned when Obama won in a pretty substantial way, but it only enflamed the politics of bad faith. McConnell got his folks together and plotted Obama's downfall. He later blocked Obama's nomination of Garland. Just more examples. As we thought we had turned a corner on racism, again with Obama, those smoldering embers of racism were simply fanned by those who simply could not abide "that Black family in the White House" - fanned by no other that the current president. How does one fight the politics of bad faith when it seems to be the new normal - the Great American - achieved again? We could wait for a meteor to strike, for the oceans to encompass Florida and the coasts of California and New York, or we could make a last ditch effort and vote in new blood in November, candidates who will fight to restore a politics of good faith, an appropriate level of integrity, and respect for binding us together rather than tearing us apart. That's in about 50 days.
21
@Geo Olson...What happens to the Basket of Deplorables and the Dregs of Society when this politics of good faith, integrity and respect for binding us together washes over the country in about 50 days?
The GOP has for years gotten millions of votes across the US with their core policy agenda. The party now controls our 3 branches, and has its own state media, Fox News across the land.
The GOP agenda is promoted by phony rationalizations---Freedom, Liberty, Individualism, Self Reliance, Free Enterprise. All marketed to voters as small govt--- called the essence of Americanism---as opposed to big govt---called the essence of socialist dictatorships.
This is how it convinces millions to not demand representation by their own elected govt. It’s a hoax and it’s worked.
The duty of elected govt to the voters is the purpose of democracy. The GOP philosophy is basically anti democratic and pro plutocratic.
But the Democratic Party has fought back too weakly, as our system forces it to compete for big donor money with the GOP. This is how limits to policy are set. This is why we’re generations behind other democracies in affordable health care for all, and other supports for average citizens. So we get Clinton vs Trump.
What Krugman with his justified criticism of GOP leaves out of all his columns is how big money forms our political norms. It's the essential factor that rules our politics and basically blocks all progress.
He takes the easy way---bash GOP/Trump and stop there. We need more from the “Conscience of a Liberal”.
The NY Times could use another liberal columnist or two to give us a more complete picture of cause/effect in our severe political problems.
9
@Meredith
I agree completely. NYT columnists are like the corporate media in general (and lifelong Supreme Court Justices.) Even if they are admirable thinkers and writers, they dominate the national dialogue for too many decades with their own personal version of reality. I rarely (if ever)see op-ed pieces in the NYT that think outside the box of our current materialistic and capitalistic system.
3
"...Bill Clinton was impeached over a consensual affair, because Republicans insisted that the president’s personal behavior must be above reproach. "
This is factually inaccurate. Clinton was impeached for committing perjury. But the facts have never constrained Krugman, so carry on.
5
A question screams from repeated Republican support for policies that constituents oppose, that will do real harm to constituents (like slashing health care or the social safety net or education):
Why? Why are they so determined to cut taxes on the rich and transfer wealth from average Americans to the 1% and 0.1%.
Does anybody believe that the Republicans are so uniform in their delusion that they are in fact promoting fair economic growth or helping their voters? Or that they believe the trickle down economic nonsense still offered by a small handful of persistently, absurdly delusional economists?
Here's a two-part explanation: power and wealth supremacism. The Republicans fear losing power. They're greedy. But there is little evidence that Democrats in government are any less keen on power. (They might be marginally less greedy.)
The more important factor is wealth supremacism. Republicans genuinely, deeply believe that the wealthy are innately superior. This was captured in the obscenely absurd claim by Harvard economist Gregory Mankiw when he asserted that "smart parents make more money and pass those good genes on to their offspring." It's a notion that neatly dovetails with GOP racism. It could be the foundation of anti-democratic neo-feudalism. (Laugh now, while you can.)
6
Susan Collins, the ultimate paper tiger, always trying so hard to appear like she is making principled stands and then getting back in line 98% of the time.
Senators remember they are supposed to be representing someone once every six years, Representatives every two years. Otherwise, they're all playing parlor games.
5
In the annals of writing, this is an outstanding essay. Not many writers would have been clever enough to choose the Bad Faith scaffolding to make their points.
The huge tax cut, so far has not panned out as advertised that it would increase Federal revenues. This is the second time that this has been tried in my policy life and the deficit keeps growing.
Great work.
1
Being a partisan Democrat, and duly repulsed by the GOP follies, including their choice of a robotic fifth conservative judge for the high court, I note a tendency on our side to assume that we hold the moral high ground and that the other side is sinking into an unprecedented moral abyss. I think it is closer to the truth to acknowledge that the conduct of American politics has sunk to new lows, and that the flaws among Democrats cannot be whitewashed away. No matter how high the ideals to which Democrats aspire, politics is a power game played with as few holds as possible, and Democrats like everyone else are throwing punches in the trenches.
1
teenage rapists nominated for lifetime appointments are the natural next step for the trajectory the gop is on. also, where there is one, there are many -- how many other women did he get drunk and attack? it's never just one for a predator.
5
"Wait, there's more"!! LoL
1
The real bad faith is the voters who vote GOP time and again, despite all the broken promises and the damagee they have done, pure and simple. Old people who will vote GOP because "those damned democrats are going to take away "My Medicare", meanwhile ignoring the GOP plans to turn it into a cut rate voucher program. The GOP base, that before Trump ranted and raved about budget deficits being the result of those "damn liberals", suddenly are silent when Trump gives a huge tax giveaway to the well off and corporations, and worse, don't see any benefit from it (where are the well paying jobs? Where is the investment? Stock buybacks and dividends are not investment in jobs), yet will trudge to the polls and vote GOP. I am tired of hearing it is Fox News fault, how these are good people who are scared, either you have beliefs or you don't. If you are supposedly a Christian, then Trump should drive you to question a party that could nominate him, a misogynist/racist/narcissistic/sexual hedonist, but they don't, they enthusiastically support him, then say "but we didn't elect a preacher in chief"....
Then the ultimate, all the suburban, white collar, mostly white people who claim distaste for Trump, are upset that the GOP tried to kill ACA, at Trumps behavior, yet will go and vote for a sleazeball like Jay Webber in NJ, who is running ads with his father claiming Sherril is going to "change medicare forever" with expanded medicaid, meanwhile GOP wants to kill medicare.
1
Krugman is no longer an economist, just another lefty political hack.
I wonder if the GOP senators and congressmen are also guilty of "bad faith" in the philosophical, existentialist sense in addition to the legal sense that Mr. Krugman describes. Bad faith, as an existentialist like Sartre defined it, is a free decision to pretend that one does not have a free choice. I wonder if McConnell, Ryan, Collins, and the rest of these vandals tell themselves that they have no choice, that they HAVE to do want their donors want. The GOP lies to us--that's plain to anyone with eyes and even a semblance of a mind--but do they lie to themselves as well? If so, maybe there is hope for some of them; after all, lying to oneself is an implicit recognition of their own guilt. But if they don't, if they are pursuing their ridiculously indefensible agenda transparently--well, God help us.
2
Soon Donald Trump will start softening his stance on election interference. Eventually he will come full circle and declare that we can't even hold an election until "we find out what the hell is goin' on". Put your antennae up now people. It will start with planting seeds.
2
Bad faith? That is a bit weak for me. The GOP behavior is indistinguishable from criminal acts. It is all a lie, everything they say. It is all fraud, everything they do. They are focused on looting the country, and have no other motives.
5
The Trump sycophants are immune to charges of "bad faith". They just don't care. With almost unlimited sources of money to hire experts in the manipulation of public opinion, with the gerrymandering now in place and with the built in bias of the electoral college in favor of rural areas, the Trumpists may be in control indefinitely. Even if they are defeated the loss of trust in our institutions they have managed cannot be undone'
The United States we knew no longer exists.
2
Re: Bill Clinton "ancient history.'
One person might call that sordid episode "a consensual affair".
Another might call it an egregious abuse by an executive against a star-struck intern, in the office that happened to
be the Oval Office.
Ms. Gillebrand back in the day, was that first person.
But, now as Senator Gillebrand, with the CLINTON BRAND
so devalued, she briskly MeToo's her old patron under the bus.
I guess you understand this based on the economic and political maxim: "DEPENDS on WHOSE OX is being GORED." Whether the OX is an elephant or a donkey
shouldn't matter unless, of course, your principles are opined in "bad faith." i.e., Righteous Pundit Malfeasance.
1
Republicans, for decades, have made a cottage industry out of telling folks what they aren't and showing them what they are, with the former being a marketing campaign and the latter going unnoticed by voters who seem incapable of either memory or consistency. The modern GOP is one part marketing firm, one part lobbying firm, and one part feeding trough.
3
Bill Clinton was impeached over a "consensual affair"? Do you mean the affair with his INTERN? Yes, you need to say more............
Was Clinton's affair illegal? No. Was his behavior moral? No. Since you are so offended by Clinton's behavior, and since it was not illegal, your outrage must be based on his immorality. Ergo you must be triply offended by the actions of the current POTUS who has cheated, in a very public manner, on EACH of his THREE wives.
2
Is Susan Collins next?
No, because she sold her soul already.
She will posture, as with Obamacare, checking the wind to figure out which way to deliver some theatre, but won't have any difficulty voting for Kavanaugh. Only useful idiots expect any independence spine, and conscience from her.
1
Seriously, when did the GOP ever stand for anything but the desire to gain raw power by any means necessary? Since when?
2
The common theme here is that Democrats are weak and unable to defend themselves, even from spurious, ridiculous accusations.
The entire leadership of the Democratic Party must be removed and replaced with more aggressive, intelligent, leaders that have come up through the world of new media and isn't tied to the old gentlemanly ways of politics pre Gingrich. America can't take much more of the GOP.
The only way I'd buy that Kavanough should be re-evaluated OR drop out is if there is anything in his adult life that proves sexual harassment.
9
@Ma
Wha? He was almost 18 when he did this, and dead drunk.
@Ma
The requirement of proof of harassment beyond a reasonable doubt at heart justifies the mistreatment of women as sex objects. The he said / she said scenario is different from other crimes. The subjective experience of both parties count as much as objective evidence. It doesn't, but should. Because it's so unspoken and unspeakable, we don't have the codes required.
Time for a change.
As for adult, I think the scenario described is he was 17 and she was 15. Case closed from a moral perspective. Ah me, this IS about the law. Don't you think the character of a man is evident at 17? Don't you think character counts in the supreme court at least as much as knowledge of the books? The fear here is that an insidious disease is corrupting our institutions. It's unthinkable to me that we allow a bigot, abuser, racist or other fundamentally amoral approach to human interaction into the supreme court. Supreme means beyond reproach, not just since the age of 18.
Think outside the box and the women named by it.
@Ma
Seventeen years old is quite "adult" enough to
know what your actions are. That brand of violence,
forcing yourself on a woman, trying to
undress her, shutting her mouth, speaks very clearly about his view of women, as recently demonstrated by his delaying tactics of another 17 year old who wished to have an abortion, her right, and approved.
Harassment and attempted Rape....are two odious experiences, one much worse than the other... illegal ,
immoral and a pathetic look into someone's character.
He was a student at a supposedly fine Catholic Prep School and his ethics, character and morality were certainly part of the curriculum.
Is it possible for you to imagine that the Priests at his school could condone sexual abuse.....even at such a tender age as 17?
(Explosive sexual charges aside, will anyone ask about his huge personal debts?).....
207
@WAXwing01
Isn't that funny. Forgot all about maxing out credit cards on what -- hot dogs and beer at baseball games? No, it was schmoozing fellow republicans.
Looks like it worked. He'll be sworn in before the mid term elections.
1
Krugman's point is interesting. McConnell claimed that Garland would not be allowed to be voted on because his nomination was too close to the presidential election. The problem with that logic is the country is always to 2 years away from a congressional election. So Kavanaugh should wait until after the voters have spoken. Like the tax cut bill rushing items through the Congress is easy because the Republicans control all the federal gov't. The only thing that can stop them is the next election. Trump's personal unpopularity and the Republicans efforts to push the Koch Brothers agenda are not popular.
1
Because they represent such a small fraction of the public, Republicans have been appealing to marginal voters with a series of fake issues for decades and have constructed a solid base. They started after WWII with communism. They flipped the South after 1960 with racism, and the Reagan Democrats over fair hiring laws. Since then we've seen God, guns and gays played according to the concerns of the day; abortion has been the biggie since 1980. Republicans knew they were conning people and most real Republicans who tend to be wealthy and well educated likely didn't believe a word of what they were saying. The process has been cumulative, and once recruited, people have tended to stay loyal. The people who Republicans thought they were conning now run the Party. That's why they can't curb Trump's craziness; their base loves him. They do still get away with the economic scams described here because their base can't do numbers.
1
There appears to be much hypocrisy in using one witness to blind side Kavanaugh at the eleventh hour, while allegedly doing everything in their power to suppress another woman coming forward.
Just ask Karen Monaghan, who alleges she was abused by Keith Ellison. And when she tried to come forward, she was threatened by the Democrats.
Is this a case of MeToo but NotYou.
1
That trump projects his guilt on others has been obvious. This may be one of the things that caught the attention of the Gop when trump ran for office. That The Gop projects their own Mafia like tactics of bribery, extortion and blackmail is to be expected for a criminal organization such as the Gop. This goes hand and hand with acting in bad faith, standard fare for people who can lie so convincingly while taking an oath. And as pointed out, repeatedly, Collins keeps acting in bad faith and thinks something as small as a fig leaf can hide her bad faith. I think if she votes for Kavanaugh she will lose her leaf and will be exposed for what she is, an active participant in the criminal enterprise of the Gop. And if she does there will be a new battle cry, Remember Maine! VOTE!
" ... to win elections it must obscure its true policies ... " Indeed. Winning the election is the only goal, and that end always justifies any means. This is what happens when ego, ambition, and connivance replace character, ethics, and service to country. Cynical? You bet, I live in Texas. "In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit news organization based in Washington, D.C., tried to measure 'government integrity'. Texas ranked 39th in the nationwide survey, with an F in legislative accountability, an F in executive accountability, an F in lobbying disclosure and a D-minus for its ethics enforcement agencies." (Houston Chronicle, 22Aug2017) You can thank us for Rep. Tom Delay (convicted felon), Rep. Steve Stockman (23 felony convictions), Senator Ted Cruz (ask former Speaker John Boehner), etc. "Texas Has a Corruption Problem" (National Review Headline, 23March2015) Yup.
The Republican Party is owned and operated by extreme right wing corporatists who have financed the corruption of our entire political system. The Republican Party is their vehicle for slashing taxes and reversing every single step of social progress ever made in this country including the destruction of Social Security and Medicare. They are backed by a powerful propaganda machine called Fox News/Breitbart/Sinclair. Ryan and McConnell are nothing but the paid stooges of their mega-rich bosses.
We are witnessing the results of the Roberts majority Supreme Court decision that opened he sluice gates of the dark corporate billions that flow into the political system to corrupt our electoral process. Trump is the revolting symptom of this broken process.
The Republican Party has lost its way as a "good faith" member of a two-party government. The GOP even willingly accepted Russian participation in the creation of political chaos. The Russians make a practice of sowing discord in foreign elections and spent more than $100 Million on Facebook ads to make the Democrats look soft on Muslims and immigration. The GOP welcomed this aid.
The lying ignorant, incompetent, amoral sexual predator Donald Trump is the face of today's Republican Party. American voters including Millennials must rise up and take back our government by voting out the anti-democratic and shameless Republican Congress. The 2018 elections are the most critical in modern US history. Get out the vote!!
1
@jefflz: "The Republican Party has lost its way as a "good faith" member of a two-party government."
Neither party is worth our support - they have sold their collective souls for power long ago.
The Republican Party adopted its current cynical stance a long time ago, like about 1964-65 at least, if not earlier. Ever since then lying--often in very clever ways--has been the Party's main strategy. Gerrymandering, voter suppression based upon completely false premises, etc., etc. The Trump family is only more brazen, systematically attacking the fundamental rule of law and any and all forms of common decency. Why do they get by with it? Pure, unadulterated racism. As George Wallace claimed to have discovered, to his surprise "They (white people) all hate black people. Of course that's not true of all white people, but overall voting patterns of whites since the passage of the Civil Rights legislation shows clearly that it is still very relevant.
Republicans have shown themselves to have clear goals which are to reduce the size of government by eliminating "entitlements," and by reducing taxes. They believe the government should uphold "Christian" values only. They are for spending on the military. These are their core values; there is no bad faith here. The problem most of us have is in somehow thinking that the government should represent the people.
Both parties have their share of bad faith and abandoning principles. For example, we are hearing a lot about Mr. Kavanaugh and Ms. Ford but the Democrats seem strangely silent regarding the sexual harassment allegations versus Democratic Party Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros in California (a key district for the Democrats to win in order to flip Congress). The Democrats are strangely silent regarding the sexual assault and harassment allegations versus Keith Ellison, former Congressperson & currently Democratic candidate for Attorney General in Minnesota.
Is this, unfortunately, like Bill Clinton, yet another case of believe all victims and allegations if they are accusing GOP but ignore and marginalize them if they are accusing Democrats?
"It’s true that many Trump supporters will get a rude shock if Republicans hold Congress, imagining that they’re making America great and losing their health care coverage instead." But it's not true. They won't be shocked because they'll never admit that things aren't going great. I just heard direct from a Trump supporter, "The economy is doing great, and don't tell me it's because of Obama because it's not." I could put a GDP chart right in front of him and he still wouldn't believe it. And THAT is why the GOP acts in bad faith, because they know they can. The GOP can give their constituents failure, and those very constituents will call it success.
This is actually a question I hear a lot: How can Republicans claim to be for fiscal sobriety, life, states' rights, family values, and faith--and yet support unsustainable tax cuts; war, capital punishment, and elimination of food support programs and health care; rapists running for office; and a number of programs that clearly violate the teachings of the man they're supposed to worship. So I appreciate at least one answer. Basically, it's about greed and a lust for power as nearly as I can tell.
@ChrisF. : Do Democrats want fiscal sobriety? How, exactly, have they ever managed that? Democrats and Republicans have done a complete reversal on "states' rights" in the area of immigration, but hypocrisy on both sides is to be expected. The Constitution was never set up to enable the federal government to have this much power. It was certainly never envisioned by the Founders that the federal government should establish and support a welfare state.
"Basically, it's about greed and a lust for power as nearly as I can tell."
And that applies equally to Democrats as it does to Republicans.
The GOP has been operating in bad faith for years. It's no secret. It's not hidden. They have succeeded because bad faith does not turn voters away from wedge issues.
@Dr--Bob: "They have succeeded because bad faith does not turn voters away from wedge issues."
The Democratic Party is very good at the politics of group identity - is that not a way of promoting "wedge issues"?
Susan Collins does a lot of disingenuous hemming and hawing about proposed Senate bills that violate her principles of compassion, fairness or sound governance. But somehow or other, she always manages to find the “courage” to vote the Republican Party line.
It has been said that there is a minority who will destroy America.
The rich.
This was the dream of Ronald Reagan, whose policies have brought us to this current state of the Union.
America is now “We the Corporations”.
It is wrong.
And whom ever is responsible needs to be called out for their betrayal of America and it’s people.
Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell deserve special recognition for their perverse efforts.
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@Grove: "It has been said that there is a minority who will destroy America. The rich."
Please include the Democrats as a political party that is just as easily influenced by money as Republicans.
I don't know, but it seems "bad faith" is much too benign a term to describe the current the republican party.
It feels like there's something more sinister behind that ever present grin on Paul Ryan's face - like he knows something we don't - the proverbial cat who's swallowed the canary.
McConnell brazenly stealing a SCOTUS seat, and getting away with it.
Sen. Collins - formerly thought of as a moderate - actually angry with her constituents because they have the nerve to expect her to represent them.
Lindsey Graham, formerly John McCain's "wing man", now traitorously wing man to McCain's enemy. All it took to buy him was a few rides on Air Force One, trips to Mara Lago, and playing golf with a man notorious for cheating at it.
Then there are the voters who support them. At a recent trump worship rally, he told them democratic socialists were coming for their Medicare - they didn't skip a beat - just booed.
David Frum cautions us that if conservatives (republicans) can't win democratically, they won't abandon conservatism, they'll reject democracy.
If there is to be an awakening it must be now, while we still can, or so we think.
1
@Deb: "McConnell brazenly stealing a SCOTUS seat, and getting away with it."
How do you "steal" a SCOTUS seat? Where in the Constitution is this mentioned?
Hypocrisy enabled by complacency on the part of those who failed to exercise their precious right to vote in 2016. Now we all are subject to that failure. Don’t be fooled again. Resist. Persist. Vote.
2
Krugman is missing the obvious answer to his question. Republicans are acting in bad faith because the modern party's conduct was founded on Nixon's Southern Strategy, and by extension Jim Crow itself.
An entire vast swathe of America, the Deep South, whose every institution and major social structure was founded on the knowledge that slavery and racial discrimination were supposed to be illegal, yet which was dedicated to maintaining the proposition that whites were and ought to be in superior social and economic positions to blacks, and must be kep in that position regardless of what the law technically requires.
The systematic lies, dishonest conduct and unfair actions required to uphold and maintain that system (up to and including periodic episodes of public communally sanctioned murder- lynching) are the foundation of the mentality that now embraces torture, endless welfare cuts for "those people", and relentless bad faith political conduct in order to maintain superior power.
Of course, this did not begin in the Republican Party. But it found its modern home there, and concentrated there when the Democratic Party embraced African Americans with the Great Society of the Lyndon Johnson Administration and Nixon's Southern Strategy. Such is now the modern GOP.
Something is being forgotten in this discussion. Clinton was not impeached for a consensual affair. He was impeached for perjury. To be specific the Starr-Kavanaugh team set a perjury trap (the deposition when they asked about Lewinsky the first time) for Clinton which he fell into. After years of investigation, screaming about travelgate and Vince Foster, they had nothing. So they created it. This goes on all the time with "law enforcement" and it is a disgusting practice, particularly when aimed at a political foe. This is the kind of person Kavanaugh is. This is the kind of "rule of law" he practices.
Dr. Krugman, thank you for your clear, concise, logical analysis. At times I don't read your pieces because I agree with you so frequently, but in these bizarre times through the fog of noise and propaganda your voice is refreshing-
So called "president of law and order" orders to declassify documents, detrimental to our national security in order to save himself and shutdown Mueller investigation.
GOP cheers.
3
Trump has changed the Republican party. Once dominated by morality police, the party is now much more forgiving and reminiscent of Democrats during the Clinton years. Also, once dominated by war mongering neocons who took us into Iraq, the new Trump Republican would rather try other, more peaceful (and less self-destructive) ways to deal with our enemies. Ironically it is the Democrats that have become the new morality police and have been infiltrated by the war mongering neocon establishment who show up every night on MSNBC and CNN. These changes that Trump made to the Republican party led many former Obama voters to support Trump and led to his historic upset win.
If Brett Kavanaugh did assault Mrs Ford, when he was a teenager of 17, under the influence of alcohol, that is not good. But he would not be the first teenager to do stupid things, especially while inebriated. It is a fact of life that boys around that age occasionally do very stupid things . I certainly do not condone this behavior and I believe that there should be appropriate punishment, a definite need to be contrite and apologize (it is never too late to apologize!) and a need for the culprit to make a pledge of becoming a better/more decent human being.
However, if, against all possible evidence, Mr kavanaugh would persist in denying the facts and therefore lie blatantly, then it would be much worse and he should be totally discredited and expelled from any position within the law.
In other words, lying by a mature adult, in a powerful position, would be much worse than the terrible behavior of a teenager.
Did he in fact do it? I have a strong suspicion he did but it is not for me to accuse him.
Some have suggested that he may have forgotten about his actions. I do not believe that for a moment. He does not look like somebody who is not in control of his memory...
Hopefully by Monday we will be more enlightened...
@Fly on the wall Attempted rape, imprisonment, assault. If she'd suffocated, would you consider that sufficient to warrant punishment? DUI homicides are frequently treated as felonies with commensurate punishment - 15 yrs to life in some states, even for juveniles. Since Kav. appears to have lied about receiving and acting on stolen documents, not once but several times, liar at 53 is established. His friend Mark Judge portrays their shared teen years as boozy and on the prowl.
2
From reasoned arguments these columns are degenerating to political rants, wandering through myriad complaints. Disclosure: Totally against actions of the Republican Congress and see Trump as deplorable. However, it isn't helpful to rant rather than presenting ideas, and offering that Clinton was impeached because of his personal behavior isn't helpful either (he was impeached for perjury, lying under oath in testimony ... didn't support doing this either, not worth the tumult). I look forward to the return to insightful ideas and reasoned discourse, fewer columns of this sort over time. It isn't that I disagree with the opinions (largely do not); it is rather than I'm not seeing any value from reading them. Thanks.
Excuse me, Mr. Krugman, how does acting in bad faith differ from hypocrisy? Take Sen. Hatch from Utah: he is a devout (?) Mormon. How can he reconcile his LDS church core values with his implicit and explicit acceptance of trump's misogyny tendencies, vulgar language, and overall dishonesty? What about all the other pious senators and vice president who lick trump's boots? They are all HYPOCRITES; plain and simple. They want to hang on to their cushy jobs.
We can complain all we want about the GOP, but they are just the people and policies that our corporations have selected for us. Our corporations bought the GOP fair and square, as the laws allow. The GOP politicians are just following orders. They are probably all astounded (the GOP and corporations) that the American people are so gullible. I have to agree, it is astounding that the people of the US are so accepting of the destruction of our government by and for the wealthy one percent. It appears to me that the American people were meant to be serfs because they are infinitely subservient to their corporate overlords.
Yes, someone should ask about Kavanaugh's penchant for racking up personal debt--and just how, exactly, did the debt get paid off. And is anyone else troubled by the fact that Kavanaugh's first real job was working for the lobbying firm of Roger Stone and Paul Manafort? That firm isn't known for its commitment to high standards and respect for the law.
3
My family were post-Civil War GOP. We have all left the party in disgust for the exact reason you state -- it is run by a gang of hypocritical liars and con men, of whom the current president is merely the logical extrapolation of a trend that started with Richard Nixon.
if there were any patriotic Republicans left, Mr. Trump would have long ago been impeached by his own party. The House GOP cares more for its perks than its honour, and the last of the Senate old guard was buried with honour at Annapolis a short time ago. The party itself is prepared to lynch anyone who puts national interest above kowtowing to a corrupt, infantile and abusive leader. Its menaces against Senators Flake, Corker and Collins, two of whom are leaving politics in the knowledge they could not win a primary if they adhered to the principles they live by, are sufficient to lead any decent human being to realize that the only hope of the Republic is the root and branch elimination of Trumpites from the system -- which means in the short term a massive electoral repudiation of the GOP.
Once the Senate GOP decided to withhold thousands of records and emails, we knew Kavanaugh was in trouble. That was bad strategy, and insulting to our intelligence. If Dr. Ford is willing to testify maybe others will come forward. As a young punk in prep school who drank to excess, Kavanaugh must have violated many young women in prep school and college. He needed to assert his manhood, right? This is more than politics. It goes to establish character.
2
Amen! Well said and worthy of a Pulitzer Prize!
Thanks, Paul. I hope Senator Collins reads your column - though I suspect she sold her soul long ago ... to her detriment and ours.
In that photo of Paul Ryan and other Republicans there appears one true American patriot. Do you see him?
Regarding Susan Collins and the strength of her political stances on behalf of her constituents.
First it was the tax bill that included overturning a health care protection that would adversely affect the rural voters in Maine. She capitulated in exchange for a" promise" of Mitch McConnell to pass legislation stabilizing health insurance markets before the end of the year. The clock is ticking.
Then Senator Collins, a supporter of Roe v Wade and a woman's right to abortion, clearly stated that she could not support Kavanaugh if he believed that Roe v Wade was not settled law. In a private meeting Kavanaugh reassured Collins that Roe v Wade is settled law. Yet when a 2003 memo written by Kavanaugh was revealed that contradicted his pledge to Collins, she chose to discount it. Even though it has been established that Kavanaugh lied, under oath, during his 2006 confirmation hearing for a judgeship on the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
And now she is confronted by the prospect that Kavanaugh is lying about sexually assaulting a woman. Lying would be the disqualifying event.
Thus far Collin's seems far more motivated to tote the "party" line and play the fool then to find the courage and integrity to stand up for the values she professes and call a lie a lie.
And given the gross dishonesty and uncivil behavior currently the Republican code it would require extraordinary fortitude for Collins to put her vote where her mouth is and do the right thing.
@Arizona
Why wouldn't Susan Collins support the party line? She is a Republican and she supports right-wing Republican values. That's who she is.
Hypocrisy is a role that Republicans play over and over again with a straight face. From the Merit Garland fiasco to now rushing through a nominee that has been accused of attempted rape. But never fear! There are eleven white men ready to hear her story sitting on the Senate Judiciary Committee (The Republican Side) and render a fair decision. The optics are bad and are sure to net an even worse result. Attribute most of this dismissive attitude toward women in general to the leader of the their party. Great group of guys....right?
1
Ever wonder why the right-wing base clings to its mendacious leaders?
They are loathe to think their leaders are malevolent, that their political bosses work to ingratiate the corporate bosses so the latter can go about its business sluicing wealth off the masses.
But, like everyone, the right-wing base feels the pain of losing so much of its excess capital to the plutocrats. They also hear their leaders say it's the fault of the Democrats.
The right-wing leaders go about claiming moral superiority for the express purpose of getting away with moral depravity. They found out a long time ago that if they preach morality and family values 24/7, then they can act immorally and get away with it since they built up the image they are morally pure.
The right-wing base hears all this pap for years, then when all the facts point to the contrary, that their leaders are the most rapacious, mendacious rulers with a megalomaniacal demagogue as their grand poobah, the base thinks the pain they're feeling resulting from all this moral depravity must be the result of the Democrats.
It'll be interesting to see if a SCOTUS justice resigns or dies during Trump's last year if a Republican Senate will wait until the next election before confirming.
By the way, someone needs to tell Sen. Collins that "bribery" means offering someone money or other valuable to do something or refrain from doing something. And "blackmail" refers to threatening to reveal something unless someone does what the blackmailer wants.
@LSR: "It'll be interesting to see if a SCOTUS justice resigns or dies during Trump's last year if a Republican Senate will wait until the next election before confirming."
Absolutely concur with that!
The GOP is really opening up a hornets nest with this Kavanaugh hearing on sexual assault allegations. They are stirring up actual rage in many women who have a visceral reaction to this topic and the way it plays out for women. We watched this show before with Anita Hill and I still feel anger about the way she was treated by this group of entitled old white men. (The Senators) Some of them will be repeating the performance. Kavanaugh should just withdraw. That would be the safer move. This could win Dems the Senate.
How disingenuous, Paul.
Surely you know the meaning of "quid pro quo". That's exactly what is being offered to Collins.
1
Dear Paul,
Please list all the principles that Democrats will not abandon at any cost. Hypocrisy is alive and well in both parties. At least be honest enough to admit that.
This has been achievable through the politics of resentment spearheaded by right wing media for decades now.
The idea is that if you can create resentment in a segment of the American public anything can be sold to them because resentment is not logical, it is emotional, it engenders exponential responses, and is irrational. Creating the boogieman of the "Liberal Elite", they were able to point to any slight and show it to be an assault on them and their beliefs. They were told that liberals look down on them, laugh behind their backs, think they are stupid, disrespect the country and their God. Liberals are also weak, arrogant, manipulative, sneaky, and wants the state to control everything.
Success of this campaign is found in joy at liberal frustration with the current state of affairs, the hatred of higher education, the rejection of scientific consensus, and the ability to commit an action which you then say is something the liberals are doing and no one recognizes the truth. In this way they have vilified taxes, made corporations people in the eyes of the law, dismantled unions, eroded voting rights, and made abortion a single voting issue. In this way the 1% has secured a greater share of the nations wealth and have a greater say in government and legislation.
The only cure for resentment is time away from the aggravating element which won't happen. It also requires a willingness to admit you are wrong which is not something humans do willingly.
2
The systemic rot, of which PK has so eloquently written earlier,
feeds off the bad faith as summarized herein, as well as that blank faced hypocrisy oozing from the accompanying
group photo overseen by Washington's portrait.
But let us not forget that those who vote into power, over and over again (with or without the help of hacking and other aspects of the ongoing guerrilla war on the right to vote), such contemptible and grotesque characters are expressing their support for the program. For them, the
bad faith, the marinating rot, are all irrelevant, as long
as those they hold in utter contempt, don't benefit from
their own precious tax dollars.
And as for everyone else, they only need to show up en
masse in November to expunge enough of the rot. But
will they really do so? It's hard to believe that
the manipulated fury and racial/ethnic animosity going on
out there can be sufficiently tamed/neutralized during a campaign that will seethe only an ugliness and darkness of spirit fully reflective of the tweeter in chief.
All true, except that Bill Clinton wasn't impeached for the affair, he was impeached for lying about it under oath. (If we'd had the same sensibility about sexual harassment and power differentials that we do today, he might have been impeached for having an inappropriate relationship with an underling). If Trump is ever compelled to testify, we'll need to remind Republicans that lying about ANYTHING under oath is an impeachable offense.
2
Great column as usual but as usual it infuriates. Just the photo of these arrogant men is enough to get me going.
What seems so obvious is trumped by the insanity of 40% of us. As a species we really need a lot of work. Maybe the next dominant organisms can get it right.
...giving her one last chance to save her political soul.
Souls?
Sorry Paul,
They are soulless.
That crowd sold their souls for feral power.
1
Paul: The concept of "soul" or "spirit" doesn't exist in the GOP. Such terms are lost to them. Theology, philosophy, ethics, anything of that sort has no meaning in "GOP-World. " The only value criteria they recognize is that of monetary exchange, preferably controlled by Caucasians. That's it. Everybody else can die, in their hubristic estimation.
Wonder how much of the tax cuts the wealthy got was funneled to the Republican candidates' election campaigns.
Are the Republicans keeping themselves in power at the expense of the American public?
3
@Murphy's Law
10% maybe - good investment by the Mercers, Addelsons etc.
Modern conservatism started out as a movement, became a business, and is now a racket. The political platform of the modern Republican party is a meaningless document to which GOP elected leaders don't adhere in any meaningful way. From their lack of respect for tradition, to their bad faith, to their inability to solve the country's problems, Republicans in Congress have proven over and over again that they are incapable of governing.
8
Yes it has always been strange to me and I've wondered if these seemingly nice people like Susan have any problem with the lies and bad faith. How do they look constituents in the face and say they care about planned parenthood,women's choice and health care and then vote the way they do?
In all my musings the only conclusion I can draw is that they are lying to themselves just as vigorously. People lie to themselves for all kinds of reasons in regular life but are rarely forced to look it in the face. In politics they are confronted with those lies every day but I guess like in any profession with enough time you become really, really good at it. Being completely insincere while pretending to be very sincere is just part of the job.
3
at some point everyone has to take a stand, I am a safety professional and all safety professionals at one point or another are going to be faced with a dilemma, do I compromise my core values or remain employed? I realize that to keep my professional commitment I may have resign my position. These elected officials have to understand the same thing.
1
Compromise is essential to any well-functioning democracy.
Republicans refused to do so under Obama, and as a consequence, strongly hurt the country by blocking many things that normally they support, only because the bill also contained things that Democrats have promised their voters to do.
But today we're in a totally different world. Any democracy, in order to function (not just properly, but to function in itself), needs FULL respect of its democratic institutions and principles. Here no compromise can be allowed. And cultivating this respect is the very essence of what it means to be a patriot, EVEN when it's hard and you'd prefer to have a dictatorship instead.
Progressives at times forget this, and then blame Democrats for not making progress fast enough.
Republicans today however aren't forgetting this basic principle, they are constantly waging a deliberate and full-blown attack on it.
Collins and McCain opposed Ryancare NOT because it would destroy 30 million Americans' healthcare (and knowing that by insuring 20 million more, Obamacare, which they refused to vote for, saves an additional 40,000 lives a year), but because standard Senate procedures weren't respected at all. You can strongly disagree with their ideas on HC, but on principle, they were right here.
Unfortunately, soon thereafter Collins did vote for the deficit-doubling tax cuts for the wealthy, although Senate procedures weren't respected AT ALL here either.
So she has no principles.
4
@Bewley5
You need to read in depth just what things have been said and sent to Sen. Collins over this vote.
The radical progressive haters have threatened her - and she largely agress with progressives on all the major issues.
It is important to understand that we are not only dealing with bad faith in some contract law sense of the term. But that in a deliberate shift of resources from human survival to economic elites, in programs it is fair to describe as actively promoting climate catastrophe (or at least recklessly ignoring it), in harming the revenue base and strangling government's ability to promote general human welfare, we are now witness to crimes against humanity. Even if they are designed to kill and maim at distance that allows for deniability.
6
Vote.
9
#selloutsusan.
1
Sometimes the sanest reaction to an insane situation....
Is Insanity. We have accepted bonafide Sociopathy in our
“President”, what else should we expect in our Governance?
1
I really hope I'm wrong, but if something doesn't change soon, we're going to see a repeat of the French Revolution, replete with tumbrels & guillotines, with the rich & powerful being dragged from their homes & having their heads lopped off.
As I said, I really hope I'm wrong.
4
@Doug
Well, I hope you're right.
But, alas, it'll never happen.
The rich and powerful control everything, including the lines of communication and the military.
1
Violence is the only thing the oligarchs will understand
I live here in Ohio one of the strongholds of Trumpland. I often just keep my mouth shut when I hear the idiotic diversions of old Geezers my age who are incapable of seeing any of the harm they are inflicting upon Americans by defending Trump and the Republican Party.
But why are Democrats so inept at exposing such overweening Bad Faith to credulous voters ?
Paul Krugman's BA from Yale and PhD from MIT in economics seems to be a platform above the political fray. Yet he chooses to canoodle in the muck to show us all the truth. I would like to read more from Dr Krugman about what the country needs to improve the future and less rehash of every Republican lie. Perhaps the Republicans can change in the future and present an honest and viable conservative platform. Perhaps the Democrats can find a way to win votes from the groups they defend and represent. I hope Dr Krugman can help them both. Though insightful, it seems a bit of preaching to the choir.
I for one want more of the wonkish and less of the partisan because the NY Times's writers are the last hope for the country.
Before the Civil War, Christian abolitionists pleaded with Southern planters and slavers to free their slaves not only for the sake of the slaves, but for the sake of their own (the slave owners') debased souls.
It didn't work, the slave owners could stand being debased, as long as they had wealth, power and gratification.
Likewise the Republicans -- they can stand being debased by their bad faith, as long as they have wealth, power and gratification.
Christianity was supposed to make people uncomfortable with immorality, but it doesn't work for so many.
13
"But now Collins, other Republicans and conservative activists are describing the pressure over Kavanaugh as “bribery,” “extortion” and “blackmail.”"
Yes, of course. You see, Paul, only right wing money is political speech. Left wing money is still bribery or extortion. Hypocrisy is a core republican principle. But you knew that, right?
So, yes...it's extremely unlikely Collins or Murkowski or any republican senator will act with integrity. They would be drummed out of the party for doing so. Look at Flake...still very conservative, but unable to lie with wild abandon and a straight face, so out he goes. If you can't lie with a straight face, you can't be a republican.
Remember Paul, for republicans, "Truth isn't truth". Truth is whatever benefits and gives republicans power. If the statement that the earth is flat or 2 + 2 =5 is good for republicans, then that is the truth. Since republicans believe that Kavanaugh is on their side and will give them more power, everything he says is good with them. Everything he does is good with them.
The bottom line is this: republicans don't care whether Kavanaugh sexually assaulted someone. Republicans don't care whether Kavanaugh is lying. Republicans care about only about power, how to get it and hot to keep it.
There is only one way to deal with republicans in Congress and that is to
VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS
7
The problem with Bill Clinton in the modern reality is that he admitted to telling a lie. The modern reality is that one should never admit to having told a lie directly. Instead, tell a new lie. It seems that was Bill Clinton's mistake.
2
That pic of Collins and Kavanaugh--a sweet Gaelic couple! Let's hope Collins has a better sense of history than does the obsessive Kavanaugh. He urged Ken Starr to question Bill Clinton in crude detail about his actions with Lewinsky; and he obsessed on the supposed love affair between Hillary and the tragic Vince Foster. America stands at the divide between a democratic Republic and a banana republic. Kavanaugh is a symptom of this rot. Collins has a chance to put at least one sandbag in the gap to hold back the flood carrying us to Trumpistan. Well, one way, Collins may end up on the SCOTUS but as a footnote in history next to Quisling. Let's hope she can find a better angel.
10
The Senate forever lives with the shame that they and everyone knows Anita Hill was telling the truth.
13
Stolen! Stolen presidency, one stolen Supreme Court judgeship, and now this. I'm telling you: we have had it.
6
I hope we are spared seeing Susan Collins on the Sunday shows twisting herself into a pretzel to justify her vote for Kavanaugh
2
Bad faith is the correct term for a party that is systematically destroying the rule of law, government of the people, the Constitution, the middle class and the values that brave Americans have fought and died to preserve. To cover their naked greed, they place the filmy little lace doily that they call "right to life" over the gross protuberance of their own venality and call it the "moral high ground". When Mitch McConnell and Brett Kavanaugh actually take the moral high ground, the rest of us can have a snow ball fight with Beelzebub.
4
Glass houses or goose/gander...not sure which is the better analogy. Fits both parties. Hypocrites all.
3
Susan Collins learned from her predecessor, Bill Cohen, who would tell his Maine constituents he was undecided until the vote was held. He avoided responsibility that way. By the time the vote was taken, many constituents had moved on with their busy lives. Collins is like the date who won't commit to the prom until the night before. And by the way, Bill Cohen now sits on the CBS Board of Directors. He was the one who adamantly defended Les Moonves until the bitter end.
4
Murkowski won her write-in Alaska seat because the natives voted for her, and have told her not to vote for Kavanaugh.
Similar situation for Collins.
So, now being pressured by constituents is “bribery,” “extortion” and “blackmail.”?
2
This strategy of bad faith is implemented by accusing Democrats of the very plans that the GOP has embraced. It's founded on the classic behavior of children: I'm Rubber, You're Glue" as a way to neutralize any bad effects of having their total hypocrisy revealed to their base. It's carefully organized and implemented by GOP spin doctors like the American Enterprise Institute, masquerading as legitimate "think tanks". It works well with a substantial minority of knee jerks. What's more, GOP pols like Susan Collins are much, MUCH more afraid of conservative blowback if they step out of line than anything liberals will come up with. They oughta know.
4
An interesting way to characterize the relationship of Bill Clinton to Monica Lewinsky. Consensual? Really?
3
@nancy zurowski
It was. That's all there was to it.
1
@nancy zurowski
What else would you expect from Paul Krugman. His perspective has been off as much as his financial predictions (The economy will crash if Trump is elected).
Reading his columns is usually good for a laugh or two.
@nancy zurowski
But it was consensual according to Ms. Lewinsky. Note she has never, ever claimed harassment or any other bad deed.
1
Despite all this bad faith and dishonesty, religious zealots and far-right extremists want us to believe that God Himself wants Donald Trump and Republicans to succeed and Democrats to suffer eternal hellfire.
3
I'm a bit surprised (but only a bit) that an entire political party would pretty much turn traitor in support of a president put into office with the help of a hostile foreign power, but I'm more surprised that people keep voting for these awful people.
I'm also very angry at Barack Obama. In 2009, he metaphorically had his foot on the collective neck of the GOP. Their idiotic policies and cronyism had come close to ruining the country, and all he had to do was say so, over and over again. Instead, he tried to find consensus with them, and here we are.
9
@Vesuviano
Obama had nothing but disdain for congress. He did not want to be bothered spending time to cultivate relationships to get things done, or working with the Republicans to find common ground. Obama viewed himself as "the smartest person in the room, no matter what room he was in" and anyone who didn't align with his opinion should be ignored.
Resorted to Executive Orders, which are now being undone. The Legacy of Arrogance.
The only thing to add is that Kavanaugh himself was a lawyer on the Starr Commission dedicated to bringing Bill Clinton down for his sexual indiscretions and his squirrely answers to questions about it, but now that Kavanaugh's own sexual past (attempted rape?) and his honesty answering questions about it is under scrutiny Republicans will turn a blind eye.
12
In 2012, Krugman called Mitt Romney a “charlatan,” pathologically dishonest, and untrustworthy. He said Romney doesn’t even pretend to care about poor people and wants people to die so that the rich could get richer. Romney is “completely amoral,” “a dangerous fool,” “ignorant as well as uncaring.”
So if today Republicans are only guilty of bad faith on an epic scale, then things must really be looking up.
1
Family Values!
1
David Brooks still believes the Repuhlican Party can redeem itself, at least every couple of years he purports to believe it is happening.
These are our principles......until they get in the way.
History has shown the two party system did not come down from the mountain with Moses.…. wake up.
Democrats shouldn't need a messiah to lead them or a revolution to incite them, there is motivation enough being able to vote for the people's collective interests. If they don't vote then things must be good enough to tolerate.
1
The democrats are the party of Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton.
Hillary Clinton also helped destroy the lives of women that Bill abused.
There is zero evidence against Kavanaugh, and he has decades of impeccable record to look at.
If democrats continue to overlook the behavior of adult liberals, they should at least apply the law to accusations against everyone.
The bottom line is Krugman would never be a judge because he is so biased, and the same can be said for all the NY Times readers.
1
@surgres
Impeccable — except for his lies.
Political soul.....ha! good one..
3
I weep for my country.
1
As always, spot on. But how about a column or three on how the Right Wing Propaganda Machine is a silo packed with lies, told by an army of bad-faith apparatchiks, at least some of whom know they are lying?
7
"Political soul" is an oxymoron.
Would anyone with a soul use a high school incident to derail a person's entire life 30 years later and call it the moral high ground? If so, I invite everyone reading this to look up that old schoolmate who drunkenly violated your space or broke your nose in the backyard, and ruin their lives by exposing them as a dangerous, immoral predator, unfit to walk upright in society. And then wait for the call that is coming for you.
This is just cut-throat politics and if anyone deserves to wear a #metoo for this senatorial character assassination it's Brett.
1
@Louise Phillips
Regardless of what Kavanaugh did as a teen, if it turns out to be true he will have lied about it as an adult.
Exposing and holding someone accountable for a lie is not "character assassination."
2
@Louise Phillips
Someone being appointed to a lifetime position should indeed be someone who did not drunkenly try to violently rape a classmate. This is not merely 'violating her space', as you try to minimize it.
And yes, go ahead and look at all I did when I was 17 - like most decent people I've got nothing to be ashamed of back then nor now.
2
Drain the swamp then?
In Krugman’s world, all the bad guys wear red and all the guys wearing red are the bad guys. His world is all black and white. I’m sorry but I think he is terribly misguided. If gray does not exist in your world, your view is stunted through and through.
2
@michjas
" ...what’s really hard is to come up with significant areas of politics or policy where Republicans are acting in good faith .... Offhand, I can’t come up with any examples."
If you have any examples of your "gray area," by all means let's hear them.
1
@Jerry Engelbach
Hanging curveball. Mueller.
@michjas
Mueller is not acting as a politician. And Trump and his base are all over Mueller...because he is no longer a "real" Trumpublican. Time to get a clue.
In a NYT videocast, Trump says that his nominee "Is one of the finest people I know."
Objectively, that's a very low threshold!
1
How much longer will the American people tolerate the Republicans poisoning our institutions?
We already have a woman harasser sitting on the OUR Supreme Court, mocking us every day. Now the GOP wants ANOTHER!
How much longer?
2
Once you referred to a President having a "consensual affair" with a 21 year old intern you lost me and any credibility you may have had. It is this kind of biased analysis that contributes to the toxic environment we live in today. Will somebody please just provide a centrist account of events that we can all trust and get behind!
3
@John Costa
A 21-year-old is an adult.
She never accused him of assault.
1
Yes Paul bad faith now rules the day. Who started it. We all have our suspects. Mine are people like you who can cherry pick history and arrive at their own conclusions to match what they feel deeply within. Since I’m not a paid mouthpiece for the left I resort to this waste of time. Sincerely
1
Better to cherry pick history than to ignore it (and science, economics, et all) completely
1
@Mike
Exactly what do you refute in PK's column?
1
“Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...well I have others.”
― Groucho Marx
2
Whom we need now: Orwell, Huxley, Hogarth, Nast.
1
The simplest way to rid our system of such liars and hypocrites is to vote “D” on Nov 6 to defeat Donald and save Democracy.
2
Lindsey Graham's "independent conscience" dies with John McCain.
2
i do think Murkowski and Collins...will not let big Brett through....i actually think politically it would be viewed as the moral thing to do....kind like the last bastion of John McCain
2
Kavanaugh is Clintonian in his denial."I didn't have sex with that woman" is basically what Kavanaugh is saying. May Kavanaugh receive the same treatment he gave Clinton when he investigated the Monica Lewinsky case. That would be a case of justice served. A good lesson in what justice is for this non justice, the best law education he'll ever get.
2
Paul Ryan and his dead eyes will be leaving the stage shortly. I wonder where he will turn up.
4
He was recently spotted swimming off the coast of Cape Cod looking for seals
2
Every time the Times refers to the Republican Party and enshrines it as a political entity, it allows what had become a total creature of corporations and the 1% interests to get away with the sham. The GOP is a bribe taking machine, a complex of dishonesty and dissemblance so profane, it is willing to sacrifice America to greed and self interest. A political party that will destroy what America has been and conspire to erect an pitiless oligarchy in its place. Treason is not patriotism.
3
@Rodger Parsons
Pot....Kettle
Clintons enriching themselves through Hillary's government position. Blatant abuse of position and accepting of bribes, that her cohorts in the Justice Department were unwilling or just plain scared of her to investigate. Lots of dead Clinton associates over the years.....
@Steve
And the typical republican response to any legitimate complaints about the politicians they elect is to lie about the Clintons. What bribes did Hillary or Bill accept? It's not a bribe if you are paid to give a speech after leaving government service. How many congressmen work as lobbyists after they leave office?
Conspiracy theories about dead associates...why don't YOU prove them if you're so smart? The Clinton's have been investigated by Starr and Kavenauh for years and they found nothing...NOTHING.
But Trumpkins still believe the Clintons must be guilty not because of any facts, but because they want to believe the worse. Maybe that's because the Trumpkins break the law at every chance and figure everyone else does too. So true about Trump and his associates...and republican politicians. Not true about the average Democrat. Sorry to have to tell you the truth...I know you don't want to hear it.
Everyone...do the country a favor and
VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS
Although America is reported to be a nation of laws and not of men it is hard not to believe otherwise unless we are talking about black and brown men. During the Anita Hill debacle, it was apparent that Arlen Spector, Orin Hatch, and Charles Grassley were men of "no shame" and Joe Biden was complicit in their efforts to discredit Anita Hill. I guess in the spirit of comity. Biden was more interested in collegiality than in protecting an innocent young patriotic black woman.
6
Ryan on deficits is a complete hypocrite. Or maybe he was just convinced by all those Krugman "deficits don't matter columns."
Reckoning in 2018!
1
The Republican Party is a clear and present danger to truth, fairness and the rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The Republican Party must be destroyed so that an honorable party can grow from the ashes.
2
Save the GOP from full moral bankruptcy, vote Democrat.
2
If I’m not mistaken, President Clinton was not impeached because of a consensual affair. Pretty sure it was because he lied about said affair under oath, therefore committing perjury. Yet another example of Mr. Krugman, and the NYT, bending the facts to support their own agenda.
2
@Joseph
PK didn't say "because" of a consensual affair, but "over" it.
That means that it was the affair that triggered the chain of events that led to his lying.
1
@Joseph
"bending facts" or just outright lying?
I am so tired -- "sick and tired" of watching S. Collins claim her few moments of TV-fame PRETENDING to consider voting against this or that GOP ripoff....only to cave in to "promises" from dear ol'Uncle Mitch.
3
Wham ! Bam ! Thank you Dr. Krugman.
Mr. Krugman: There is no longer any point in trying to reason with the American electorate. The Republican Party and its leadership have been following this formula for thirty years. If Americans haven't figured this out by now, they never will. The only way to change this is to vote them out. Failing that, expect more of the same.
8
At one time I was an Independent voter, but have become a Democrat. Even if I believe that a particular Republican running for office may be better than the opponents, that person belongs to a party, as PK described. That person will not turn GOP around; quite the opposite is more likely.
The downside is reduced meaningful competition in ideas of policy beneficial to all, without winner take all.
I can't see any positive changes in the GOP, except by massive losses at the polls. Voters need to stop being fooled by politicians of bad faith.
6
Simply accurate and brilliant. Thank you
While we're at it--let's talk about the politics of bad faith--from the left side of the isle.
As Krugman writes:
"Activists in Maine opposed to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court are trying to put pressure on Susan Collins, the state’s Republican senator. If Collins votes for Kavanaugh, they say, they will donate substantial sums to her opponent in the next election".
Aren't these the same folks who decry the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens' United? Aren't these the same folks who believe the presence of money in politics is a corrosive element? Apparently they don't believe that anymore.
3
@Jesse The Conservative
"Aren't these the same folks who decry the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens' United? Aren't these the same folks who believe the presence of money in politics is a corrosive element"?
Yeah, Dems should just do what they usually do; play by the rules and get clobbered. Oh wait...the rules have changed.
1
Is it hypocrisy to turn a corrupt system against itself with the end goal of fixing the system?
1
Jesse, progressives generally do believe in getting money out of politics, but they get to play by the same rules as everyone else. That doesn't mean they don't want to change the rules. No hypocrisy there.
1
Krugman suggest the increasing divide between the demands of the real socioeconomic needs and wishes of regional constituencies vs. D.C. GOP power politics-- as exemplified by Collins. Her job is to accept and manage those competing domains-- either she gets tarred by Trump and the GOP Congress or gets potentially voted out of office. (The rare and gifted politician can sometimes craft a tenuous third way). There really is no other hand.
The wealthy few have always prevailed over the many. Always. In the last 1000 years, even after rare cataclysmic revolutions to overthrow the wealthy in France, Russia, and China, the defeat of the wealthy was just temporary.
Bad faith and coercion is how it has always been done. Western democracies offer the majority the power to reshape their fates, but for reasons that still elude us, they CHOOSE NOT TO. They identify with their rulers over themselves and their own cohorts. Over and over. It must be biologically selected that groups with cohesion through social domination prevail over those with less hierarchy. It is a mystery to me, but it seems baked in.
2
@Scott, Indeed. About 25 years ago I read an article by Gloria Steinem in which she neatly summarized the Republicans’ strategy for winning.
She pointed out that because their policies are odious to all but the one percent, they knew they could not convince large numbers of people to vote for them. They could, however, convince larger numbers of people to not vote for Democrats.
Our shamefully low voter turnout, election cycle after election cycle? A spectacular Republican success.
1
There are some people who hope to leave this earth in better straits than when they found it. They consider this true and meaningful use of their time here.
2
Krugman suggest the increasing divide between the demands of the real socioeconomic needs and wishes of regional consituencies vs. D.C. GOP power politics-- as exemplified by Collins. Her job is to accept and manage those competing domains-- either she gets tarred by Trump and the GOP Congress or gets potentially voted out of office. (The rare and gifted politician can sometimes craft a tenuous third way). There really is no other hand.
Susan Collins has ALWAYS been a fraud, from the day she promised to run for only two terms. Her staff constantly complain about our Resist group, implying that we take up time meant for "real" constituents. She is accustomed to receiving fawning coverage from the press but the Trump party is ending that for her. My guess is that she finally makes good on her promise and retires in 2020. Good riddance.
1
Have they no shame?
No.
Republicans have become the party of hateful hypocrites, mendacious, malicious and miserly. Lying, voter suppression, electoral tampering and racism may be a winning strategy for the Republican minority, but what will America become when their conquest is complete, and we, a one party nation divided by profound inequality and injustice?
So much for "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness". The great promise of America is being sacrificed on the altar of Mammon.
People of good faith could change our fate, but their numbers and strength diminish as corruption rules the land.
2
The Republicans are living up to their true values. 'Get power at any price and use it at any cost.' Whether it's a draft dodger like George W. Bush demeaning a Viet Nam vet in a South Carolina primary, or Trump stuffing his pockets form day one, they are showing what hey're all about.
1
Don't forget, during the 2017 ACA repeal attempts, GOP leaders trying to smear those who spoke up at town halls across the country as "paid protesters." Despicable stuff... it's as if they don't understand that their Dear Leader lost the popular vote two years ago - and that their policies are just not popular.
1
@brian
Yes, those of us lefties who have protested are still waiting for our paychecks. Do people seriously believe that? Imagine liberal groups having enough money to do that? Ha ha!
1
No candidate for the Supreme Court should have so many questions surrounding his integrity. His now established lies at his initial Senate hearing and now this accusation concerning his attempted rape, somewhat supported by professional evidence would cause a man of honor to step down. This guy doesn't know the meaning of the word.
Bad faith is something that eats you progressively. For the greater good of the party/donors you accept a little bit, and then a little more and then a little more, and eventually you realise you stand miles away from the shores of morality. You have become a full accomplice to the corruption you despised, with no way to detach yourself from the beast you have progressively embraced. You have accepted so much that there is little point now in refusing to go one step further. And thus you vote for deficit crippling tax cuts, you endorse the anti-abortion Kavanaugh, and soon you’ll adopt legislation depriving millions of health care.
1
How will Brett come up with the $200k his owner(s) paid off his debts with? I mean, if he's not on the Court and he therefore can't do all the big ticket dirty deeds his owners had come to expect, they're gonna want their investment back. Maybe he'll get a second and third job, like teachers do. There are always night shifts available at Popeyes. Or he can review contracts for $22 an hour. Nothing a little hustle can't take care of. Try not to get caught up in gambling again, though, Brett. That will not end well.
2
A civil war of sorts is in progress in the chambers of Congress. It is a war between "corporate" citizens and real citizens. Our Constitution and form of government hang in the balance. The bought-and-paid-for "representatives" that support the end of our form of government will stoop to any lie, any hypocricy and any parliamentary chicanery to enact their coup-de-ta.
2
@Eric Hansen
between green-blooded and red-blooded citizens
Read Democracy in Chains. It explains the entire republican positions as dictated by the Koch brothers. Krugman is right, hypocrisy doesn’t come close to explaining the Republicans.
1
As usual, Pilgrim Krugman is right on the money, the hypocrisy of Mitch, and lying Paul, the fiscal conservative who has buried our kids in debt. As FDR famously said, a pox on them. They can’t be swept out of office fast enough. Then wait as the return as lobbyists. Odious invertebrates. Remember in November.
The Republicans are cowardly hypocrites. They have core ideas of limited government, tax cuts for the rich and the corporate state, deregulation to favor fossil fuel interests and financial monopolies. They support the religious right with anti abortion and pro gun rhetoric and pro school choice policies. They must know that the majority of Americans oppose their policies.
Thus, they use power politics and take advantage of the defects of our constitution to surreptitiously pass their agenda while pretending to care about fiscal integrity
and women. They are truly dishonest and dishonorable.
Susan Collins has over all been aweak enabler who supports their agenda despite her supposed concern for women rights and children. She needs to be voted out of office for her capitulation to the Republican hard right policies.
4
Krugman is correct as usual. However, there are two not-so-hidden drivers behind that "management" vs. "workers" forty-year obfuscation of the real Republican agenda Paul is describing, they are racism and anti-abortion religiously-driven one-issue voters. President Johnson hit the nail on the head when signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964, it will take a generation to reclaim the South. Roe solidified the Republican vote, and then came the right-wing propaganda machine. Thirty-five percent of Americans still think Trump is OK after his assault on American Values, from lying constantly, to attacking the FBI and the Courts, to his constant attacking the Press as the enemy of the people, to his blatant abuse of his power of pardon and clear obstruction of justice, to while in public overseas siding with Putin over our own intelligence agencies saying Putin denies meddling in our elections while Putin says he was helping Trump in the same dam press conference. Can America recover? Sadly, the jury is out.
1
We mustn't leave off of the list of bad faith abortion and the rest of the sins of the flesh republicans have always been so horrified about. And Christmas.
The party has, in bad faith, ginned up the base to get out the vote to make abortion a back alley procedure again. Even going so far once to get a couple of abortion bills on a couple of ballots for state Constitutional amendments.
They really probably don't need to overturn Roe v Wade to push some bills nationally to make it all but illegal, but when they have had the government all to themselves they somehow don't get around to that promise to that base.
You know what a full time job it is to give the koch bothers another tax cut, or another subsidy to spill waste into our rivers and smoke into our air.
I keep reading about t rump supporters and how they should not be subject to the ridicule they feel comes their way from the coastal elites. We should give them a break because the world is going too fast and passing them by.
But they are like the rube who keeps betting he will find the pea, or beat the Monte. I don't know if we can educate them or not, but we can out number and out vote them. We had better do so in November.
1
Ok reality check.
Understand guys and gals not everybody agrees with you....that all things Trump are bad.
A little funny story.
I was on vacation this weekend and met a female waitress who is moving home today to her home European country.
My wife and I like to have conversations with all different people.
I weaved in politics.
She loves Trump. " he can bring world peace "
Now how about that.
Just saying.
1
Dr. Krugman is disturbed democracy does not yield the results he wishes.
@No
Democracy? In what other democracy does the person who wins the most votes lose the election? The worst problems facing our country in my lifetime were brought on by two presidents who lost the popular vote...one of which will tip the SCOTUS.
2
@No
Does that mean that you would be happy if domocracy did not yield the result you wished?
Judge Kavanaugh is the poster boy for bad faith. His references are window dressing compared to his lack of integrity—and his ambition above all.
Otherwise, why smother Trump with false praise the way he did?
Why not insist on a transparent and regular process?
Why prevaricate, again, about the stolen documents?
Why obfuscate, repeatedly, re. discussions of the Russia probe?
The stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re in the dark about so much, yet what we do know is studded with red flags.
The litany of Republican hypocrisy here omittted being the bastion of rich old white males who entitle and enrich more of the same. Sen. Collins already made an unprincipled deal for her tax cut vote.
Maybe our best and worst result here is (as with Clarence Thomas), a compromised and unworthy judge will be pushed through, regardless.
Maybe, this time, the reckoning afterwards will upend the make-up of the august body that rigged this.
The GOP is the party of white Christianity, white supremacy, the party of wealth, corporate profits, the party of the NRA, guns, guns, guns. The GOP is the party of a mutant version of America where government is not of the people, by the people, for the people; but of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy. The GOP is the party for a society where every man is for himself, the odds for success are determined in favor your status at birth, the school you can afford, family connections, family stock options.
How does such a party survive when 99 percent of the American people are not served well, not served at all, by the GOP?
The GOP promotes itself in bad faith, acts in bad faith, excuses or hides its harm in bad faith.
Trump is the conman president. The GOP is the conman party. Many Americans are their willing dupes.
Education is the only antidote to being conned. And it is no coincidence that most of the duped live in red states where education is censored, limited, poorly funded.
2
Bad faith, look at the context in which McConnell refused hearings for Garland. Nearly every poll up until late October 2016 predicted a Clinton victory. Why would he leave a seat vacant until after the election with no statistically credible Republican candidate? Unless, McConnell knew there was a magic bullet guaranteeing a Republican win worth the imbargo of the Obama SCOTUS nomination? Now that’s BAD FAITH!
3
The election this November is likely the most critical I've seen in my lifetime. Please oh PLEASE do not believe all the polls that the Dems are ahead, the blue wave, Republicans are back on their heels. What matters is that you VOTE. Get off the couch, and do your duty to your country. We should not be happy with 51% turnout, it should be 100%.
1
The darkest and scariest hypocrisy here is "progressives" declaring a man guilty because he was accused, without a shed of evidence. But, we know this stint works ... to increase campaign donations. I'm embarrassed to be registered as a Democrat.
1
I have been thinking about the Kavanaugh assault charges, which he is accused of when he was a (drunk) teenager.
If he is lying by saying the assault never happened when, in fact, it did, he will be a lot worse off as a legitimate and respected Supreme Court judge than if he had simply first admitted it happened, and that he was a stupid teenager who had too much to drink, and he felt very badly about that dreadful incident.
Perhaps he could be forgiven for that stupid and harmful act in his youth--but not excused. How many of us did stupid and even dangerous things when we were adolescents.
But if Kavanaugh is lying and putting this country through a terrible hearing because he can't admit to the truth of what actually occurred, then he has no business being a Supreme Court judge. It is called character. Everyone makes mistakes--sometimes big ones--but lying and engaging in coverups compounds the offense. Look at the Catholic Church.
1
For me, Susan Collins epitomizes everything that is wrong with this Congress, and perhaps everything that is wrong with this country. When questioned today by reporters outside her office, she was evasive, bobbing-and-weaving, dissembling -- very similar to what Kavanaugh has been doing for two weeks before the Senate Judiciary Committee in his confirmation hearings.
Kavanaugh is lying through his teeth. It's so painfully obvious. And we must be polite, validate this surreal Orwellian double-speak charade, show due respect for a SCOTUS nominee, a sitting federal judge, who is a disgrace to his office and to this (his) country.
Trump is a liar. He lies for fun. And profit. To get attention. As a distraction. And now, Susan Collins is getting in line to join the Liars Club?
The only way the Republicans - that includes Susan Collins - can hold on to their illegitimate power is by gerrymandering, voter suppression, and millions of dollars of shadowy campaign money to advance slanderous, defamatory attacks (with a little help from the Russians) on their Democratic opponents.
At least, call a spade a spade...
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It's abundantly clear that Republicans have forsaken any fealty to American democracy in their naked lust for power.
It's more than bad faith: it is a profound betrayal. Profound because at its core the reason for betrayal is tawdry, trivial and unmoored in any principle or purpose besides the material benefit of a very few who have too much taken from so many, turning the American spirit from hope and optimism to a poisonous brew of delusion, division and desperation.
Even in the face of an obvious and brazen aggravation of natural catastrophe their bad faith is unabated. Even with the future specter of tumult and chaos for their own children their conscience remains dormant and dysfunctional.
But it's more than a profound betrayal beneath the bad faith: it is a profane abnegation of every impulse that defines humanity as a common journey from fear and want to hope and wisdom.
It is moral cannibalism that lacks even the barest shred of remorse or regret, just the snarl of savages feasting in frenzy beyond any genuine appetite but a sick compulsion for more and more.
More than malevolent, it is corrosive and contagious. It's the fire that demands to be fought with fire that can only leave behind ashes of a once noble idea: a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all are created equal.
It'll take more than just a blue wave to smother their arson.
Only a succession of tsunamis can sweep them away.
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The first sign of the rotting of the Republican Party began in 1980 when they chose an addled, aging B movie actor to read their scripts. The poor fellow thought he was in a tv series playing a role, but he was spewing propaganda and lies.
Each year since then they've insulted our intelligence, assaulted the constitution, stripped us of our decency and now a criminal enterprise runs the country.
The only things left standing are your vote and hopefully Robert Mueller. And they'll steal those too if we let them.
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Soul? “Bad faith?”
Does anybody really think, any more, that these concepts apply, or even register, when talking about Republicans?
People who call themselves Republicans self-select that appellation. They choose to align themselves with the doctrines of hatred, bigotry, xenophobia, and cruelty that seem to be all the modern Republican Party has to offer. Susan Collins is no different. Alas.
5
Nineteen months of this administration. This putrefaction of a Congress and this vomitus of a president. This loathesome spectacle that stands in for governance. Do I cry or do I scream. All the issues that require consideration and deep and steadfast leadership. I vote no confidence.
2
The GOP is deliberately rushing down the path to a legalized totalitarianism systemic plutocracy, that soon nothing short of a full blown civil war will be able to alter.
2018 is possibly our last hope.
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Nonsense. Bad faith is the Democrats suddenly introducing a letter from Kavanaugh’s accuser, in their possession since July, in late September so that Kavanaugh had no chance to confront his accuser. An accuser who waited nearly 40 years to come out with her story, when Kavanaugh was in the public eye for many years. Great political timing? Yes. Good faith? No.
The greatest political feat in the last 30 years has been the selling of the Republican Party as the party of middle class America, the party of national security and the party of fiscal responsibility. As we have seen from the last two years, nothing could be further from the truth.
The only question I have is how could they have accomplished this feat if we have a free press made up of numerous newspapers, magazines, books, and billions of news programs on TV (some exaggeration here). You would almost think that they are the only political party in the country.
Wake up, Democrats!! There are only 49 days until the midterm elections!! Start offering people a choice, not just a bunch of anti-Trump slogans.
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Dear Paul Krugman, this opinion piece is SPOT ON! Thank you!
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Scathingly anti-Republican, as usual. But, extremely logical and well thought out, as usual.
Yes, please Susan Collins! You show signs of retaining a soul; please save it, and us.
1
That photograph, Mr. Krugman! I could find it in me to wish you had omitted it.
Because my feelings toward these two men, depicted so unsparingly: the ever-stony face of Mr. McConnell--the ever-present smirk on the face of Mr. Ryan . . ..
. .those feelings (and I struggle with them as I can) come closer and closer to pure, unmitigated HATRED.
Real hatred. I'm sorry. Horrible thing to say. Let me backtrack for a moment.
I know a Republican state senator. He goes to my church. A fine man--getting on in years. I truly think no one has an ill word to say of him. He has endeavored to steer a moderate, middle-of-the-road course. He has labored well and faithfully for his constituents. I have talked with him (at a church picnic). Fine man.
But the Republican party--considered as a major force in our nation. My goodness! The harm they have done.
I do not--so help me God!--I do not wish personal harm or evil to Mr. McConnell or Mr. Ryan. I spoke of "hatred" just now. An exaggeration. Deep-seated, unrelenting HOSTILITY might be closer to the mark.
BUT I WANT 'EM OUT OF THERE!
All of them! Lock, stock, and barrel.
More and more, I run into people who say, "I'm voting straight Democrat this November."
Mr. George Will--saints preserve us!--has urged ALL of us--to vote straight Democrat. Will wonders never cease?
So I think I will.
So thanks, Mr. Will.
And thank you, Mr. Krugman. Keep it up. Be merciless!
Keep us informed.
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@Susan Fitzwater
The damage those people have done to other Americans makes hatred of them well deserved.
Donald Trump has had few successes in the 600+ days of his presidency, but one of them, if it can be considered a success, is the hijacking of the GOP. Trump has single-handedly caused the GOP to lose its way. The GOP, prior to Trump's inauguration, stood for fiscal responsibility and adherence to the laws set forth in the Constitution. Trump has blown those principles out of the water. His tax cuts have resulted in a sky high deficit. His total disregard for the law is exhibited on a daily basis. He has made enemies of our dearest allies and he fawns over bad world actors. His fear mongering and corruption have tainted the party. Trump, at the end of the day, is neither conservative nor Republican. He is a nihilist, and is leading the sycophantic GOP lemmings to their doom. What will be left? Smoke and ashes. Where will Trump be? Comfortably ensconced in his cozy Trump Tower office, once again fleecing people. The leopard doesn't change its spots.
Republicans learned to speak with a clear voice, while Dems still whine about fairness. Not a single Dem has clearly stated that we should let the voters decide before confirming a Supreme Court justice. When Dems top whining about Trump and start speaking clearly for voters, they will stop wandering in the desert.
Good for the Maine activists. At the time of the sickening and insulting Anita Hill hearings, my then Senator Alan Dixon (D-IL) confirmed Thomas. I wrote him to say I'd vote against him during the primaries and followed through. While I don't have deep pockets, I and my fellow travelers voted him out. It was / is time to remove from office (wo)men who just don't get it.
It's the "world's gone crazy cotillion," and the Republicans are the chaperones. Reporters and journalists routinely write about what's going on as though it's just a little wacky, a bit out of the norm. But it's much worse than that, and deep down they know it. If they were true to their craft, they would tell us that it is indeed time to panic.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
6
The GOP is no longer grand, just old and steeped in hypocrisy.
"...violating basic standards of honesty.” This is what happens when hearsay is allowed to influence public opinion. Nice timing, Democrats. Prof. Ford ought to win the Mark Twain award.
2
Well said !! Now put that in a crisp paragraph with an accompanying bumper sticker, and we can get going !
There's a race here where one candidate saturating the market with TV commercials more than likely funded by the Koch brothers says heropponent gets her financing from NYC. I prefer to call the Koch brothers and these New Yorkers outside agitators.
Kennedy, Nixon, Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2 and Trump are presidents without integrity within my memory. Carter, Reagan, and Obama had some. Of presidential candidates without, just off hand, Gingrich, Gore and Kerry. Not much integrity in politics.
Does Kavanaugh have integrity? I think so but not as a seventeen year old at least when he drank. If what Dr. Ford said is true? He went to far but should attempted sex drunken or otherwise destroy a person's life? At least most admit what he did is not a crime. You might as well stick your sons in jail as soon as they reach puberty if you do?
Last week we experienced Florence we were told by Govenors, ex presidential candidates and rescuers it was the worst hurricane to ever hit North and South Carolina. Hurricanes that powerful never did travel that far north. Not ever in all of the historical record. Except if you checked the record you would have discovered a much worse hurricane called Hazel.
The news doesn't exist anymore. It's agenda.
1
@JoeG Kavanaugh is not accused of "attempted sex." He is accused of attempted forcible rape, which IS a crime. To say that's something just any teenage boy might do is to slander most teenage boys. Drunk or sober, good men -- of whom there are many -- find the notion of rape disgusting and repulsive.
That, even once, early in life, Kavanaugh did not, speaks to his moral character. He has shown in many other ways that this is not an anomaly, it is who he is. Most recently, his treatment of the 17 year old girl who needed an abortion demonstrated quite thoroughly that to him, women are not people, they are objects to be controlled. Moreover, he has proved that he is willing to lie under oath to further his ambitions. Is this the kind of man who should be deciding the future of America?
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@Sylvia Li
Sorry I disagree with you. If a boy and a girl are kissing and a hand goes somewhere she doesn't want it to go is it sexual assault? Would a have prosecutor taken this to trail 40 years ago or now? How does something like this go public when her memory is so sketchy about the incident.
I don't approve of what he did and how dare you insinuate I'm not a good man and believe rape is ok. I bet I voted for more conservative judges than you. I do believe in punishing criminals.
What really is happening here is you hate him and his politics and would like to see him gone. The world does not work on Evergreen College rules at least not yet.
I, as all people of goodwill, loathe Trump, but, "Oh, and let’s not forget that Bill Clinton was impeached over a consensual affair,"
Actually it was for perjury.
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“Bad faith” is exactly right. I don’t think that the term “hypocrisy” even applies to the Republican Party at this stage— it’s bad faith all the way down.
This is a naked grab for power by wealthy and elected Republicans who are profiting from bad governance, and two groups that enable them: bad-faith Christianists who want to force their own ideology on all the rest of us and the types who fear The Other in all our otherly forms. There is some crossover there, of course.
Vote in November to at least stop the derailed train of government from crashing into anything else.
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Great column, as usual. Except for the "Bill Clinton was impeached over a consensual affair." There's no such thing as a consensual affair between a 22 year-old White House intern and the President of the United States. You know better than this.
I always have trouble remembering how to spell hypocrite, but I need it so often that I've come up with a convenient abbreviation: GOP.
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I have been trying to put myself in the shoes of some of these Republican senators. For the life of me, I cannot understand how they can put their greed or a supreme court seat ahead of their personal legacies. Surely they must realize that they will go down in history on the wrong side of the "this is not normal" administration.
But you know what? I think they are so out of touch and so corrupted by their surroundings that they literally do not know how to act as a normal ethical person would. Winning is everything.
All the writing and opining in the world won't make these people act in good faith. There is only one solution: Throw the bums out!
November 6, 2018
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One of the drivers of the GOP is their 1980’s forward attachment to prosperity evangelicals. This brand of Christianity encourages a “rightfully yours” greed with a small serving of “when you’re rich you can then help others.” This attitude, coupled with believer/voters’ propensity to swallow without examining first, has created a cloud (or fog) of self-righteousness that binds their “team” and enables the leaders to lie easily without fear of being called on it.
1
google "george carlin judges in their back pocket", truer words have not been spoken.
What political soul? Anyone who can stand by while children are taken from their parents doesn't have a soul.
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Only one little disagreement: you refer to the “moral toll” on Republican politicians when they continue to lie to the American people. I'm not so sure that most Republicans at this point have enough of a moral compass to feel guilty about the atrocities they are committing. If Joseph Welch were around to ask again ”at long last, have you left no sense of decency?” the answer would be a simple “no.”
3
C'mon it's not bad faith...it's lying, deceit, greed, hatred, narrow-mindedness and the lust for power and status.
1
So now we get to view the GOP’s all male judicial committee interview a woman on live TV regarding sexual assault. They are not investigators, they are not experts on sexual assault, they are partisan politicians. Just another self imposed Prime Time GOP debacle.
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Mr. Krugman is right on the mark.
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It beggars the imagination why people refuse to see the SCOTUS is the most nakedly political branch of the government.
The process of selection of "justices," the reliability of those selected for their political faiths is plain for all to see and yet people persist in talking about "just following the law" and "calling balls and strikes" and "qualifications." Roe vs Wade, Brown vs the Board of Education had little or nothing to do with "the law." The justices make up the strike zone, make up the laws as they go along. Kavanaugh will be confirmed or not, but some toadie of the Right will be placed there, as the GOP made sure when they rejected Obama's last pick, BECAUSE THEY COULD.
Liberals ought to face these faces and stop fighting the small battles they will inevitably lose.
The only hope to escape from the rule of the dead is for Democrats, if they ever regain control of Congress, to pack the court remorselessly and thoroughly, just as McConnell has packed the court.
Remember the last Chief Just appointed by a Democrat was appointed by Harry Truman.
Paul Ryan is the biggest con man out there. He is the poster boy for GOP hypocrisy.
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Well, what about his huge loan debts?
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"Remember when Lindsey Graham seemed to have some independent conscience?"
No, when was that?
1
Thank you for using the term bad faith. I'm so tired of calling repubs hypocrites when it seems so much darker and evil than simple hypocrisy.
Since when did being a constitutionalist disqualify somebody from being a Supreme Court justice? ANS: Since Democrats/ Socialists decided that the constitution really is not the law of the land and they dismiss it as an old document not applicable today. I say, the constitution is the only document standing between freedom and the tyranny of the leftists like Krugman.
@James
The word you're looking for is not "constitutionalist," but "originalist."
Originalism leaves no room for the expansion of civil rights, including your rights.
And for the record, it's the GOP that has been turning the constitution on its head, insisting on religious values over secular ones, in blatant violation of the First Amendment, and empowering artificial financial entities, the corporations, to buy elections.
The most vigorous defender of the Constitution is the American Civil Liberties Union. Yet I know of no one on the right who is a member. Do you?
As an educator, you know this is a teachable moment. For all those prep boys, all those attending elite high schools, whose parents know all about the partying...boys will be boys bit...because they themselves did it. And their daughters, they attend these parties, knowing fully well, there is a chance of getting drunk or getting a boy's attention. Worse, there are drugs, there will be drugs.
Meanwhile, minority students, especially from Asia and children of immigrants are taking AP classes, extra curricular activities, working weekend jobs, striving to build a resume, just so they can attend college and fulfill their parents' dreams of being the first in their families.
What we are witnessing is a first world problem, mostly the making of white Christian privileged folks fortunate enough to attend private or parochial schools. Those attending Catholic schools already know about Catholic priests crossing the line when it comes to morality. And so many of our congress people profess to be devout Christians. (Head slap)
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Dear Paul,
The Democrat Party is no slouch when it comes to bad faith. In fact, it is "bad faith" on you when you do not acknowledge it!
@JePense
That may be true -- but it's the Republicans who are now in control of all three branches of government!
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Sorry Paul, there is no such thing as a “political soul.” Human beings have one, integral soul. Americans like to divide their souls, claiming, “Personally I am against this issue, but politically........” As a result, our culture fosters lives built upon duplicity, especially for those who have access to power. White men can act with calculation and self-interest on the politically side of their life, while proclaiming a strict adherence to some form of revealed truth on the moral end of the spectrum. Poor people and affluent minority women like Anita Hill, due to their lack of access to power, do not have this privilege. Your social status, Paul, shapes and forms your biases.
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"Power corrupts, but lack of power corrupts absolutely."
Adlai Stevenson
Republicans are rapidly becoming a minority party, and they know it. The only way for them to retain power is to lie, cheat, gerrymander, and pack the courts with lifetime partisan hacks who will circumvent the will of the majority.
Time to flush this corrupt party down the drain of history along with the Whigs, and form a new, moderate party that is constitutionally responsible to ALL Americans.
Lindsey Graham's moral compass died with John McCain. I hope that Susan Collins' is still alive and well. Her vote on the Kavanaugh nomination will tell us if hope still lives.
There are no lines that cannot be crossed. Once the President of the United States has been able to:
1. Lie (‘largest inauguration crowd ever,’ landslide victory, ‘witch hunt,’ climate change is a hoax, those people didn’t die in Puerto Rico, Alex Jones is doing great things, Muslims dancing in the streets after 9/11...);
2. Cheat (‘grab ‘em by the...,’ Stormy, Cohen, Manafort, ad nauseam); and
3. Steal (Trump University, countless stiffed vendors and contractors, secret tax returns, innumerable financial conflicts of interest, creditors repeatedly stiffed in bankruptcies while the debtor maintains and flaunts his lurid, ostentatious lifestyle) ...
all this and more, with impunity — what’s left that the Trumpublican Party would consider unacceptable? What’s one step over the line?
Would it be spending $750 per day, per child, of hard earned taxpayers’ money to keep children in cages by the thousands? Barring the door to desperate refugees? Threatening to leave millions without access to health care? Cutting food aid to millions of America’s poor children, disabled and elderly? Roving bands of armed agents sweeping through buses, trains and restaurant kitchens and hauling ‘undocumenteds’ away to be tossed in detention, and thence to be deported without due process? ‘Good people’ waving swastikas and Confederate flags chanting ‘Jews will not replace us?’
We’re only about halfway down this slippery slope, but gaining momentum fast, in a mad race to the bottom.
8
Kavanaugh has just announced he was not at the party.
His all in.
I'll chip in to crown fund any photographic evidence that proves him a liar.
Mr. Krugman writes, “‘Bad faith’ is, by the way, a legal term.... In politics, it usually means pretending to be committed to principles you abandon the moment they become inconvenient. And bad faith in this sense pervades almost everything the modern G.O.P. says and does.”
It’s a shame he didn’t make the point deeper by alluding to the existentialist term “mauvaise foi,” created by Sartre and de Beauvoir to describe how human beings, under a variety of social pressures, adopt false values while denying their own innate freedom and capacity to be authentic human beings. The existentialist view is deeper because it points up the degree to which our bad faith springs as much from self-deception as from the kind of pure political cynicism Krugman (quite correctly) is referring to.
This is not at all to let Republicans off the ethical hook. But we aren’t going to make much headway persuading moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents to abandon their positions if we constantly make them out to be party to flagrantly scorning basic social values of sincerity and truth-telling. I strongly suspect that many voters and politicians alike invent a variety of self-justifying stories in order to make their views more acceptable to themselves and others. Blindness, as much as pure cynicism, is what is at work here, and that’s what needs to be exposed.
Richard Ogle, Camden, Maine
And why did Justice Kennedy choose to retire from a lifetime appointment "to spend more time with his family" when he could have at least waited a few months until after the midterms? It seems like a calculated decision to give his seat to the Republicans. Another case of bad faith?
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@Andy
He was pushed out by Trump, so that Trump could get the only SCOTUS justice on record stating that a sitting president shouldn't be indicted...or even investigated. Kavanaugh will cinch the end of Mueller time.
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By this point, what Republicans intend to do is self-evident: Get anything they (an, of course, their donors) want by any means necessary, and any "explanation" for those means will do. And they mean to see that at no time, under any circumstances, will Democrats have a say in any policy whatsoever, ever again. They've moved from "never a single step back" triumphalism post-Reagan, to the edge of authoritarian one-party dismissal of the Constitution. If Congress could be impeached--the GOP leadership would be well-deserving.
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You touched on important point here. The Republican Party, beholden to vested corporate and oligarchy interests, could not put together an honest, cogent argument on any policy that passed the test reason. I would appreciate it much more if they were to just come right out with it. “Okay, we know the global warming exists, but we support policies of out client, the fossil fuel industry. We believe that Social Security is a good thing, but we support the needs of the financial community, which wants to get their fingers on this pile of money. We know equality is nice, but equality checks the freedoms of our clients, the .01%, to do whatever they need to do to control you, the mob.”
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The argument you make about Republican - I would add conservative - hypocrisy and single mindedness when it comes to cutting taxes and paying for the cuts by reducing, if not altogether eliminating, social programs they’ve held to be in American beginning with the New Deal, is well said and needs to be reiterated as you have done relentlessly over the.years.
However, I part with you regarding the legitimacy of using funding to bludgeon one’s representatives into voting one’s way whether it is activists in Maine pressuring Susan Collins to vote against Kavanaugh or Republican donors threatening the GOP for a big tax cut. It is a despicable tactic and is the reason to get money out of politics. Why obviating Citizens United along with Climate Change and Voting Rights are the foremost issues before us.
1
We lost something with the election of Trump and with the Republicans gaining control of Congress. We got a rude awakening. As a country in general we were patting ourselves on the back for electing the first African American president as if we've turned some moral corner and put the history of black oppression behinds us. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Trump's presidency has proven that hatred and bigotry is alive and well in the country with the Republican party doing nothing about it. The GOP has proved that to remain in power they will do whatever the money sources and Trump wants them to do.
They have no moral high ground. Neither do they have any desire for fiscal responsibility. They have proven that they do what they want to do because they can. I'm afraid that when the Democrats get control and that will happen if not this year soon, then they will do the same on their side.
It looks like governing from the middle is long past and that we are heading for a future of perpetual partisan politics with the long term interestst of this country a far second place thought.
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@VMG
Governing from the middle when the GOP has gone over a cliff means that the momentum of a massive national debt and nothing to show for it is likely to carry us all to our doom. So what's with this middle ground business? It's time to repeal that tax cut and increase taxes on the wealthy 'cause that's where the real money is. The proceeds then invested in infrastructure health care and education rather than the overstuffed pockets of the few. When that has been done in the past our nation prospered and not just the supposed "job creators". The jobs they give the nation have baser names.
@VMG Yes, but what the Democrats want to do is good for the country and its citizens.
@VMG: "They have no moral high ground. Neither do they have any desire for fiscal responsibility."
The same can be said for Democrats.
So true! Politics of hypocrisy. Let's not forget "bad faith" negotiating of NAFTA and the rubbish declaration of tariffs on steel and aluminum as a matter of national security.
Paul Krugman:
Bad faith is sitting on an anonymous letter since July and then releasing it at the last second for no other purpose than to tall the process, or as I like to say "cheat and retreat. And Clinton was impeached for perjury not an affair.
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@James, like all defenders of the GOP you have to lie to make a point. I too questioned why Dianne waited so long. And then I learned: she respected the anonymity of the sender of the letter. Dianne left the timing of the release (or not) in the hands of the accuser, who ultimately decided to come forward. Clinton was technically impeached for perjury, but the lie was about having a consensual affair. Like many humans in that situation, he did not want to admit to what he had done. The witch hunt against Clinton was always about the affair. The irony is the architect of the aggressive stance is now under a sexual microscope himself.
1
@karen. James isn’t lying. The release of the letter was conveniently timed to prevent Kavanaugh from confronting his accuser in advance of a hearing. If the excuse for this act of bad faith is that the accuser asked the letter to be “confidential” until she decided to release it, that falsely places the blame the accuser, when the blame belongs entirely to the Democrats who displayed questionable ethics in releasing it to the public at just the right moment to prevent Kavanaugh from investigating the facts.
You are so right to out the Republican Party on this point. But they have been acting in bad faith since Reagan colluded with the Iranians to deny Carter a second term, disregarded the Boland Amendment to pursue covert war in Central America- wait, no, since Nixon scuttled peace talks that would have shortened the Vietnam War.
There is no point in being polite about it. They have been vile since I first gained political awareness during the Vietnam War. They are ruining the promise of America for some twisted vision of exclusive rights for a minority they represent.
4
There is no more politics in this country, in the sense that politics means genuine debate over cultural arrangements. What can you say to someone who clobbered you for years with family values and now thinks that Donald Trump is part of God's plan for humanity? There is no there there for discussion purposes.
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Merrick Garland casts a deep shadow over the current Senate Judiciary Committee. Payback is a witch and Mitch McConnell's manipulations have rendered the current confirmation hearings a now total mess. Grassley has lost control and ALL members involved in this now epic fiasco are rushing into the coliseum for blood lust. Only our reality TV President is thrilled by the potential ratings bonanza coming on Monday.
McConnell acquiesced to Trump when he let Kavanaugh's nomination to come forward. Kavanaugh was not on the original list from the Federalist or Heritage group. Trump 'found' his get out of jail free judge after consultation with SC Justice Kennedy whom he also persuaded to step down. McConnell knew there would be 'problems' with the Kavanaugh confirmation and thus the plan to hold back documents and move in haste was planned.
Well that has failed in spectacular fashion.
So on Monday a 'bad faith' hearing will be held which seeks to what? Get rid of the accuser as quickly as possible with a modicum of plausible deniability? Any 'truth' to be found in the allegation has already been rejected in the haste to appear fair.
McConnell caved to Trump's judge shopping and this is the awful result. Neither respected the institution and dignity of the Supreme Court which now is in free fall. But Trump will have his judge and his money and his power. McConnell and the GOP have theirs too.
2
@Elizabeth, glad to hear someone speak freely about Kennedy's role in this hot mess. Make no mistake America-- this was another example of corruption. The timing? Questionable. The relationship between Kennedy's son and the mob family that is the trumps? Horrifying. For this reason alone, Kavanaugh should have been dismissed out of hand; the senate 'advising" trump to nominate someone else to whom they could have offered "consent." All that tradition and protocol seems so long ago and far away now, doesn't it? So quaint.
Hmm... I would dig a little deeper. Yes, by muddying the waters with hypocrisy Republicans know the status quo wins by default. A draw is typically a win for them since they have already determined the direction of the debate. When is this not the case?--when they stand to lose in an election. Maybe the only thing harder to separate than a Republican and a tax cut for the rich, is their bottom and the seat they occupy.
Yes, Republicans have insulated themselves from electoral accountability, but despite their best (and increasingly effective) efforts, we do still elect our leaders. Enter stage right--the honorable Susan Collins of Maine.
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@PJM Which is why we need to watch the coming election very closely for "meddling", tampering, voter suppression, eg. last minute voter ID changes, closing polling sites early or closing them early, tampering with voting machines (which is why all voting should have a paper backup). Now when I read about supposed bad behavior by supporters of Democratic candidates against republican candidates,I wonder if it isn't really being perpetrated by supporters of the gop candidate in order to give the other side a bad name. The republican credo seems to be, "The end justifies the means."
@PJM
Don't bet your fortune on Collins. She's a poser and only crosses over when she gets the OK from McConnell and her vote won't make a difference. Mc Cain with his thumb down was the only one in recent memory. Collins is all appearance no substance. On the Dems side see Joe Manchin. And as transparent as this shuffle is it seems to work with some voters.
@PJM
Sorry, she won't do it.
"Explosive sexual charges aside, will anyone ask about his huge personal debts?"
WAIT -- what? As a federal judge, his salary is capped for life, assuming he doesn't quit. So what bank would allow him to run up huge personal debts -- unless he told the bankers that he is going to quit and capitalize on the prestige as a former federal judge to be a rainmaker in private practice? But Supreme Court Justices are supposed to stay on the bench as long as possible.
Is he planning on writing a book to pay off his debts? Is that even allowed -- becoming a Supreme Court Justice so you can cut a book deal? What is Kavanaugh planning to do to repay a huge debt???
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@Ann: I don’t know but it can’t be legal...
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In the '32 election FDR complained that Hoover's stimulus policies would blow up the deficit.
This is pretty weak sauce from Dr Krugman.
1
Bad faith by Republicans is obvious. Ever try to apply Maslow's theory to the people of the current Republican Party? It's a difficult exercise.
In the Theory of Republican Motivation the highest level one can attain is the self-actualization in power -- raw and deceitful power. Along the way up the pyramid, Republicans need to display total servility to the "conservative" tribe. Being part of this tribe allows them to profit from the donors, and life is good for the tribe.
It doesn't matter how corrupt the tribe becomes with leaders like Trump, Hannity, Limbaugh, Norquist, McConnell, Ryan, Nunes, etc. The tribe must be preserved.
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@Pauly K, SPOT-ON !
Next question, Professor Krugman: Assuming your claims about Republicans are true , why do so many Americans vote for them?
1
Great ending: "Is Susan Collins next? Instead of attacking those activists back in Maine, she should be thanking them, for giving her one last chance to save her political soul."
Although a former Maine Democrat, I used to have an ounce of respect for Ms. Collins, and her impressive predecessors in earlier years from the Maine Republican Party (e.g. Bill Cohen and Margaret Chase Smith). Sadly, both Ms. Collins and the Republican Party have lost their political soul and are beyond redemption at this stage. It's alternately amusing and disgusting to see her feigned anguish as she stammers to maintain her false reputation as some sort of "moderate". I've tried sharing my observations directly with Ms. Collins through her office, but since I no longer live in Maine, I'm ignored. I was more than thrilled when I learned of the crowd-source campaign to fund a 2020 candidate running against her. And it was with great glee that I saw Ms. Collins swimming in hypocrisy, protesting this post-Citizens United form of "blackmail", as she sees it. I may move back to Maine soon Ms. Collins for the sole purpose of voting for your opponent in 2020.
5
Donald Trump should go down in history as the Great American Educator. Before Trump, few Americans appreciated our government's phenomenal capacity for moral criminality; some might have "known" but they wouldn't really believe. Nor did most Americans appreciate that so many of us can embrace so much hate and bitterness (let alone hypocrisy) with so much alacrity: Around 40% of America STILL approves of Donald Trump?
And now we know, and for all it's costing us, it's MUCH better to know the truth than to be left in the dark. So thanks, Mr. Trump. Sort of. And thanks, Professor Krugman, for keeping things in focus. Sincerely.
3
If only the Democratic Party was really any different
When the political system requires you to misrepresent the facts, to exaggerate, and to outright lie in order to have any chance of being elected, then the system will be by definition bad faith.
Put a twenty year jail sentence on any politician caught lying or intentionally misleading the people. Make corruption enormously punishing. Then maybe we can get somewhere.
2
Dr. Krugman:
Today I learned a good thing: it is not hypocrisy, it is bad faith, that of the Republicans: it is worse.
I probably can add something: The Republican minions are the employees of the big business; they obey their orders. We do not have the so much sung "democracy" in the States, we are under the ferocious exploitation of the Government of the Rich, by the Rich and for the Rich: a Kakistocracy.
3
It is true that Republican mendacity and hypocrisy are hard to stomach, but Democrats are not far behind. Each side justifies its poor conduct by pointing at the transgressions of the other side. Portraying Brett Kavanaugh as a sex offender is plainly a scorched earth tactic that only his diehard opponents could welcome. It may or may not succeed in derailing his nomination, but the damage to our system of government will be grievous and lasting.
1
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- Timothy 6:10
The private sector pays for what it wants and our elected leaders accept the payments.
Government by the people, of the people and for the people is so last century.
3
Bad faith has become little more than euphemistic for the maintenance of the status quo via increasingly bareknuckled class-conflict.
Once a proud and viable political party, the GOP has devolved to a sad twisted parody of its former self .. barely resembling anything other than a cult of rapacious ideologues.
Perhaps the GOP will, once again, become a party that is inherently skeptical .. cautious .. even loath to take leaps of faith. A party that greatly values empiricism and is resolutely guided by it in policy formulations. .. a party that is pragmatic, not dogmatic. Sadly, this empiric discipline has been replaced by dogma and hubristic confabulation. Given that it's current wellspring of ideas comes from the mouth of its pied piper .. Donald Trump, there can be little optimism.
115
@JH
The thing is, no one is still living from the time that the GOP was a "proud and viable" political party.
@JH
Sadly, its all about personal loyalty to him no matter how poorly prepared his appointees may be. So we get an administration of ignorance.
@JH
While there certainly seem to be a few "rapacious ideologues" in the GOP these days, calling Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell ideologues in an insult to ideologues. They're just utterly cynical grifters. They're like Tolkein's ringwraiths -- whatever they might have been before, at this point they're hollow soulless husks mindlessly serving their masters.
1
Is it now deemed impossible to offer justice to Anita Hill? Did Clarence Thomas lie 25 years ago in sworn testimony. Is there a statute of limitations? Prisoners on death row are released on DNA technology that was not available in another era. In a "Me Too" environment he probably wouldn't be a sitting Justice. If not a cause for impeachment shouldn't he be required to recuse himself from cases involving women's issues? Is it possible to reopen this case with Anita Hill providing witnesses and documents, if, for no other reason than to shine a light on an unpunished episode in our history.
5
Until Trump, the concept of a cabal of oligarchs running the world at a secret location was the stuff of Bond movies and thriller novels. Now the interconnections of the GOP and the unprincipled, ultra rich from counties around the world are being partially revealed by the Mueller investigation. Think Russian oligarchs, Middle East oil shieks, despots around the world - all willing to take any and all steps necessary to keep their power, privileges and insane wealth. And coordinating to do it. The best interests, the health and welfare of their own respective people are not their motivators. That is today’s GOP - we must vote them out. To change this trajectory of minority rule, we must also do a much better job of educating our youth to be analytical thinkers. That is what the Common Core does and why the GOP opposes it in favor of lower standards and rote learning.
12
This revelation was all but inevitable. Not only because Brett Kavanaugh came across as so unbelievably squeaky clean, but because it seems that anyone who comes into contact with the G.O.P. or this president is in some way flawed beyond credulity.
That's why they all end up having to pledge allegience to him instead of the country they're supposed to be serving.
Why else would the White House withhold thousands of pages of Kavanaugh's decisions before the hearings?
And why the rush to ramrod his nomination through as quickly as possible?
That's when most folks began to get suspicious, especially because these same Republicans had no problems dragging their feet when it came to the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.
In any case, it's not looking to great for Mr. Kavanaugh -- but if he still manages to get through, it won't look too good for this us either.
4
Appealing to Collins conscience is pointless, she is a Republican and wishes to remain one. All Congressional Republicans sold their souls the moment they voted for the tax cuts (voting against repealing Obamacare was a minor glitch).
17
88% of the Republican base continues to support Donald Trump no matter what. They have the representatives they deserve.
11
I am one of the contributors to Collin's future rival, because I felt a willingness to contribute was a stronger statement than simply signing a petition. I thought it was a brilliant idea because it is proactive, rather than reacting to a vote already cast, and the amount raised open the field to potential opponents to Collins who might not otherwise have thought they had sufficient backing. It is also has more potential for raising money than the endless soliciting from the Democratic party.
I think it is the effectiveness of the strategy that scares Republicans, who are committed to an exclusively pro-shareholder agenda, and at this point appear to consider it a point of honor to not let emotional arguments, or compassion, way their votes. Anything that threatens the status quo where wealthy donors get to decide who the nominees are is problematic.
23
The one thing about this that really piques my curiosity is the matter of Kavanaugh's personal debt. The one thing that should raise concern about any person considered for a sensitive place in any public or private institutions at any level would be the excessive level of his or her private debt. In Kavanaugh's case this is suspicious - to say the least.
38
@James F Traynor
You make a good point, and despite what the GOP will claim it is a legitimate concern. Many companies will not hire someone whose credit profile is bad, that has a lot of debt, especially if they work in positions where they have access to corporate funds. As a Supreme Court Justice, Kavenaugh could be at risk of having someone come in and clean up his debt, in return for him voting a certain way. While a single judge generally can't do much, if a swing case came up, or one where Kavanaugh could influence other judges, it raises big questions. If employers look at credit rating for employees, it is even more magnified by a position like the Supreme Court.
12
These examples of bad faith are relevant, recent and they make perfect sense to me. I agree that Republicans are bad faith politicians, but I don't need convincing. I'm loyal to the Democratic party and I'm not likely to change. What I don't understand is how to convince my Republican friends and family that their party is acting in bad faith. If I mention one of these examples of bad faith to a Republican voter, they just get mad, and if I manage to get past that, they claim that both parties are corrupt. Republicans are entrenched in their party loyalty and that's how Trump won the general election. According to the latest Gallup poll, Trump maintains an 88% approval rating among Republican voters. Is there any way to help Republicans wake up and see the light?
370
@Kansas Patriot We have been waiting for this for a long time -- that the Republicans see the light. But I think after they rallied around him in the primaries, after every revelation of his sordid nature, we really can't expect them to change. A few, on the individual level, maybe, but for the most part, they have seen him clearly, and decided they either like him, or are willing to tolerate him for the sake of tax breaks and doing away with abortion rights.
And I suppose there are some who believe HRC is even worse. The triumph of the Big Lie: false accusations for decades have their effect.
27
@Kansas Patriot
There is a lot of literature in social science that asks the same question. How do people change? We know that people must connect the dots between their actions and outcomes. Until you feel personal pain/dissonance then it's unlikely you will change. Once you feel pain, you have to connect it to the source - your assumptions and decisions.
As a species, we are extremely communal. People will believe all kinds of silly myths and engage in lots of physical rituals in order to be a part of a community. Excommunication and shunning are powerful tools of control. Fear of not belonging is powerful.
We need to constantly show people that their choices matter, especially when they feel pain. We need to show them viable alternatives. We need to make them comfortable in changing their myths. These are the same strategies used by good teachers, counselors, parents, and friends. Calling people stupid, accusing them of immorality, beating on them for their bad faith is not effective.
I'm not sure how else to approach it. You help people see a different path when teachable moments occur.
87
@Kansas Patriot
Part of the problem approaching them is that we are trying to explain to them.
We are talking to people who don't want to ask uncomfortable questions of themselves, asking those questions that they don't want to ask, and then telling them answers that they really don't want to hear. Or we're trying for a dialogue when they don't really want to engage us.
Their egos are invested in them being right. It's a hard thing to admit you could be wrong. It's true for most of us. How to get around that is the real question. I do have a suggestion.
There's an old saw that teachers learn a great deal about their subject when they teach. I suggest that instead of telling them, ask them. Ask them about the current situation, then ask them how it squares with the 180 degree different approach when so and so did pretty much the same thing but was from the other party. Ask them to explain it to you, and be honest with your basic confusion when it doesn't square up fairly.
No, this won't work for everyone, but it should work for some. After all, people do like to talk.
I used to think that republicans wre rock ribbed in their core beliefs -- I might have disagreed with many of them, but at least they were consistent.
As a democrat, I know that my party is more a coalition of groups with ideologically consistent goals than a set of rigid ideologies; in the words of Will Rogers: "I don't belong to an organized political party, I'm a democrat."
But all that has changed. I no longer have any idea what a "conservative" believes. I cannot believe how trump has changed the Republican Party -- to what end, I have no idea -- but the only real unifying goal is to spite their fellow Americans.
It's genuinely a shame.
467
@Tom Clifford
Yes, I agree. It seems that "sticking it to the liberals" is what primarily drives them. Hence, cutting Medicare and saying Social Security is a Ponzi scheme somehow delights them.
1
You don’t know “to what end”? To tax cuts for the rich, and to an end to women’s right to choose. To gutting workers’ rights and social programs for the sick, old and poor. That’s all they ever cared about. Hypocrites? That’s a kind word for what these people are.
1
@Tom Clifford Agree, except for one thing: Trump didn't change the Republican Party; he outed it. He's completely amoral, lacks self control, and isn't as smart as he thinks. Thus, one affect of his consistent behavior (misbehavior?) is to force Republicans to be hard pressed to successfully hide their true agenda. I say Republicans, and not conservatives or the right, because any conservatives or rightists who are true to those political ideals are Republicans only by party affiliation, not by party ideology.
All this "bad faith" can also be described as political disinformation warfare. We, as a society, have graduated from using information warfare on our perceived enemies to using it within our country on opposing political parties.
Since DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) helped create the modern Internet, I challenge them to, for the defense of the country, to research and deploy defenses against disinformation campaigns currently deployed against the American Electorate by enemies BOTH foreign and domestic.
13
What if Senator Collins has a “political soul” and saves it?
When I studied Poli Sci, I remember learning competing theories of representation. I thought Dems often ran to serve their constituents and Reps to lead them. “Leading” supposes that voters choose characters that impress them with their judgment and integrity, the kind of soul that should be able to convince supporters that an unpopular decision actually served their best interests.
For Senator Collins, a rare “pro-choice” Republican woman in the Senate, this vote really does challenge her to lead. If she can’t vote her conscience after winning multiple elections on her character and this position, she’s not serving Maine or leading in good faith.
Judge Kavanaugh is both unpopular and ethically compromised, so it’s unclear how voting for him delivers for Maine. If she claims to vote her conscience, against public opinion, she’ll have a very hard time explaining how that was really in Maine or America’s best interest.
So far, his selling points are: he’s a federal appellate judge, and personally treasures some women in his life, just not in government policy. That describes many other conservative appellate judges, and few of them may have to face sexual assault allegations.
He’s not a good nominee. He was nominated specifically to protect Trump. Trump lost most Maine voters, the popular vote, and polls under 40%. If she can’t stand with Maine and American women, what does she stand for? Where is that soul?
1341
@NotanExpert Susan Collins' main goal is to feather her nest while in office - so she votes with the Republicans. Follow the money. She'll vote for whoever the Republicans put up for the Supreme Court - even for an obviously anti-choice male supremacist like Brett Kavanaugh.
I once had respect for her. Now I see her as just another sell out. Compare her current net worth with what she came into office with. How do elected representatives become sudden capitalist experts? Government of lobbyists by lobbyists for lobbyists.
Shame on her. The good people of Maine deserve better. The women of Maine will be insane to vote for her again.
7
@NotanExpert
I recall that Senator Collins engaged with the Democrats and asked for tweaks to the ACA; ostensibly so she could support it. Republicans got around 100 amendments tacked onto the ACA and then... they voted in lockstep against it... And now they claim it was drafted with zero input from them!
I'm not expecting Collins to grow a conscience any time soon.
Paul Krugman has them figured out - liars and cheats with almost no exceptions.
10
@NotanExpert
"If she can’t stand with Maine and American women, what does she stand for? Where is that soul?"
Sold out, perhaps; are you truly with Mammon, ma'am?
2
We have a two party system in which one of the parties is unwilling to participate in good faith and whose members are unable to render informed judgements in elections because of willful ignorance. It’s hard to see how this turns out well.
44
@Robert Hall, The US is politically divided between people who want to be governed rationally and outright anarchists.
2
@Robert Hall at some point we have to hope the Democrats wake up.
The only thing that moves Susan Collings is the fear of being unseated...and losing her cushy job...
22
@WD Hill isn't she, like eighty-five? I can't understand why these oldies need to keep up their evil empires, long past their prime..
4
@Grace Thorsen
Let's hear your opinion about staying around when you're 85, Ms. Thorsen.
"I can't understand why these oldies need to keep up their evil empires, long past their prime.."
...and then project about Pelosi.
I can barely wade through the kitchen wot with all the pots and kettles.
Speaking of bad faith, Lindsey Graham said a year ago that if Trump fired Sessions, “there would be holy hell to pay.” Now, as a Trump golfing buddy, Lindsey says the president should have an AG he has "faith in." Funny how a few rounds of golf and being wooed by Trump can melt that seeming "independent conscience" Graham seemed to be so proud of. Turns out he reflects perfectly the conscience of the GOP today.
42
@Leo
True..he reflects the TOTAL lack of conscience or values other than the god money that is the core of the G.O.P.
Susan Collins receives unearned credit for being a "reasonable" Republican.......She's just one more hypocrite.
33
Susan Collins is a wolf in sheep's clothing who relies on good PR (and a woefully complicit press) to appear moderate. She's a phony. Her "Trump rating" per fivethirtyeight.com is 79.2%. Her "political soul" is already in Dante's Hell. The question is whether she can get a bump up to purgatory.
35
Anita Hill should be in a front row seat in any further hearings, reminding these guys how badly they screwed up 25 years ago. Just as Hillary is a martyr for the first woman president, so Anita was a martyr for sexual harassment, both were vilified for being female no matter what excuse the accusers offer.
42
@klm There were no feminist protests when Hillary insulted Monica Luwinski in the late 1990s. Monica was a victim of behavior very much like Trump's now. Rep. Ellison was accused by his girlfriend of physical abuse and so far the Left is silent.
It is all political and hypocritical!
@klm If Kavanaugh gets onto the Supreme Court he'll make Clarence Thomas look mellow in comparison.
1
@Steve Bolger
I have no doubt of that. With Kavanaugh and Mr. Freeze (Gorsuch) on the Court, everyone who didn't vote for Hillary can take a bow.
For whatever reason Republicans have been able to lie to the voters for decades and get away with if. Perhaps the problem is not just that Republican politicians have no morals but the same is true of Republican voters.
9
It is generally true that intelligent, ethical, compassionate, rightly-motivated individuals do not become lawyers, and it is generally true that the least intelligent, least ethical, least compassionate lawyers become politicians, and it is generally true that the laziest, most self-important lawyers become judges. I think that explains a lot.
4
@Bill
Bill, Bill, Bill. Really?
I've dedicated my life to helping others through the law, and to do more good, I've thought of becoming a politician. Or a judge.
This 11th-hour hail mary is useless. Trump-loyalists control the Senate and they'll ram this confirmation through on a midnight vote is they choose. But, given the harm this man can--and will--do, it's worth a shot. Stranger things have happened.
6
I have read that Kavanaugh gambles a lot; I thought that private gambling was illegal? That is possibly (probably) the source of his enormous debt.
Clinton was impeached on perjury and obstruction of justice. What does that portend about the current denizen of the White House?
Didn't Susan Collins say that she would not run again at the end of her current term? Or has she changed her position on that, as well?
2
"Bad faith" is a euphemism for lying and hypocrisy. I wish Congressional Republicans were guilty only of bad faith politics. With Donald Trump as their lord and master, they are rapidly selling out America. For Trump supporters, bad faith is really blind faith supported by ignorance. McConnell, Ryan, Blunt, Cornyn, Grassley, et. al., demonstrate their cynicism every single day. Ignorance is not an excuse for them.
20
Kavanaugh should withdraw, and may be forced to, but the next nominee will likely be no better, maybe even worse ( like Douthart’s suggested religious extremist Amy Barrett). Even if Dems control the Senate, delaying an appointment for two years won’t be possible.
2
The Republican party under Trump truly has become a party of "lies and the lying liars who tell them", to quote a perspicacious former Senator.
The real issue, though, is to how to get these liars supporters to see that they and everyone else are being lied to, and that the liars have no one's interests other than their own and that of their oligarchic campaign funders at heart.
I really thought I knew something about psychology--it is my field, I have two degrees in it--but I admit to being stumped as to how to get these reality denying individuals to see that reality is being denied. The degree of self-delusion that is necessary to continue to support these reactionaries is apparently beyond any cogent logical analysis--and emotional analysis isn't working too well, either. Just what will it take for these voters to change their voting patterns? (Will Trump have to personally take whatever meager resources they have left, or personally grope their daughters? Apparently, shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue wouldn't be enough--anyone with the temerity to be in the middle of Trump's avenue has it coming.)
I'm well aware of the psychological literature on persuasion, the fascist personality, etc., etc. But these people seem beyond the ability of current theoretical models to address.
9
@Glenn Ribotsky - Trump’s supporters are actually the ones he is gunning down on Fifth Avenue and they are lined up like lemmings. They long for a leader who will allay the fears that the GOP and their media outlets have been spewing for several decades. That fear has now paralyzed the entire GOP. You become what you hate.
One only has to look at the Clarence Thomas hearings to see that the more things change, they don't change at all. And the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are still a bunch of old, entitled men who don't like their prerogatives challenged in any way. Look at the comments about "hysteria." The story "The Yellow Wallpaper" should be assigned reading for all Republican senators. Of course, they would probably get the wrong ideas and believe the purpose of the story was to lock women up in hospitals.
3
The Republicans problem there is no there there in conservatism. It is not about finanacial probity as it adopts upside down Keynesian budgets that use deficit financing to enrich the rich and justify cutting what benefits to every one else. It is not a strong military that they refuse to pay adequately in preference for buying more hardware from gunrunners.It is not morality as they slavishly follow an amoral and corrupt popularist. It is not religious freedom as they seek to roll back the rights of the non Evangelical majority to making their own moral decisions. It is about fear mongering lies about immigrant crime, poor people taking advantage of the wealthy, about cruelly separating children from their parents, and expediate lies to justify endangering our environment while calculating the deaths of thousands as a fair way to save dying industries.
4
When will Republican voters catch on? “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time,” said Lincoln. There seem to be a very large number who can be fooled all of the time. Lincoln would be appalled at what his party has become.
27
@susaneber
But, they just have to fool enough of the people enough of the time -- and prevent the others from voting enough of the time.
Why isn't Kavanaugh's misleading (read false) answers under oath in his previous confirmation hearing enough to disqualify him?
It's a shame everyone involved has to listen to painful testimony about drunken teenage parties that everyone involved would rather forget. There's plenty of evidence about his disregard for the rule of law without further embarrassing testimony that stains everyone involved.
30
She is also the one last republican who might have a soul. We'll have to wait and see.
3
@phoebe
She doesn't. She's a thoroughly regressive republican.
@Phoebe She has no soul. She will do anything to stay elected, including supporting things she said she would never support. She's a 100% political animal, maybe the worst kind because she'll back down on things she once said she would never back down on. All to stay elected.
Call it whatever you like. but it clearly works! Americans , tuned into Fox News and Sean Hannity continue to believe that the GOP and Donald Trump can MAGA! The problem is the America they long for was a segregationist society in which women were treated like second class citizens , the LBGT community were shunned and often subjected to violence and white men did whatever they wanted with impunity. Resentment over change that had to come is what allows the hypocrisy and the social injustice and inequity to continue. It will not change until people especially Democrats resort to the same scorched earth politics and tactics that the GOP has used for decades.
10
Lying is what they do. It is what they have done since Nixon, and it just keeps getting worse and worse as time marches on.
5
Yesterday morning, Minnesota Public Radio played a clip of a Republican voter who will be supporting Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s Republican opponent on November 6.
Why? Because the voter is deeply concerned about...wait for it….the deficit.
I almost my spewed coffee when I heard that howler.
But, hey; as long as the GOP continues to successfully dupe voters like this guy, it has no reason to change.
Principles? Dr. Krugman is right: the GOP has none.
45
Bad faith is the intent to deceive. And lying is a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive.
So let’s speak truth.
The Republican Party is the Party of Liars. And liars lie, that is what they do so let’s not be shocked or disappointed. Republicans lie in order to deliberately deceive and thereby acquire and maintain power. And that power is used to benefit the privileged few and to hurt the many. And we should be outraged by this abuse of power and do everything possible to stop it. And that is the simple truth.
26
Good summary, reminder. And let’s give a hand to Democrats for not operating in bad faith. They only want a Dem vote- never mind what that candidate might vote for once elected. They make no promise, don’t say they will intend or have the means to deliver.....single-payer health care, overturn Citizens United by Amendment, Undo the tax breaks to the highest brackets, provide massive infrastructure projects, solve the problem of students drowning in debt, or- heaven forbid, even mention the I word; impeachment.
In good faith, they label these ideas as radical, extreme, left-wing, outliers. And once elected, they can honestly say, ‘we made no promises’. Well, glad we cleared that up.
1
Re Sen. Collins: of course she's attacking those activists who say they'll work against her if she supports Kavanauagh's nomination; she seeks any opportunity to demonstrate that she's nothing more than a doctrinaire Trump supporter. Recall that Sen. Collins voted to support Trump's exorbitant and completely unnecessary tax cut bill; she also voted to kill Obamacare.
And now that some of her constituents have called her on her hypocrisy, she feigns indignation.
Oh, the sheer hypocrisy of politics in the time of Trump!
7
Why is it that the accusation “hypocrite” seems so difficult to make stick? Anyone who has raised teenagers will recognize the weariness that this accusation invokes. ‘Who isn’t a hypocrite after all”, becomes the reflexive answer. Nobody’s perfect.
The Republican Party has tilled this soil for all it’s worth.
For as long as the answer to fraud and dishonesty is whiny finger pointing, accompanied with the accusation “Hypocrite!” the Republicans will have the upper hand. You can’t fight unscrupulous strategy with complaining because by the time you win your argument the fight is long over. The facts are on your side. So what?
3
Ha! I don't believe any of them but it's refreshing to see the Democrats are finally playing hardball and fighting fire with fire.
12
When will Democrats learn that republicans will do or say anything to push there agenda and keep themselves in power!
5
I am saddened that your column has received so little attention. Maybe it is because anyone who is not a fascist is numb to the absurd propaganda they are subjected to on a daily basis by the GOP, which is only interested in power and money. They cannot win on the issues -- robbing the poor and what is left of the middle class to enrich the billionaires; making it as difficult as possible to vote, especially if you are a student; denying health care to those who need it most, resulting in many unnecessary deaths; making it impossible to get potable drinking water if you happen to live in certain neighborhoods; encouraging pollution on a massive scale; and the list goes on. So they convince the ignorant hordes to be fearful that dark-skinned people are to blame for their woes. The media refuses to debunk this nonsense. You seem to be spitting in the wind, but I admire your tenacity.
9
Mitch McConnell, the Senator who refused to do his job and hold hearings on the sitting President’s nominee for a suddenly open seat on the Supreme Court, is now complaining that Democrats aren’t “fair”. And Republican refused to even meet with the very qualified Merrick Garland. They are despicable- I’m not surprised they want to confirm a man accused of assaulting a young girl when he was in high school.
7
Lack of decency has become the new normal in America. We are about to find out if this country has the gumption to stand up for what is right or will knuckle under to the Republicans and their fearful leader. American freedoms and ideals are under assault from all sides right now.
Never again will many who experienced this era take our freedoms for granted. Time to stand up and be counted, even if you are a Republican, and stop the systematic destruction of our homeland.
9
Please--Since before Burr and Hamilton it has been ugly in American politics.
This is what dueling Politburos has always been about in America ... and England, for that matter.
Just enjoy the ride. There isn't a reality sideshow online or on the tube that can compete with the US Congress.
We are fortunate that they, the citizens, tune in at all.
3
Mr Krugman hits the nail square on the head but we should have all seen this coming before trump was elected when he was condemned by the leadership of the republican party and then they all fell into line when he was nominated
3
Krugman's observation is correct, but insufficient. Two points:
1. Culpability must include two primary actors in this three-legged stool: Right-wing media (Fox, et. al.); and mega-donors like Koch brothers that can credibly threaten nearly any Republican politician with the loss of re-election.
2. Republicans, their truly propagandist media, and mega-donors have colluded to prevent public consideration of the true threat of climate change. This is already proving to be the greatest crime against humanity in all history.
The three together have created and effectively waged their own Game of Thrones. And SUMMER is coming.
40
@Satter: People who accumulate wealth to promote nihilism are stark raving mad.
1
Krugman failed to state a truism- the Democrats have never had a political soul, at least in recent times. They have used the Court as an adjunct to uphold principles that were never in the Constitution and which they were too lazy or unable to bring about through Constitutional Amendment.
After the advent of Borking, the game was afoot. The Republicans were late to the game, but now understand how the Democrats have always played it.
The Democrats were never going to be provided with enough documents or enough time to satisfy their stall game plan. That is OK. The Republicans gave them multiples of document volume that each of their sitting Justices had provided during their nomination process. The Democrats on Monday will get their continuation of the histrionics that they and their disruptors displayed during recent hearings. Had Republican supporters done this the phony D-Senators would have claimed their opposition was destroying democracy. I heard no Senator criticize their mob. The phony Senator from NJ even lied about the release of documents which he had in hand. Next Monday we get testimony from both accuser and nominee. Unless there is a blockbuster piece of evidence, Kavanaugh will be appointed.
2
@edward smith
Bork deserved what he got.
The constitution is a LIVING document that was, as written, intended to be amended. "It" is not "in there" is a spurious argument. Nearly everything in the modern world is not in there. Using regressive republican logic, if it's not there, it's not there, so what do you do now? Nothing? Of course not. You're a regressive republican so you use the "it's not in the constitution" argument and then do whatever you wanted to do in the first place.
1
“Bad faith” is, by the way, a legal term, referring to “entering into an agreement without the intention or means to fulfill it, or violating basic standards of honesty.” In politics, it usually means pretending to be committed to principles you abandon the moment they become inconvenient."
no argument from at least one old line new deal progressive (as opposed to the present day faux democratic pitchfork and torch lot).
the same applies, hands down, to the fauxdems embarrassing try at disrupting the confirmation process, (done so poorly at that by an embarrassingly unprepared sen blumenthal, et al.), and the "spartacus" sideshow, more transparent than a "party slice" of ham, and now, the sexual abuse complaint of a woman treated (suppressed for what it was now used for an ulterior purpose) as women's complaints have been in the past, which is to say, casually at best.
bad faith in the extreme.
3
To be fair to Sen. Collins, at least one caller was abusive and threatening, something that usually only happens to liberal and left-wing activists. As for the rest, if she can't take it, she should resign her seat.
But this, the sexual assault allegation, is only one of many reasons Judge Kavanaugh shouldn't be a judge, much less a SCOTUS Justice. He flat-out lied about his having access to stolen documents and knowing about it when he was in the Bush White House. He wrote about positions HIGHLY dangerous to Native Americans. A similar nominee was black-balled by Sen Tim Scott and seconded by Marco Rubio. For Sen. Murkowski, the threat to her N.A. constituency, who saved her seat when the GOP abandoned her in 2010, is, or should be an even greater reason to reject Kavanaugh than his radical, deadly anti-abortion stance, and the damage it will do not just the Roe v Wade but Stere Decisis as well.
In an ideal world, Collins, Murkowski, Flake, Scott, Rubio, and possibly Corker, Sasse, and Kennedy would ALL say "This is a less-than-ideal nominee. Withdraw him or we will vote him down, embarrassing the President." (if such a thing is possible).
McConnell over-played his hand, for once, trying to FORCE Dems running in Red States to vote on Kavanaugh before November 6th, thus either confirming him, or risking their seats. Feinstein's maneuver may have already aborted that, giving them a free hand to vote "No" on the basis that he may be lying about a sexual assault.
10
I've never known Republicans to act in good faith in my lifetime. I became politically active when Bush, Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice, and Cheney were all lying our way into a massive war with fictitious evidence. Congress threw in a tax cut for the wealthy and attempted to cut social programs as well. They also managed to crash the economy on their way out. This example only represents my living memory too.
If you want to talk about bad faith, we can go back much further. The last good faith Republican I know about was Dwight D. Eisenhower. The GOP track record before FDR was spotty as well. We're talking about the party that gave us Warren G. Harding. Forgive me for withholding any glowing endorsements. The fact that the GOP still exists at all is a marvel of political chicanery.
There is much I despise about Democrats but let's not confuse false equivalence. In terms of political philosophy, the GOP's last shreds of integrity died with John McCain. I'll consider Republicans on a state level. However, as far as the nation is concerned, they should all be impeached. If you operate in orthodox unison, you should be dismissed as a single entity.
That sentiment especially extends to cowards like Collins and Flake and Corker who are constantly speaking out of both sides of their mouths but voting party lines anyway. I can't wait to be rid of all this congressional garbage. Give me a new party or it's time to hi-jack the Democratic one. They are at least salvageable.
4
As you said in the past, Paul - "the moral vacuity of Republicans in congress..."
To me most all of this boils down to moral choices. The GOP complains about the deficit and wants to slash social safety nets. So what do they expect those who rely heavily on these safety nets to do? They never have a good answer here - so absurdly they continue to push immoral choices and shift the blame to the less fortunate and the DEMs..
The GOP is the party of "no solutions". I'm not saying the DEMs are perfect in any sense of the imagination, but the depths the GOP lower themselves too is astounding.
People like Sue Collins know that even if they get voted out, they will land fine - be taken care of - and move on to obscurity. Of course this thinking process defines the self-centered Ayn Rand like philosophy that the likes of Paul Ryan have infused into the GOP. Pathetic!
5
'Bad faith' can also be legitimately called 'intellectual dishonesty'...not a concept legal eagles are uncomfortable with. Howling litigators, knowing full well the extent of their clients malfeasances, continue to shout outrage at findings in conflict with their brief. If Kanavaugh was a man of principle - whether guilty or not - in the interests of his family and reputation he should step aside. His evasions, his retreat behind jargon, his convoluted and contradictory positions, his fence sitting and most of all his championing by the bottom-feeders in Washington must surely disqualify him from sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States. This renders him 'intellectually dishonest' and unfit for the job.
17
@Tom Storm
So Kavanaugh withdraws. Trump is still Pres, no matter who gets elected in 7 weeks. Trump puts up another lawyer, vetted by the same folks who gave us Kavanaugh, intended to perform the same evisceration of the same laws, "settled" or no.
The hope is that the process gets delayed enough that the confirmation vote is no longer in the hands of a willfully ignorant and complicit majority of Senators.
2
Mr. Krugman, just follow the money. Why don't you have some people who work with you chart the amount of money flowing into politicians coffers and the decline of the Republican's veracity. I suspect a statistically significant relationship lies just below the murky surface. You could build a "money vs. truth model", it would be right up your alley.
4
"Is Susan Collins next? Instead of attacking those activists back in Maine, she should be thanking them, for giving her one last chance to save her political soul."
Sorry, Professor. That ship has sailed.
5
If you ask me, the corporate 'citizens' of this county has hijacked this party to be their political voice. And like the worst of them, is making them do one thing and claim just the opposite. By gerry mandering, cornering the courts and coordinated action they are running circles around the other party. Forget turning, honest Abe is spinning in his grave!
6
GOP has become the party of liars. At the very least, those presenting them in Washington are. The last good GOP senator, who cared about this country, left us for good last month.
It is ridiculous that an innocent person (in this case the president) needs "loyalty" and "protection" if he is REALLY innocent. Anyone with a normal functioning brain can figure that out; it is like 2+2=4. We do not even have to mention Flynn, Manafort Cohen; and a longer list of those high level officials who got fired by or left the administration.
The legislative branch is basically covering up for the corrupted executive branch, and now they want to seize the judicial branch of government. It is an authoritarian regime in the making. God Help America.
5
We need to pull a page from the Republican play book and insist that we let the people decide by postponing this confirmation until after the November elections and thus force Republicans to defend their robbing Obama of his right to an appointment. Hypocrisy thrives where it is not contested and the press and the Democrats haven't been aggressive enough in pointing out this double standard.
4
@Kurtis E
I would continue to point out the hypocrisy, but making the same play to postpone feeds into both sides do it. Better that only one side is hypocritical.
The agenda of the GOP is to destroy democracy and values, not to uphold and strengthen them. If this becomes clear to everybody there will be no surprise or complaining about bad faith. It reminds me of how conservatives and nationalists preferred to destroy the Republic of Weimar and then welcomed an authoritarian government they thought they would be able to control. Think about: how fragile is the American democracy today! The Supreme Court nominations have been a parody for two long. Or do you think that you can compare your Supreme Court with similar tribunals in France, Germany or Uruguay (to include a shining example for democracy in "the AmericaS" (not only you are Americans). Two hundred years plus in what once was the country of Washington and Lincoln is nothing. Political systems lasting longer have crumbled like a house of cards. The USA of the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution is finally loosing the Civil War to the rejoicing of those who never believed that the egalitarian principles enshrined in the Constitution should be interpreted in good faith.
4
Bad faith and a total lack of shame and decency. Amoral or immoral, who knows, really. The GOP has been like this for a long time, and it's not getting better.
4
One Hundred percent correct! If the state's republican senator cannot see the accusation in front of her then she is and has been purchased.
We do not need any more of this type of politics!
4
When discussing and analyzing the hypocrisy of conservatives, it is a mistake to approach the subject with the assumption in mind that they – the truly wealthy and powerful – care one bit about America, democracy, the republican form of government, justice, or securing "the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
What they care about is becoming more wealthy and powerful.
What has been happening over the last 40 years is that they have become more and more adept at manipulating the system toward their own ends. To do so, they are using the same methods that the tobacco industry used and the current pharmaceutical companies use to get people to buy dangerous products – slick commercialism aimed at duping a intellectually lazy and dumbed down electorate.
Merely calling them hypocrites falls short of a thorough explanation of their nefarious motives and deeds.
8
The GOP along with certain democrats all work in bad faith. The American people are only good to be used by the politicians. Kavanaugh is the focal point for the latest drama. From Dr. Blasey statement that we will hear more from on Monday he has been operating in a privileged elite all of his life. After all he was picked by Trump who has operated in bad faith every day of his life.
The phoniness of the GOP has been exposed and the blue wave is coming. Hopefully we can save democracy and this country because the likes of Pence ,Cruz etc are not going to et away with their hate anymore
5
I am also wondering abut $200K in credit card debts, ostensibly spent on baseball tickets. And also, how did that debt disappear in just a few months.
48
@NM What really wracks my cookies is that we're supposed to believe his "friends" paid back the money for tickets and it was just a loan. No one is following the money or the behavior that led up to it. Was it repaid in rubles?
2
hmmm.
all true, but somebody's voting for them in large enough numbers that they're getting elected.
gerrymandering is only one of the reasons.
17
This stuff isn't new. Back in the 1990s, a politician told his supporters that he was trying to fight abortion but was thwarted by the Supreme Court. When the Supreme Court started allowing more abortion restrictions, the politician suddenly broke his promises, with the lame excuse that "my thoughts have crystallized on the issue".
3
I would add the to list of "bad faith" politics the behavior of Republicans in the investigations into election interference. They have participated in hearings, yet, refuse to take measures to increase this country's ability to be vigilant and preemptive against these attacks. There is still no office or coordinator for cyber security in this country.
Social media execs have been brought in to testify and Congress have blamed those outlets for a lack of oversight, insisting they take measures to curb misinformation campaigns. One of the measures, along with sophisticated algorithms some social media platforms have employed, are fact checkers . As a result the smoke and mirror tactics generally used by the GOP are being cracked down on. Now they are crying discrimination which is not a new claim. They have cried wolf about the liberal media for a long time. Sinclair, Fox, even liberal media outlets, whether or not they are for or against Republican policies, put their agendas front and center ad nauseam. However, they only complain about media that offer alternative views not those who exclusively promote their propaganda. Ultimately, this claim of censoring the GOP message is nonsense meant to once again to skew information. They hold all branches of government. It is an obvious truth that disputes the outcry against liberal media in particular. This party would not be where they are if their messaging was not reaching the masses rather than being squelched.
18
psrunwme: Republicans are'nt concerned about election interference because they believe that so far Russian meddling has worked to their advantage. The moment they do badly (this November I hope) they will scream that it's a grave threat to this country, and the Democrats are facilitating it.
2
@psrunwme
How about the bad faith of the democrats?
The claim to support women and then viciously attack female republicans.
And how quickly they forget their own bigotry:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-feinstein-catholic-20170...
At the end of the day, the democrats are also hypocrites, but since the NY Times readers agree with them, they are applauded.
True. Yet as you may recall, Trump has already made the claim the Russians are helping the Dems in this election and as we know the rest of the GOP takes their cues from ‘Honest Don.
Many people here criticize R's for favoring the "1%". According to the oracle of the internet, the top 1% means either a net worth of $8M or a household income of around $375k. Republican policies do favor such people, but they are not the real robber barons. They could be your family doctor, or the local car dealer. No, the real problem is the top 0.1% or less, people with literally hundreds of millions or billions of dollars, more than they could ever spend. THAT is who most of the tax cut is going to.
41
That $375k figure is the minimum. The average 1% income is much higher, something like $2 million. It’s true that the 0.1% are far better off, and got 80% of the gains from globalization that went to the 1%. But the 1% don’t therefore become some kind of workaday average Joe.
We’ll have deep income inequality until we have steep progressive taxation. It’s that simple, and it will have to include the 10%, which means a lot of NYT readers. Until Democrats embrace higher taxes on their donors, the misery will continue.
9
@Jomo
The real problem is not the 0.1% people either, at least not all of them, because many of them oppose Republican policies. The 0.1% is a split, polarized group as well as the rest of America. You have the Kochs, DeVoses, etc pushing for more tax cuts for the rich, but on the other hand you have people like Warren Buffet who are against these tax cuts, knowing their full impact on society.
7
@Jomo
Can you please explain why systematically taking money from the people with a median income ($60,000) in order to give it to those who have a household income of around $375k would NOT be a problem ... ?
The GOP tax reform bill not only does that, it also already destroyed the healthcare of 3 million America, through the sabotaging of Obamacare. That DIRECTLY leads to the death of about 3,000 Americans (and soon it will be 13 instead of 3 million) - as Obamacare insured 20 million more Americans, which studies show was saving an additional 40,000 American lives a year.
WHY would you call that "not a problem" ... ?
4
The first and severest victims of the GOP's bad faith are the people still gullible enough to believe them. The explanation is simple. For them Trump isn't the leader of the country. For them he's their weapon against the America they hate.
They suffer the deprivation that civilians in a war zone suffer when their warlord assures them that their enemies are getting even worse. His rallies aren't celebrations of Trump's accomplishments or his effectiveness as president. They're orgies of malice.
They stay with the Republicans because more than they value their own well-being, they hate the people whom Trump insists hate them. The Republicans now depend on this bloc of voters and their visceral unreasoning rage. The likes of Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins understand exactly what faces them when, or if ever again, they face an audience of constituents at home and they're insufficiently Trumpist. Trump promised violence this election. His voters and the GOP in Congress get the message.
8
Republican hypocrisy knows no boundaries. Just a few examples:
* They supposedly oppose big government and support states rights, but are happy to have Washington force states to jettison car fuel economy rules, accept open-carry laws, allow off-shore drilling, stop legalization of marijuana, prevent state adoption of net neutrality rules, etc. The GOP is happy to have big government lord it over the states and cities as long as it is on behalf of their own wealthy donors and cultural enforcement bosses.
* They supposedly support local control, but they will not allow the elected government of Washington, D.C., make their own decisions about how to spend their own money.
* They supposedly oppose Executive Orders, but gleefully support Trump signing countless EO's.
* They supposedly oppose judicial activism, but they love judicial activism which disenfranchises people of color, treats LGBT Americans as second class citizens, and prevents women from exercising the right to control their own bodies.
* They support the First Amendment when it comes to hate speech and right-wing religious leaders, but oppose the First Amendment when it comes to the press criticizing Trump.
* They have always criticized Dem presidents for having "litmus tests" for their Supreme Court nominees, while they themselves strongly embrace litmus tests for their own nominees.
The examples are countless. Suffice it to say the GOP likes to say things they think will sound good, then do the opposite.
79
Yes, where is the Pubs conscience? Watching McConnell minimize sexual assault today was despicable. Is he human? Would any woman subject herself to the danger to her life, career and family if not because it is the truth? I applaud her courage. Women everywhere know she is the honest one here and is a profile in courage. Speak truth to power.
21
If Democrats were serious about it, they would have made the accusations public immediately. Instead they waited to the last minute in order to derail the nomination. It is just another political weapon in a shameless battle from the minority to control a supreme court nomination.
4
That’s not how it went down, and I suspect you misunderstand which is the minority party.
The allegations arose late in the process, and initially the women did not want her name known. Only after it became clear she would not be able to remain anonymous did she agree to testify openly.
But let’s not get too indignant. As long as we’re talking manipulation of the process, though, I have just two words for you: Merrick Garland.
14
@Dimitris Politis I know it seems fishy, but it's my understanding that Dr. Ford first passed the information along to her Congressional representative, who then passed it to Feinstein. Feinstein spoke with Dr. Ford to understand the depth of the allegation before passing it along to the FBI. All of this took some time.
1
@Dimitris Politis
You seem to ignore that AS minority party, they don't have the legal right to make things like that public ... ?
And if you oppose the fact that the minority party (which today actually has most of the votes, by the way) blocks a SC nomination, why do you think was there a Senate rule requiring 60 Senators in the first place?
And most of all, HOW can you blame the Democrats of wanting to block a nominee their reject ... ? To do so is their constitutional right, remember?
Finally, the GOP actively refused even a hearing for the Democrats nominee, under Obama. So how can you now expect the Democrats to somehow forget this ... ?
Conclusion: please explain the moral value system on the basis of which your making these judgments here?
That Paul Ryan smirk... Of COURSE the GOP works in bad faith—because IT WORKS with the kind of voter who's basically a consumer of marketing and a sucker for paternalist posturing.
It's not like the GOP doesn't know that it's operating in bad faith—nor that it doesn't know that it's known to work in bad faith. The GOP caters to the consumer who can't keep track; or doesn't care to. The GOP base is clay.
And tax breaks give Big Money more "free speech" to shape the dissociative base for the next round—thanks, too, to phasing back educational processes that secure the distinction between consumer and citizen.
GOP forbid that the base comes to feel truly like citizens.
4
How ironic, among other things, that Republicans have turned the inconsistency inherent in hypocrisy into consistent hypocrisy.
33
Yes, the Republicans are bad, very bad and defy the odds by somehow managing to enact policies that are unpopular with a majority of the electorate. The trouble is, they do this with help from some elected Democrats. Why? Because they entities that fund both political parties get what they want, while the rest of us are lied to on an ongoing basis.
Electing Democrats doesn't seem to help either, cf. 2009-10. We just get a new cast of villains, be they Blue Dogs or Joe Lieberman, aided and abetted by a breathless press covering politics as they would pro sports. Which, I guess to them, it is.
3
Gee, 2009-10 is when Obamacare passed. Some kind of villainy that was.
It’s true that the Democratic Party has its problems. It relies on wealthy and corporate donors, and hasn’t sought real social reform — on the order of Medicare or the EPA, say — for a generation. But they don’t actively set out to make things worse, and they don’t invent nonproblems, like voter fraud, to solve. There’s a difference.
7
Certainly, hypocrisy was not invented by this group of Republicans. However, they took bad faith to new depths. During the "great recession" they actively sabotaged the economy hoping that Obama would get blamed for a bad economy. They obstructed anything the President proposed, even if the proposal came from the Republicans himself. They decried insufficient "non-partisan" actions and then refused to act in a non-partisan way.
As noted, Republicans take from their voters and give to the very small portion of those fortunate enough to be able to contribute to their campaigns. They rely on being able to manipulate what they deride as their "low information voters" using fake social issue, fears, and racism. Trump was not an aberration, but merely an evolutionary step for what had become a radical party disconnected from the real needs and aspirations of its base.
25
Don’t forget the bad faith in gerrymandering districts so that politicians are effectively picking their voters. And then there is the big one - the electoral college. Twice in the past two decades has the GOP lost the popular vote only to be saved by the technicality of the electoral college.
Had the GOP lost in a similar fashion, I doubt they would have waste any time calling that “the will of the people must be heard”.
They really don’t care, so long as they win.
15
The GOP figured out long ago that any scandal - whether against Republican or Democrat - was good for the GOP. simply because it made many citizens cynical about their government. They don't care how bad they look or how bad they govern just as long as it convinces folks to throw up their hands in despair. It's easier to say "a curse on both their houses" than to identify individual lawmakers. Trump is their ultimate (so far) attempt to degrade the public discourse.
3
I’ve come to believe in the past couple of years that many Trump cultists are well aware of the damage this administration is doing to their interests, but they are taking sadistic pleasure in seeing their perceived enemies (and perceived oppressors) suffer at Trump’s hands. It’s difficult for many of us to understand just how much hate motivates so many on the right.
12
It's good to hear mainstream columnists like Dr K finally calling out the republicans in terms that are distressingly accurate. More distressingly, we don't hear many voices from the opposition party using the same language to counter their assault on truth, fair play, and democratic ideals. The hypocrisy, lies, willful ignorance, and greed these people display is disgraceful, yet they are in control of all 3 branches of our government. I wish the fence sitters and non-voters would wake up, but not holding my breath. I left for friendlier shores.
1
Best column you have written in a long time. I can only hope some future administration will attack the military industrial complex but it seems the Democrats feed at the same trough. Kavannagh is a real issue and the Democrats have distracted the populace with this Russia stuff as if that was the cause for Hillary's loss of what should have been the easiest election in the world to win. Given the distraction which discredits everything the Democrats do my fear is that Kavannagh will be confirmed. What is a voter to do?
1
These extremist, radical Republicans are determined to put activist justices on the bench everywhere, not just the Supreme Court.
The norms and traditions they are violating simply confirms that they are desperate, and they know their extremist views are not shared by the majority of Americans.
Because of their lack of integrity, Republicans are showing that there now needs to be actual, written rules for everything they do.
No more "good faith" assumptions about Republicans. They need clear rules, in black and white.
14
Republicans are complaining that the allegation of sexual assault against Kavanaugh came “late in the process.” What process. The entire Kavanaugh nomination has been on a runaway train fast track since he was nominated. The deadline for a confirmation vote was chosen solely to insure that the nomination wouldn’t be sidetracked if the Democrats somehow managed to re-take the Senate. Thousands upon thousands of pages of Kavanaugh’s record as a shill for Ken Starr and as a GOP operative in the Bush Administration have not been released.
You get the point. The entire “process” has been stage-managed to push Kavanaugh through to confirmation before anyone can raise a potentially disqualifying issue. Oh, and on the matter of applying political pressure, no one can take a back seat to the cadre of political evangelicals, who have invested time, cash and morality to pressure Senators that they must vote for Kavanaugh — or else.
Wonder if anyone will ask Susan Collins about that.
62
“Why has the G.O.P. become the party of bad faith? Mainly, I suspect, because its core policy agenda of cutting taxes on the rich while slashing social programs is deeply unpopular. “
That is exactly what Jonathan Chait argues in his book “The Big Con: Crackpot Economics and the Fleecing of America”. Reagan’s magical self funding tax cut fairy tale was the start of the Republicans plunge off the cliff of the reality-based world into the deep abyss of alternate reality. They knew full well the public would never support their true aim of shifting even more money and power to the already wealthy by giving them massive tax cuts and by privatizing as much as possible, turning public institutions and services like schools, prisons, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health care into for profit entities that would shift taxpayers money to Wall Street and the pockets of investors.
For decades poll after poll have shown these policies are deeply unpopular so Republicans have turned to outright lies, distortions, and viscious smears against those who oppose their Ayn Randian “greed is good” philosophy. In addition they have demonized government.
The only way they have been able to succeed is by doing what Karl Rove bragged about - not living in the “reality-based” world the way silly Democrats do, but creating their own reality. They are supported by a well funded propaganda network dedicated to promoting that alternate reality and, in effect, destroying our democracy and a complacent media.
7
Just what we need on the Supreme Court - another male with a history of predatory behavior toward women. Obviously, the President cannot fathom why many women find this problematic. The Senate should function to disabuse the president of that notion.
I am confident the Senate will shrug this off as "boys will be boys" because way too many of our Senators come from a generation that have always shrugged off this behavior as inconsequential.
The world has changed. Most of our Senators fail to recognize that to the detriment of the rest of the country.
22
@TheLifeChaotic - How do you know he has a history of predatory behavior to women? Apparently, you believe the accuser, and are even alleging that there are more women out there that Kavanaugh has assaulted? Your certainty is disturbing to say the least.
i am a registered Democrat who has voted for Collins in every election for which she has stood . Never again.
Her deafening silence about Trump's traitorous behavior in Moscow with his obsequious pandering to Putin was the last straw.
Collins has for years gathered a lot of votes from middle of the road Democrats. I doubt that will ever happen again.
And, for whatever it is worth, she has lost the vote of many on the far right of the Republican Party who refer to her as a RINO.
I'd be very surprised if she ever get elected again. I hope not.
52
I’m the rare person who is uncomfortable with this tactic even though I will be deliriously happy if it works. (Yes I think he mauled her; I just think killing people’s reputations with a big tell has costs.)
I still think the greater issues are his judicial record, being obscured from view, and the indebtiture issue.
And the whole double standard in the way candidates are “allowed” to enter into the vetting process by a partisan Congress.
These are the long term harms to the system.
6
GOP are not only the party of bad faith but as pointed out they only care about the health and welfare of the wealthy to obscenely wealthy. The majority of Americans who are being ignored and threatened every day by a loss of freedoms, the lack of relieving our tax burdens, and the removal or unaffordability of health care for all. They are truly a disgusting group of people who do not care about Americans only their special, (paid for) self-interests.
The median household income is reported at $52,250 and thanks to Trump and the GOP and our new national debt, each American would have to contribute $65,000 to pay it off.
Those with enormous to obscene wealth are not letting it trickle down and our revenue is suffering from it.
6
Kavanuagh is the most tainted SCOTUS nominee since Thomas. We are still saddled with Thomas's insanity and unfounded rulings. Will the Republicans allow Kavanuagh to continue that inglorious tradition? Are there at least two Republican senators still retaining enough semblance of right and wrong, capable of placing country before party, and morally sound enough to slow down the Trump coronation by voting against his compromised nominee? I'm guessing not.
No sane, reasonable, thinking person can support the GOP, the party of lies and hypocrisy. Any veteran or law enforcement personnel supporting Trump are utterly blind to his disdain for they and their ilk. Any working class American thinking he is on their side is fooling him or her self. We'll all be rotting in Trump's GOP hellscape of America soon if they don't wake up.
9
Bravo! One of the very best pieces I've read about this debacle.
I've been sputtering with indignation at the way Susan Collins characterizes the voters who are, as is their absolute right, threatening to fund another candidate if she endorses Kavanaugh.
The absurdity is beyond description. Thanks to Citizens United we have endless floods of "political speech," ie money, drowning voters and stealing our voices. Huge SuperPACS sway elections, sometimes viciously - look what happened to John Kerry, an honorable and brave man who was "swiftboated," his reputation damaged.
2016 was worse. We had not only money but influence from our enemies, carefully targeting voters, hacking the DNC, stealing their voter data and even accessing our voting infrastructure.
YET, the voters try to fight back, openly, honorably, as is their democratic right and they're accused of bribery and extortion.
Now, our brave and fearless leader Trump is forcing the FBI to declassify and publish texts and other private communications about the Russia investigation and parts of the FISA warrant into Carter Page.
If this isn't obstruction of justice I don't know what is.
Against this backdrop we have Kavanaugh, who has credibly been accused of perjury, whose papers we can't see, and who now has been accused of attempted rape.
His treatment of the pregnant teen in Garza - his ABUSE of her - is already more than enough to disqualify him.
Enough. Let the good, moral people of America stand up.
24
Voter suppression undertaken by Republicans around the country is another example of bad faith. Right on Mr. Krugman!
12
The GOP started giving up on democracy during the Nixon years and completed the task during the Reagan administration.
Since then, particularly via nonstop voter suppression tactics and hypocritical appeals to racism and the religious right, it has become crystal clear that the Republican Party has no shame, and no policy other than making the greediest of the 1% wealthier by the minute.
Btw: Mitch McConnell’s whining on the Senate floor about anything that will keep the Kavanaugh nomination from being rammed through to completion without pause is itself the height of hypocrisy.
44
@Robby Rothfeld
I might add that the Democrats also started giving up on democracy during the Nixon years. Instead of urging voters to support their abortion policies, they persuaded the Supreme Court to remove the issue from democratic control.
1
Valid medical procedures should not be subject to a popular vote. Shall we vote on vasectomies and prescriptions for Viagra?
2
Yeah, that’s nonsense. How did Democrats persuade the court? It’s not like you lobby them.
After watergate, Democrats passed a slew of reforms, from campaign finance to the war powers act. That’s actual legislation, not fantastical conspiracy.
Abortion laws had already begun to loosen before Roe. Wealthy women could and did travel to California, New York, and England for abortions. The Supreme Court may have gotten ahead of popular opinion (in some parts of the country). But it extended the right — the right — to all women, not just those with money. Because either it’s legal and moral, or it’s not. We can’t have rights that apply only to the rich.
The court is now poised to reverse or eviscerate Roe. The right will claim moral victory from their moralism. But what they will really have accomplished is yet one more strike against the impoverished, laid one more brick in the wall of inequality between the haves and have nots.
How they live with themselves, I don’t know.
There is no hypocrisy.
The Republicans have been very clear and true to their principles, which is to protect wealth. They cut government when it doesn't support wealth (social programs), and when it imposes regulations to protect the environment and mankind, at the expense of profits. Defense spending of course is good, as it feeds the wealthy.
Our history has never had a time when the rich and affluent have not tried to manipulate the government to aid their profiteering.
So we do not need to keep hand wringing over the unfairness of it all. They don't care and they smirk at the accusation.
They don't care about fair rules to pick the Supreme Court, they just want to control it to deliver the holy grail for the abortion block of voters that vote the bible, instead of voting on their economic interest. The Republicans have used Roe v. Wade to cement the south as red states.
They don't care about family values and morality, except when they can use it for votes. Trump is a version
of the pig male that they all admire to some extent.
"Bad faith" no kidding. It has been there for all my 62 years.
Our hope is in the young vote, and fake news is the ultimate bad faith hypocrisy.
Our country's history is also full of heroes and leaders that have fought and swung the pendulum back, so let's see if the swing begins 7 weeks from now.
4
I agree with Krugman's analysis of bad faith. What has been going on with the GOP is far beyond hypocrisy. I remember my conservative friends lecturing me years ago about Bill Clinton's lack of moral judgement. (It's all about character!) Kavanaugh, though, is more than just a political hack who has already been promoted far beyond his ability: he is worse than that. He is a moral busybody who thinks nothing of using the power of the Bench to make people "better." More than once he has shown his willingness to impose his religious point of view on total strangers who come before him. This makes him not only unqualified but dangerous.
58
We are a Nation controlled by forces that are antithetical to secular egalitarian liberal democracy. The model clearly intended for us by our Founders in their own clumsy/imperfect 18th Century way.
These forces (embodied in current GOP) have little regard for such governments - governments that exist by and for the People and for the betterment of all humankind, not just the powerful/favored theologically.
Their World model does not embrace ideals that Conservatives, Progressives, and in between easily can and should share as Americans.
We allowed this to happen. We turned over the keys.
About 21% of us knowingly, willingly, and purposely did because their existential mental model is antithetical also. They are incorrigible.
Another 21% did because of gullibility or they let parochial issues/theology, prejudices, fears, and/or greed guide them to antithetical choices. That percent will remain regardless.
Of the 58% remaining too many did with a silly protest or rote Party vote, or non-vote.
But now it is existential - the 58% - mostly rational and fair - MUST unite to vote to save the Nation.
This is NOT about methods/means toward some common objectives/goals. Nor about "best" technical. This is about the Nation's soul.
I implore intellectual Conservatives/Rs to examine their intellectual honesty/motivations.
What side of the humankind fence do you REALLY sit on?
58% let's put true moral purposes ahead of all and vote the antithetical GOP out now!
11
Well, I guess I was wrong. When he was nominated I conjectured that Ds would scour his past until they found another teenager who had insulted a woman in his presence and he did not condemn his friend or the like. But, they found someone better, someone who says he attacked her. Whatever it is exactly, it is entirely predictable they would find someone, whether it is true or not. Which makes me very cynical. And, maybe he did do it. I wouldn't know. I'm sure she will be passionate and well coached. If he continues to be robotic, he won't be believed. But, partisanship ruins everything it touches. I didn't credit it when the Rs did this to Clinton, when the Ds did it to Thomas and I'm not crediting it as the Ds do it to Kavanaugh.
I don't get a vote, but I would not vote against someone b/c he groped someone when he was a drunken teenager or for many other things a teenager might do. I'm not condoning unacceptable behavior, and what is described is unacceptable. But this isn't about his behavior, or whether he did it or not. It's about politics and power, as always. I hope he sticks it out.
2
It is this very lack of both a moral and ethical compass that drives regular people away from politics. Only when the politicians start to really be accountable and open will we see real change. The depth of republican corruption is seemingly infinite.
5
This has to be the most principal challenged bunch of republicrits in my lifetime. They literally have chosen to ignore what they would loudly and frequently proclaim as amoral, ungodly, irresponsible and unpatriotic if it were their counterparts in question.
Kavanaugh absolutely should resign. The manner in which the right has chosen to rush this process by hiding volumes of data speaks volumes either about the integrity of the right or both. No one of course is perfect but exactly how imperfect they are is a necessity where SC justices are concerned. Too many questions hang over this man to allow him a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.
7
"Bad Faith on an epic scale" summarizes today's GOP perfectly. With a big dose of cowardice added when it comes to protecting the vulnerable and standing up to bullies. Let's vote them out.
3
Put the Evangelicals at the top of that list.
Discussing economics, (or climate change for that matter), with people who believe that the Rapture is nigh and that Trump's moving the American embassy to Jerusalem hastens its arrival, is a waste of time.
Division of the electorate serves to keep the powerful in power and the ever fearful GOP religious base can be relied upon to vote for the politicians that will produce the candidates that the American plutocracy supports.
The GOP big money donors who fund the Federalist Society don't care about school prayer, ten commandment displays, gays, guns, or flag pins, and corporations have no objection to the cheap immigrant labor that they profit from; a divided American electorate is the objective.
The last thing they want are Americans voting in their own economic interest above all other issues.
To understand how the stage was set for a Trump to take advantage of the power of fear and hate, we must answer the question : What would the highest individual and corporate tax rate be if all religious, race and social issue conflict suddenly disappeared?
5
It’s true, and I hate to say this, but liberals have to forgo their usual instincts: we must vote them out, cry foul, offer no mercy. Look at the example from Hungary, at failing states. Once the moral center does not hold, we are all lost.
6
Prof. Krugman is right, of course, our politicians represent blatant hypocrisy.
But we have bought it, lock, stock and barrel.
I have talked to a young woman in my office about her search for a house - she is getting married - and asked her how she is taking the new tax law into account on price. What new tax law? She was not aware of the changes in deductions that could easily affect her in very high price region.
I have talked to others about what the ACA cost of insurance is as a percentage of my income, and they are shocked. Shocked. Of course they have no idea of the total cost of their own employer insurance.
I have talked to my friends about the difficulty of getting a job after being laid off, and the impossibility of getting one with insurance, and they think me a pessimist.
No one believes that Medicare or Social Security will be impacted - but then again, they never had a pension taken away and replaced with a small pile of cash, and the assurance it will grow. It didn't grow in 2008.
In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" huge objects are rendered invisible behind something called the SEP field. SEP - Someone Else's Problem. We don't see things until they actually bite us.
5
Many of the points Krugman raises are his typical partisan drivel but his central point is key. Live by the cash, die by the cash. It was curious to read nothing regarding how lower income folks are shut out from voices an opinion dear to them. We just have to rely on the 0.01% on either side to buy off the point of view we support. There has to be a better way to get political donations out of the decision making process.
2
Why on earth would anyone think that Susan Collins would cast a NO vote against Judge Kavanaugh. Has Collins ever voted against the wishes of her beloved Republican Party? Her last mealy-mouthed utterance that she wasn't certain how she would vote on the past tax bill and her vote for it should give everyone a large clue as to her Republican mindset. Don't bet the south-forty acres on a NO vote from her. Having just won her last bid for the Senate seat she is not the least bit concerned about any threats to a future bid for the seat. She can retire with pride knowing she did all in her power to firmly install her conservative Republican agenda into the democratic soul of this country.
24
Bad faith indeed. I vividly recall how the patriotism of veterans like myself was savaged in 2003 simply because we opposed any war in Iraq. Many of those mocking us didn't know military service from room service. But somehow they were the "patriots".
I'm happy to see that many of us learned important lessons from our past naivete. The attacks still occur, but the responses are now brutally devastating. Expect more in the future.
Many of have had it with this bad faith and are calling it out.
11
So the republican party is the party of bad faith. I hope this is not news to anyone reading this column.
I love the democrats but I don't really think that the democrats have a clue as to what politics is all about. For people like Susan Collins (and indeed all elected officials), politics is about winning the next election. She has had lots of practice judging the strength of the groups that oppose and support her (that is what she does on a daily basis). I think that she will probably string along the people who oppose Kavanaugh but in the end she will support him. The activists and demonstrators will make a lot of noise but a month from now Kavanaugh will be on the court.
If the activists feel so strongly about all these issues, why don't they turnout and vote on election day. I read that in the last election, 45% of the women who are members of Planned Parenthood voted republican. Remember those people who could see no difference between Hillary and The Donald.
A problem for the democrats is that they don't control anything at the Federal level and about 66% of state governments are completely in republican hands (republicans control the legislature and governors office).
Low voter turnout by registered democratic voters has basically turned everything over to the republicans. Republicans can gerrymander because they control legislatures and governorships.
See the related comments below by Blue Moon.
18
Great summary, Aubrey.
There was a comment by Dagwood (San Diego) yesterday in David Leonhardt's column about how Democrats would win in a fair fight:
"... The GOP knows this, and therefore lies, cheats, steals, via gerrymandering, voter suppression, fables about voter fraud, conspiracy theories, and help from Mr. Putin. In a fair fight, they get creamed. So let’s punch for a fair fight wherever we can."
And I thought, well, Democrats lost state governments, so that's what they get. Whose fault is that? It was a "fair" fight before that. You are absolutely right: Democrats have the best ideas, but they better learn politics and communication skills before they're driven to extinction.
When the GOP is in control, they are merciless. Why can't Democrats fight fire with fire? Dems need to stop being so self-conscious about their images, and they need to start getting the job done. They can't get anywhere if they don't win elections.
5
My retirement has been financially secure thanks in large parts to Social Security and Medicare. There are a lot of boneheads out there who might not enjoy such retirement security simply because of their support for a political party that would slash these programs to the bone. They obviously don't know where their best interests lie.
38
Social psychologists for decades have documented the brutal fact, that we all become pawns within certain contexts---or to put it more plainly, we are not mavericks by nature. First principles are mere talking points given the right circumstance or in the case of Trump, the wrong circumstance. The second brutal fact in these studies, is our human ability to justify obvious contradictions in our belief systems. I would say, that a Republican first principle that is never compromised is all means justify the ends. Democrats and liberals for that matter still hold to that first principle of a democracy---means matter.
16
When Progressivism abandoned the foundation of absolute truth long ago, it was left with a first principle of winning at all costs, because they chose power over truth. This ultimately means that neither ends or means matter to you, just winning. That you still insist on believing in the rightness of your cause and methods just shows how divorced you are from reality. Fortunately, the arc of history bends toward truth. Not even Democrats can live without it forever.
If Susan Collins votes to confirm this SCOTUS candidate, it will be the equivalent of turning in her resignation. Money will pour into the coffers of her opponents and she will be voted out of office. I agree with the others who wrote comments about her growing a spine. One way or another, she needs to vote and back it up with her beliefs, not party allegiance. Do what you believe in your mind and heart to be the right thing, Senator Collins. History will judge you on your decision - and so with the voters. Make sure it's something you can live with for the rest of your life.
23
This is not true. While the next Democratic challenger to Susan Collins will receive at least a million dollars from activists for her yes vote for Kavanaugh, it won't make any difference. That's a republican seat and it will remain republican. The only real difference will be how far to the right on the political Spectrum her replacement lies. I'm guessing very.
3
@Lawrence Imboden
She voted against Obamacare although it saves an additional 40,000 American lives a year, all while curbing cost increases both for individuals and the federal budget (= it lowers the deficit).
How to live with THAT for the rest of your life ... ?
And then she voted for the gigantic tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens, which doesn't merely double the deficit but also eliminates the ACA's individual mandate, and already today destroyed the healthcare of a whopping 3 million Americans. This vote is literally killing about 4,000 Americans a year.
HOW can anyone calling himself a patriot in Maine still vote for her on the basis of such a track record ... ??
We don't need a corrupt Republican who once in a while votes down yet another destructive GOP bill. THAT is not the definition of "moderate". Allowing the GOP to do most of the time what is has been doing for more than a decade now means being a RADICAL.
2
@Lawrence Imboden What I am about to write might be too cynical and hard for tender democratic psyches. But I think that Susan Collins will probably vote to confirm and she will pay no price at the ballot box. Most voters will have forgotten all about it by election day. Anyway, democratic voters are always looking for a excuse to stay home and not vote. There have been howls of outrage over the reprehensible way the republican senate treated Judge Garland. But I can't see that it has made any difference at the polls.
What democrats don't seem to understand is that politics comes down to what happens on election day. Democrats loath Mitch McConnell and he is nasty. But he is also a master of Senatorial politics. He said famously that "those people who win elections make policy; those people who loose elections go home."
If the democrats do defeat Kavanaugh, The Donald will simply pick another white male from the Federalist Society roster. That person might be more right wing than Kavanaugh.
For those people in the last election who could see no difference between Hillary and The Donald, Hillary, if she had won, would be picking justices from a different list.
1
At one time Rep’s could at least pretend to be the adults in the room. They were truely for austerity and they could reasonably argue that New Deal tax rates were so high on the rich that it was causing a drag on economic growth. But now the opposite is true and that argument can be bolstered only with falsehoods and obfuscation.
14
"Why has the G.O.P. become the party of bad faith? Mainly, I suspect, because its core policy agenda of cutting taxes on the rich while slashing social programs is deeply unpopular."
I don't think it stops there. There are at least 2 additional reasons, and the fact that so many different factors led to the perceived necessity of starting to behave in bad faith is precisely what explains how this could take on such proportions that today it is literally destroying America's greatness - both at home and abroad.
The first has to do with just why it is that GOP politicians became so obsessed with systematically, decade after decade, using the power of the government to shift wealth from the middle class to the wealthiest 1%. Of course, in part that was in order to continue to obtain huge campaign donations and as a consequence be able to keep their jobs.
The problem is that where maybe initially, they wanted to keep their job in order to be able to write a conservative agenda into law, today that agenda is almost entirely limited to increasing the wealth of the 1% through using the force of the government. And that's the very opposite of what "republican" initially stood for.
The second reason has to do with "faith" itself: the way many conservatives practice their religion today is completely shallow, disconnected from the "spirit" of the Bible. Christianity is supposed to help you lead a moral life, but this type of Christianity seems to have lost its power to do so.
34
An example: abortion.
When it comes to the "spirit" of the moral values that the Bible defends, the idea is to have the lowest possible number of abortions. You can discuss when "humanity" actually starts, but it's obvious that if we can prevent a foetus from having to be removed, THAT is certainly preferable than having to do so.
The real question then becomes: how to know what lowers those numbers most?
Scientific studies for decades already now show that it's through intensive prevention and birth control campaigns, making both accessible for those women who might have the highest risk of at least once in their lifetime being confronted with the painful question of whether or not to end their pregnancy prematurely.
That means that of course, wanting to prevent abortions and then opposing those campaigns and programs, is a perfect example of bad faith.
And yet, it's exactly what Republicans are supporting AND doing as soon as "we the people" give them the legal power to do so.
Second example: loving your neighbor like thyself of course includes all women, if you respect the spirit of the New Testament. And of course, that includes respecting their sexual desires, respecting marriage vows etc.
And yet, instead of having learned how to treat women equally and respectfully, the GOP's own VP has to actively avoid them, even professionally, because he's unable to do so.
The GOP in real life LOST all faith. THAT is the basic problem here.
20
@Ana Luisa And don't forget the deep seated racism! Also unpopular and very difficult to support intellectually. The modern republicans tie themselves up in knots explaining how not-racist they are.
I’m a Mainer born and bred. I’m also a registered Democrat and have been for many years, but I voted for Susan Collins four years ago (as did many other Democrats in Maine). In my defense I will say that I’m a moderate and her progressive views on social issues and her potential ability to bring a moderate voice to an increasingly crass and anti-intellectual Republican Party appealed to me. And, four years ago seems like a different time in history. But now, even in these dangerous times when the very underpinnings of our democracy are being abandoned, she is still trying to play both sides of every issue and appeal to the right wing Republican voters in the northern part of our state. Grow a spine, Susan, and do what’s right! Ask yourself, what would Margaret Chase Smith have done, because now she’s rolling in her grave.
85
Lest we forget, ten million more than a majority of American voters, voted against Donald Trump, than those that voted for him. ( This is the combined total after including those that voted for 'independents'.)
The majority of voters wanted nothing to do with the Republican agenda.
31
The 'Bad Faith' terminology may be accurate, but IMO it not sufficiently descriptive of republican practices in terms that the majority of the populace will more immediately recognize.
Try: 'Deception'.
34
Unless the American voter pays attention, none of this will change. If people merely voted for their informed self-interest (the kind of info you could get for one hour a week of your time), all the gerrymandering in the world wouldn’t keep the republicans in power. But feelings. This has been true for years.
15
Susan Collins is working the calculation comparing the negative aspects of having to support Trump with the positive ones of resulting gains for herself and her constituents. If she chooses to remain hostage to Trump and Trump’s GOP, that is her choice.
It is a sad situation that Democrats have lost so much politically that they have to resort to plaintive cries in the wilderness in the hopes that the GOP will grant them mercy. It worked for health care last year, whatever the ultimate reasons were. However, it is a stretch to think that lightning will strike twice. The best hope for Democrats is to start winning elections, and fast.
For this Supreme Court decision, Susan Collins is on her own. And so are we.
What would really be interesting is if Collins winds up voting Kavanaugh down and later mentions that something she read in a NYT column or op-ed comment influenced her decision. Do you think that would ever happen?
16
You've got it backwards Paul. The only thing Collins and her Republican brothers seem to have is a political soul. The other kind, the moral soul that really counts, has been completely lost for some time. And after so many chances to recover it over the last two years, it is clear they have no real interest in finding it again … unless and until it is convenient in furtherance of their political life.
40
Politicians and soul, seem to be mutually exclusive ideas in contemporary America -- especially in the era of Citizens United and the requirement for massive amounts of money to get elected.
12
While it's true that the epic bad faith practiced by the contemporary GOP distracts from their ulterior motives, the other thing is that it works. Stalwart "conservatives" continue to vote against their own interests while swallowing Republican propaganda. This condition must change for the sake of the Republic.
40
Republicans have made Machiavellianism their main doctrine. They appear to be strong believers of 'the ends justify the means' and political expediency.
If only this was for a good cause, it 'might' be tolerable, even so not fully in the spirit of democracy.
But their main motivation is to further private interests and preserve and enhance the welfare of the selected few, the 1% richest, who already have lives of extraordinary privilege but still want more, and they plan to achieve this goal at the expense of the vast majority.
Bad faith is a mild word for the attitude of the current Republicans leadership . Moral corruption or moral degeneration might be more appropriate.
One does not need to be a prophet to predict that this will not end well.
Kavanaugh seems to be one of these men of bad faith and I hope that he will not become a member of the Supreme Court.
However, let's emphasize once more that American citizens have a way to actively prepare for a renewal of the political scene: they can simply vote in November…
118
If I was a religious person, which I'm not, I would say that they're giving Collins a chance to save her soul, period. Or, at least, her claim to have character and a back bone.
79
@rms
The Maine residents I have seen interviewed for news reports and the many Comments from Mainers I have seen in the NYT the last 2 years indicate repeatedly that Collins cannot be trusted. She pretends to listen to her constituents and pretends to be moderate & thoughtful in her public statements, but she always ends up voting the strict GOP Party line. Oh I know she voted against repeal of the ACA last autumn. I appreciate that & was prepared to support her as a moderate who was going to fight for her constituents. Sadly she has proven this past year that the only constituents she cares about are her biggest money donors. She sold her soul to them a long time ago. There is nothing left to save.
2
@rms Don't bet on it, she's a poser through and through. She makes some noises about the stink coming from their policies, but then she votes with them anyway.
1
Regardless of how Susan Collins votes on Kavanaugh, I hope those Maine activists will donate large sums to getting her into the intensive speech therapy program she desperately needs. I'll even match funds up to $20,000 to get Mitch McConnell to join her.
It's tough enough to listen to those two, and that's before you even hear the meaninglessness of what they have to say.
36
Judge Kavanaugh himself very well represents the Republican Bad Faith so clearly outlined here.
He says his guiding commitment is to the Constitution.
But isn't the Constitution's core principle the Separation of Powers?
Kavanaugh would simply represent not the Constitution, but a passing GOP legislature, and its very partisan political take on any constitutional principles, at the very highest level of the judiciary for the rest of his life.
Surely, from his supposedly 'originalist', literalist (that is, conservative) constitutional perspective, that was not the framers' idea of the function of the Supreme Court?
66
@Martin to say nothing of keeping religion out of politics.
I get the impression the only pre-existing condition the Republican care about is the Republican majority in the House and, especially, the Senate.
87
@Paul Krugman, thank you for reminder on "Mainers for Accountable Leadership," I just added a small donation: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mfal. Sen Collins speaks from both sides of her mouth. She is a true GOP, sometimes pretending to be for the people but not when it counts. When she is looking for cover, McConnell and the leadership oblige by giving her some fig leaf for her vote. She "falls' for it each time. It is so transparent, I wonder why she tries that approach.
She has to go. So does Murkowski, if she punts on this nomination and allows Kavanaugh into the court.
Is there a campaign against her? I'll dig deep and donate. Its up to us, the people to watch out for us. No one else will do the job. My fellow citizens from all political parties, vote responsibly in November and in the future, don't trust their words, the evidence is in their deeds, their actions in Congress.
202
Murkowski owes her seat in the senate to Alaskan natives, Essentially, she won as a write in supported by these natives. They have stated they oppose the nomination of Kavanaugh after the revelations of Senator Hirono about his questioning of the native status of Hawaiians. I don't know if there is an organized campaign around the issue though.
1
The GOP can so easily abandon its principles because it doesn't actually have any. The party only champions 'family values' or wraps itself in the flag as patriotic defenders of the constitution and 'freedom' when it thinks it's the best way to bash the Democrats or block their agenda.
It's all fake. When push comes to shove it's nothing but a blatantly cynical ploy for power, with 'dearly held' principles effortlessly brushed aside when it they longer suit a purpose.
52
As this article documents, the GOP has lost whatever moral compass it once had. So long as the rich get richer and the poor get fewer benefits, they will be happy. Jigger the argument any way you like to achieve that end.
They were particularly mobilized by their big donors over Obamacare, where taxes were raised on the rich to subsidize healthcare for the poor. They were incensed. And now there's talk of more tax cuts.
Those phony ads saying Democrats want to cut Medicare is another example of duplicitous Republican campaign tactics.
81
The Republicans have proved that the road to complete control of all branches of government is the road of bad faith. They have proved that it is a road that can be paved so long as you are dealing with a rival party that keeps expecting you to play fair. How many rhetorical dark alleys does the Democratic Party have to get mugged in before it stops following the GOP into them? The same GOP that did everything but spit on Merrick Garland is complaining about Feinstein’s timing and, more generally, Democratic demands to be given a chance to examine Kavanaugh’s complete record. Meanwhile, the GOP IS completely behind Trump’s ongoing uprooting norms— most recently his declassifying of documents for the sole purpose of obstructing an investigation and destroying a civil servant — Bruce Ohr— who has done more for the country than Trump ever will.
75
Bravo! Putting on the court this federalist guy with his views on executive power will be a huge gift to trump. Hopefully a few R's like Collins can see it's finally time to put a real check on this monster. Sadly, I doubt it still, she almost always goes full R after playing the role of moderate. But i'm hoping anyway. Wake up Flake, stop writing and start voting constructively!
84
Bravo, Prof. Krugman! Over the last twenty years, at least, the Republicans have increasingly gnawed away at and eroded American democracy. The Republican apparatchiks to whom you refer have stood by as Donald Trump has offended and attacked America's former allies. These allies, including Canada, Germany, France, Australia, and the UK, among others, now increasingly view America as close to a basket case - with reference to democratic governance, intelligent trade relations, and international probity.
It is generally recognized outside the USA that countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany and France are truer functioning democracies than the USA. People around the globe question how Bush was able to become president after losing to Gore. How that happened again with Kerry after the Ohio vote was manipulated in the late hours of election night. And again, and most monstrously, when Trump became president although Mrs. Clinton had 3 million more votes. (The Electoral College being the opposite of democracy.)
Some people used to speak of Great Britain as "perfidious Albion." Perfidious America with its more than perfidious President and Republican lackeys now seems to have attained a new level of perfidy.
67
"Last year, for example, major Republican donors openly threatened to withhold contributions unless the party gave them a big tax cut."
So the Congress is under the thumb of a handful of rich people who dictates how to govern the USA, the richest & most powerful country in history?!
This must end. Grassroots campaign against the GOP will work, some day.
95
I once thought that but too many people will stick to their guns, Bibles, and Rush.
2
Kavanaugh's situation reminds me a lot of Roy Moore's. They both have extreme views and some serious question marks about their suitability for the job they aspire to. Both had their likely appointment derailed when old complaints of criminal sexual misconduct surfaced. The conclusion with Kavanaugh is the same as with Moore: the allegations are very troubling, but this candidacy never should have gotten as far as it did to begin with.
69
Let's stop being coy. The Republicans have dropped all pretenses of good faith because they are on the verge of turning the US into a single party state. They are more Bolshevik than conservative at this point. They have seized control of the legislatures and governorships of a majority of states through gerrymandering, voter restrictions, race-baiting divisive campaigns and years of underfunding and undercutting public education so that they could easily control those whose votes still count. They have taken control of the Congress and the Presidency, with the obvious assistance of a hostile foreign power, and are at the threshold of controlling the Supreme Court. The current President is gutting the enforcement agencies that could threaten him and any future outrageous claims he makes (no doubt for "national security") and clearly would like to turn the Justice Department into a partisan secret police — all while the Republican Congress idly stands by or even cheerleads. When they are finished the only wonder will be how trivially easy it all turned out to be, and how much years of talk about "democratic ideals" by rank and file Americans turned out to be just so much hot air. Meanwhile 35% of voters are excited by all the "winning" they perceive, as if their football team has taken the Superbowl. Watch now as they cheer as Trump starts a trade war that will destroy their livelihoods.
364
Enjoyed your summary, thank you, well said.
"...to save her political soul." This is so helpful, to think of our politics as having soul. It's not supposed to be just transactional and greedy and cheap. This is America! Think of Lincoln, think of MLK, Barack and Michelle Obama, think of Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, and think today of all the young, hopeful faces enlivenimg the Nov. 6 election contest. These are people who've entered into politics driven by something in their souls. Not by greed for fast-disappearing privilege, money. and power.
30
If they haven't already the Democrats desperately need to produce a "Who are you trying to kid" series to counter the Republican "Democrats want to cut Medicare" ads Krugman mentions. These would practically write themselves given the tax-cut for billionaires looming deficit combined with public statements by Republican leaders (Ryan included) on how Social Security and Medicare "reform" must be on the table to fix the problem they created themselves. I think this would be a winning strategy in Trump country especially.
54
On what rational or economic principles should the insurers cover pre-existing conditions. I'd expect a "Nobel" economist to articulate that.
If so, can we also do the same for my car? I have no insurance but got into an accident today. Can I now get an insurer to cover the "pre-existing" condition of my car?
2
@abc There are plenty of sound economic reasons, but the more important reasons are those of moral behavior in a democracy.
7
If you were required to have insurance from the minute you first owned the car, it would be impossible for you to have had the accident without already being covered. That is the way most states handle auto insurance. Same thing works for human insurance. Everyone is covered from birth, everyone contributes, those unlucky enough to fall sick are covered. I-n-s-u-r-a-n-c-e. It's a brilliant and simple concept for managing risks that impact individuals disproportionately. Problem is, if you start picking off the lucky ones, and only include them in your coverage, while excluding or expelling those who incur claims — well, thats not really insurance, is it? That's selling snake oil.
31
@abc It's called regulation and it's part of the fabric of the nation and the social contract for many reasons -- among them averting the opportunistic capitalist abandonment of citizens as they age, which would have dire social and fiscal costs. BTW, a car is not a human being.
30
Republican bad faith started with Reagan who claimed cutting taxes would induce economic growth and raise tax revenue. It was based the fallacious Laffer bell curve - fake math to justify an ideological impulse.
91
Meet the new Hooverites, same as the old Hooverites!
Susan Collins should vote against Brett Kavanaugh not in order to save her political soul , but to show she has a moral soul .
In a male dominated Republican Senate, only two female republican senators can change the course of trumpian history and demonstrate that they care about America , not allowing the election of a judge who would change the balance of the Supreme Court to challenge existing rights , particularly those of women , who make up more than half of the electorate.
Beside , being an atheist , I believe that having six catholic judges out of nine , is an insult to the 27% Americans without religious affiliation and doesn’t represent the make up of this Country.
151
@Inter nos I believe one day, sooner than we think, Democrats will regret this decision. Republicans live by the motto what is done to thou will be done to thee times 10. The next time a 35 year old accusation comes to light it will be directed at a Democrat. Count on it. Whether they know it or not the Democrats are introducing a new litmus test on their ability to serve? Because if Kavanaugh is forced to withdraw then the GOP will demand that Democratic politicians be forced to resign if similar allegations come to light? And they will. Whether Kavanaugh steps down or not a conservative jurist will serve on SCOTUS nothing can stop that. Isn't the real issue Kavanaugh is a conservative who could change the direction of the court so we are willing to set aside our principles temporarily? It would seem so. I have to wonder if Kavanaugh was a liberal who would swing the court to the left would we have as many comments here asking him to step down. Probably not. Wouldn't we be more outraged at the last minute accusation. If we set this terrible precedent we're asking for a non stop witch hunt where the innocent & guilty are indistinguishable. We shouldn't do this because of political expediency where a mere accusation can destroy someone's career. The reason we have statutes of limitations is not because of the inability of obtaining a conviction after many years, but the practicality of defending ones innocence. I doubt this one will ever be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
3
@Bill Brown
There is an instinct in this Democrat that would vote against each and any Republican appointee for the Supreme Court, if I were a Democratic Senator. I would attend the hearings and possibly do crossword puzzles during the proceedings. To answer any inquiries about my behavior, I would only need 2 words, "Merrick Garland."
1
Franken was already forced out; this is simply the application of the Republicans' so-called "standard" to a Republican operative
3
"It’s true that many Trump supporters will get a rude shock if Republicans hold Congress, imagining that they’re making America great and losing their health care coverage instead."
GREAT article, Dr. Krugman.
Welcome back.
53
I have been wondering why Kavanaugh wasn’t questioned more about his astounding personal debt, and its miraculous disappearance. His racking up of debt seems to show bad judgment on his part- not a good quality in a judge. Thanks for bringing it up briefly in this article.
460
Personal debt is an issue evaluated in all Federal employees who hold a " Sensitive," or "Top Secret," classification according to the nature of the work they perform, usually in jobs for agencies that Trump abhors.
The caution has to do with being vulnerable to pay offs, i.e. being bought off by sinister characters, governments, etc.
Yes, a Supreme could benefit from an opinion that helps any wealthy special interest, through a pay off.
Lobbyists are aware of this-- just look at campaign contributions to members of the Legislative Branch!
28
Re Krugman's Sept. 16, 2018 column:
"There’s a story about quantum physics – not sure where I read it – about the rivalry between the physicists Julian Schwinger and Richard Feynman."
The story is attributed to Murray Gell-Mann in:
* "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman" by James Gleick. (p. 277)
And repeated in:
* "The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments" by Jim Baggott. (p. 192)
9
@JGC
Thanks so much for posting this! Feynman was an incredible human being.
6
bear in mind as well that republican gains in elections over the past few decades have been through gerrymandering, so that a minority of the voters controls the majority of the offices.
113
@slightlycrazy Lately, meaning after HWBush, the gop can only win by cheating (gerrymandering, voter suppression, help from foreign adversaries), so cheating is what they do. Several million more voted against trump than for him. He and his congress keep ruling against the will of the majority and are set on doing it again with this very unpopular SCOTUS pick. At some point, there will be a reckoning. I hope it's in November, through a fair and peaceful election. We can only be pushed so far.
17
@slightlycrazy
52 Senators represent 18% of the people.
I'm a big picture viewing type just as your oped yesterday noted the importance of theory and drawings in macroeconomics. In this case, I have been following Republican conduct and strategy now very closely and trying to reverse engineer their long term plans.
The Republicans are conducting a hostile takeover of our government with the goal of having a monopoly Republican single party undemocratic rule of our nation with which to install a military and gun owner backed fascist empire.
I'm sorry to write, this is in preparation for possible civil unrest born out of paranoid leadership over the years. Even Trump said at one campaign appearance that was nationally televised that there may be civil unrest if he were to lose the election.
The Republicans carefully cultivated support of the military and the nations gun owners for many decades leading to now.
I cannot overemphasis the dire nature of the Republican strategy. It's a party of the wealthy and corporations or unbridled capitalists taking over the nation out of fear of not Socialism, but Communism, always an inevitable future in empires.
There are hints that the "New World Order" is a goal of not only American Republicans, but in concert with other nations, most notably Russia where Communism has given way to Capitalism.
I know this all seems far fetched, even to me, hard to believe, but consider my points. Perhaps some hold truth in others minds. Consider the ruthless actions of Republicans to find truth.
35
@Waves of Brain
Far from far-fetched. Remember the Rovian dictum that the GOP should rule, not govern.
If "Bad Faith" is a legal term as defined:
"intentional dishonest act by not fulfilling legal or contractual obligations, misleading another, entering into an agreement without the intention or means to fulfill it, or violating basic standards of honesty in dealing with others"
then I want the RNC and Republicans in Congress to be investigated and brought to hearing (impeached, indicted or whatever we can do to get rid of them) regarding their failures to fulfill their contractual obligations to represent the people (taxpayers who pay their salaries and benefits) whom they were sworn into office to represent and serve in good faith.
I'll leave it to others here to point out the breathtaking hypocrisy of Collins /Republican assertions that citizens are not allowed to demand that their representatives represent their interests, but it's okay for corporations to do so.
49
"Bad faith" is a blunt and slippery term. Better fitting would be "hypocrisy." Both parties are guilty of it, though to differing degrees. Democrats are carelessly inconsistent but more reluctantly willing to sacrifice principle for expediency. Republicans engage more frequently in egregious and shameless hypocrisy.
It is, however, no more "legitimate" for interest lobbies to fundraise and disrupt nomination confirmation hearings than it is for the Senate to refuse to enable a justice to be appointed to a vacancy on the absurd excuse that "voters" have to be heard first. Ben Sasse is a Republican, and apparently a friend of Brett Kavanaugh, but in this respect he is spot on. The Constitution clearly and for good reason lodges policymaking in the Congress, while the president is supposed to execute laws, not make them, and the Supreme Court to adjudicate laws but not rewrite them. The Senate's power to "advise and consent" presidential appointments is designed as a check on the appointments being misused for narrow political reasons, not as an open invitation to misuse the confirmation process.
It is also incorrect to say that "Bill Clinton was impeached over a consensual affair." Disgraceful conduct in the oval office was a motive, no doubt, but the impeachment charge itself was lying under oath. Democrats who are serious about being consistent and focused on serving the country should pay close attention to which offenses are traditionally impeachable and which not.
7
You said, "It is, however, no more 'legitimate' for interest lobbies to fundraise and disrupt nomination confirmation hearings than it is for the Senate to refuse to enable a justice to be appointed to a vacancy on the absurd excuse that 'voters' have to be heard first."
I can't imagine how you came to this conclusion. The influencing of politicians by a multitude of common people banding together to achieve a common goal is the essence of America. The pressure on Susan Collins is not being funded by a Sheldon Adelson, but by tens of thousands of Americans donating as little as a few dollars. Given republican success on making money the most powerful element of politics, this is the only way for common people advocating for themselves to effect change.
3
@Sage, you mischaracterize the voters putting pressure on Collins. They're not an "interest lobby" like Pharma or Wall Street--they're small donors, ordinary Mainers, banding together to try to be heard. Isn't that what democracy is all about?
We all know that Clinton was technically impeached for perjury. We also know that he was really impeached over a consensual affair. Just ask Brett Kavanaugh, who wrote the most salacious chapters of the Starr Report.
3
@Sage There's no such thing as "traditionally impeachable" offenses. Impeachment is a political process. And yes, Clinton lied under oath – about a consensual affair, because Republicans couldn't find anything more substantial to impeach him for.
2
Mr. Krugman is right that there is false equivalence here. However, he is wrong to be happy that the pressure now goes from big socially liberal donors to GOP senators. The ability for big money donors to influence politics to either the left or the right is exactly why the country is in its sad polarized state incapable of getting anything done. Liberals (and conservatives when they get over the Trump fever) must advocate for overturning Citizens United via an amendment to drain corrupting money out of politics.
41
@Peter "The ability for big money donors to influence politics to either the left or the right..."
Except my understanding was that they were SMALL donors banding together in Maine to commit to funding a candidate to oppose Sen. Collins. That's real democracy.
39
The "socially liberal" donors exercising pressure on Collins aren't big donors — the funds (to be offered to her opponent if she should vote for Kavanaugh) are crowdfunded from ordinary voters. It's really the only way little guys can exert any influence at all with Citizens United in effect. It's brilliant.
36
I think that Paul speaks for many of us, although I fear that he may be preaching to the choir. While the fundamental baseness and demonstrable immorality of the GOP seems obvious to any clear thinking person (or dog, or cat!), the reality is that such a coherent, verifiable, historically accurate description such as this simply does not hold any meaning for either the Republican party or their leadership (talk about an oxymoron!)
It is clearly not enough to be thoughtful, fact-based, and of good will in one's narrative; something else will obviously be required to divert the Trump lemmings from their fate. I only wish I had a cue as to how this ship might be turned before it is too late.
November beckons!
20
The problem is not that Republicans act in bad faith; they've been doing so for decades now. The problem is the support they have from the American people. Until we realize a significant segment of our voting population inhabits a separate, media-generated reality, our focus on the party and party leaders is misdirected. We have to figure out how to penetrate the walls of that separate reality. It's a problem we have not yet begun to face, let alone solve.
58
@Eric Caine That " media-generated reality" is part of the GOP propaganda machine. Reagan cleared the way for consolidation of media companies presenting-I can't say one side of issues because what they present is simply lies.
There are many pieces of the Republican/oligarchical conspiracy against America. Each supports the other with the goal of absolute rule by the rich and powerful.
The world has seen this before, and the end usually isn't pretty.
As far as Republican behavior goes, politics is politics. Had the Democrats played hardball politics like Republicans while looking after the economic stagnation of many Americans they wouldn't be in this position. Alas, they too have their donors who don't want their taxes raised either. As far as Republican supporters who cheer every time they take something away form them, Stockholm syndrome comes to mind.
9
I would go further. The Republicans rapid run to the right and their success with voters started because the Democrats gave up their position on the left and began chasing Republicans ever rightward. At that point their appeared little to distinguish the two and voters went with the original rather than the second rate imitation. Now Republican voters fear the "socialists" under Obama and company whose politics lie substantially to the right of Nixon.
7
The "Oh dear me" political round-heels, Collins, perpetually disappointed in her naive trust in her fellow Republicans, terminally misunderstood by the folks back home, engaged in a titanic struggle on behalf of the little people of Maine, yet possessed of an infinite reserve of plucky optimism that her party will come around, is squarely in the Kavanaugh camp already.
All that remains to be seen is the degree of bathos she'll bring to the performance leading to her fateful vote.
30
The ultimate bad faith... running for political office with the intent of serving wealthy special interest rather than the voters who elected you.
67
The people who would have us believe "Atlas Shrugged" is the model for their philosophy refuse to see that they have become the looters Rand portrayed so well in the book. It's the one thing she got right.
Rand repeatedly showed her villains denying things they did not want to acknowledge - like science. They righteously embraced ignorance. They lied most of all to themselves.
At the end of the day there is only one principle the GOP honors: hold onto power no matter what it takes. Everything else is just marketing - and all they have to sell is snake oil. So, of course they lie.
Vote them all out in November.
99
Professor Krugman, you must be exhausted by now from your longstanding efforts to explain to America that the entire GOP has been operating continuously in "bad faith" since 1980 (when Reagan used his "Uncle Ronnie" shtick to claim to stand for "Real Americans" in heartland while picking their pockets to feed Wall Street's coffers).
Ever since then the GOP has shamelessly played this same con game on their gullible voters. Specifically, wielding culture war tropes and star-spangled jingoism to whip up the "traditional values" crowd while quietly legislating the transfer of massive amounts of wealth from the pockets of these same "Real Americans" into the pockets of the wealthiest One Percent.
And over the decades the GOP has become more and more brazen in dropping the pretense and camouflage which they once used to disguise the yawning dichotomy between who they claim to champion (the "Little Guy") vs. their real masters in the Oligarchy.
Citizens United more or less tore down the GOP curtain between "what we say" vs. "what we do". Their $1.5 trillion tax cut for the uber-rich is just the latest in a long line of blatant kickbacks to the GOP's Oligarchic masters. Now the GOP simply lies when they act in "bad faith" - and dares anyone to challenge their lies.
And you, Prof. Krugman, are one of the voices who rise to that challenge every single time. I know it's grueling and frustrating work, but SOMEONE needs to do it - over and over again.
Thanks, Professor Krugman.
56
Collins is gradually turning into yet another "Never Trumper" who, when push comes to shove, ends up casting her lot with America's Great White Dope. At this point, she may be envying her former colleague, Olympia Snowe, who probably saw the writing on the wall for New England Republicans and got out while the getting was good. I'm betting that January 2021 will find her in a comfortable state of new-found retirement.
51
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." - Dalai Lama "The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others." - Albert Schweitzer "Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men (sic)." - Confucius "God's dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion." - Desmond Tutu.
The GOP are selling their souls and not just political ones. Without compassion for women, minorities, elderly, immigrants, students, ill, poor, mother earth, etc.,etc. they have no right to rule over others. Whether a senator, representative or judge when they with hold compassion for the "rest of us" (the 99%) their soul has become hard. Lack of compassion over time destroys community and even a nation.
112
Ironic, too, that so many Evangelicals have sidled-up alongside the party of greed, or is it?
2
@Rev Wayne
One could say the Repubs have been very successful in their amoral grab for money and power these past 45 or so years.
Does Prof Krugman truly misunderstand this country?
To use an economics term, we are in a prisoner's dilemma - the parties cannot assuage the concerns about their worst intentions (open borders on the left, an unchecked oligarchy on the right) because no one, this paper included, will provide any moral cover for compromise.
Kavanaugh should be confirmed, as Ginsburg, Sotomoyer and Kagan were, because it is the president's prerogative.
The handling of Garland's nomination was shameful, but the argument that a presidential election is a referendum on the court is plausible at least. The senate is merely to advise and consent on the nomination, so midterms were never intended to be a check on judicial appointments.
There's no shortage of blame to go around for how we got here, but with our addiction to the soap opera political cycle (we're all here reading aren't we?) bad faith will continue unabated because there is no incentive, monetary or otherwise, to not be as uncompromising as possible for either party.
5
@Arturo: Yet another example of false equivalence. The Constitution says that it's the obligation (never mind the right) of the current president to fill a vacancy to the Supreme Court- there's nothing in there about waiting for the next president to do it. The Senate doesn't "merely" advise and consent; its members have the absolute right to REFUSE to consent, as well they should when the current president is himself under investigation for having possibly colluded with the enemies of our country. Oh... and please identify a single Democrat who's come out in support of open borders.
57
No, Kavanaugh should not be confirmed. You are right that the Garland episode was shameful; Dr. Krugman is right to say that the Garland episode is one of several factors that completely disqualify current GOP confirmation efforts from having any credibility or respectability.
Should appointment of judges be the sitting president’s prerogative? Under normal circumstances we consider that to be the case, but these are not normal circumstances. The sitting president was not elected by a popular majority, and more importantly he is under the cloud of a credible investigation. Should a possible criminal suspect be allowed to select his own judge?
28
Consent implies by its very definition the right to say "no". The president's prerogative is to attempt to find a candidate the Senate will consent too. If they were obligated to accede, then the Constitution would say "by and with the advice of the Senate" only.
10
I usually appreciate Dr. Krugman's sometimes lengthy explanations of complex issues. But in this case, there's a very simple and very concise explanation for the Republicans' bad-faith politics.
It's all about power.
110
Today's Republican leaders in Congress could care less about party principles, morality or ethics; Job One for them is re-working the U.S. Government as a cash machine for their ultra-wealthy and grateful benefactors.
143
Krugman implies at the end of his column that if Susan Collins votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, than she will be losing her "political soul." But doesn't Senator Collins have the right, despite intense pressure from anti-Kavanaugh interest groups, to conclude that Kavanaugh would be a good choice for the supreme court, and vote that way? Isn't Krugman acting in bad faith by suggesting that Collins must vote for Kavanaugh in order to remain a good person? Aren't liberals supposed to believe in the principle of freedom to vote one's conscience? Maybe you should practice what you preach as well, Mr. Krugman.
9
@Andrew When you can establish that a vote for Kavanaugh by Senator Collins would actually be a vote of conscience then you may have a point. In any case, Senator Collins remains as free to respond to the financial pressure of special interest groups as every other member of the Republican party.
18
@Andrew That's your gripe? I don't think he calls anywhere for her to vote for anyone--he's just pointing out that there is a serious double-standard applied by Republican officials, a smokescreen used to tune out messages that get in the way of tax cuts and deregulation served as if they are the exact opposite of what they are--giveaways to the wealthy few at the cost of our health, our land, our children, education, and our global standing and ability to peacefully influence others. Krugman's larger point, which is really his main point, seems to have fully fallen on deaf ears with you, kind of similar to the way Republican politicians ignore the will of the vast majority, and actively work to subvert that will with false advertisements and gerrymandering.
34
@Andrew: Some of us believe that the idea of voting one's conscience if you're a senator in favor of choice implies voting in opposition to a Supreme Court nominee who's clearly opposed to women's reproductive rights.
31
it's only bribery if small donors line up to do it. If corporations or wealthy individuals do it, it's lobbying. everyone knows that.
442
The Grand Larceny party is perfectly comfortable stealing the country and flushing democracy down its Trump Toilet because the Republican Party does have one true bedrock principle.
And their fake President even said it on page 48 in his 1987 Art of the Snake Oil book:
"The point is that you can't be too greedy."
That is the entire Republican Party platform.
Republicans are happy to steal from the poor and give to the rich, to steal from the treasury and give to the rich, and to steal democracy itself and give it to the rich.
Of course, that type of sociopathy doesn't sell well to most Americans, so the Grand Old Propagandists paint over their insatiable destructive greed with fear and loathing, dog whistles, white spite, religious insanity, guns-and-bullets, shameless flag-waving and war-hawking violence.
That propaganda campaign is enough to organ-harvest the common sense of about 40% of American voters which gets them close to victory but still in a clear electoral minority.
How to make up the difference to get to 'victory' ?
Voter suppression, gerrymandering, automated 'black-box' voting machine counts, the good-old fashioned slave-state inspired Electoral College, the rural red religious regressive Republican Senate, some Kremlin assistance and some conservative FBI-office meddling.
In essence, the Republican Party is fully committed to the overthrow of the will of the public at all costs.
Russian-Republican oligarchy is no way to run America.
November 6 2018
1008
This is nothing new. The GOP has always been this way. Why any of the working class vote Republican is way beyond me. With that said it doesn't matter what party one votes for since both parties are owned by big money.
2
@Socrates
It really is all about the money.
The couldn’t care less about the country.
3
@Socrates: "The point is that you can't be too greedy."
• Can you tell us how much money you have to earn to qualify as "greed"?
"Republicans are happy to steal from the poor and give to the rich..."
• Democrats are happy to take money from one group of people and give it to other groups of people, mostly for the purpose of gaining votes and perpetual power. Meanwhile, the poor still remain poor...what a scam.
"...the good-old fashioned slave-state inspired Electoral College..."
• Can you describe the original intent of the electoral method of electing the president? Do you know how Democrats and Republicans have corrupted that process?
"In essence, the Republican Party is fully committed to the overthrow of the will of the public at all costs."
In essence, the Democratic Party is fully committed to the exact same thing when it suits their interests.
Congress can be easily purchased by just a handful of billionaires. Let's do the math:
The cost to buy 218 House Representatives (majority) and 61 Senators at $500,000 per Congressman = $140 million
Sheldon Adelson alone got a $700 million tax benefit recently. That's 5X the price of Congress.
We need to address extreme wealth inequality. We could also raise the price of Congress by adding more Congressmen.
495
@Daniel Tobias Alternately, we could get some congressmen who aren't so cheap. I enjoyed your math class.
4
@Daniel Tobias
Nailed it.
3
@Daniel Tobias
You are absolutely right about adding more Congressmen.
Another good reason to add more Congressmen (or women) is that each one now "represents" an average of around 715,000 voters. Is it any wonder that the wealthy and well-connected have undue access?
Here's what the Founding Fathers thought. The Constitution (Article 1, Section 2) provides that, "Representatives ... shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers...." (I.e., women, slaves, etc., need not apply.) "THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE FOR EVERY THIRTY THOUSAND (voters) ...." (Emphasis added.)
Having a larger number of Congressmen (and women) would result in greater diversity and greatly increase the voice of the ordinary citizen. Who knows? It might even encourage more people to go to the polls. Of course, with a population in the neighborhood of 330 million it wouldn't be practical to have over 10,000 representatives, but a substantial increase certainly seems warranted today.
It would be interesting to see where the Federalist Society, originalist judges, and our professional political tribe weight in on this question.
3
Your thoughts here are on point, but I must differ with your by-the-way characterization of the Clinton impeachment as about a consensual affair.
While it is ironic that many of the Republicans who pursued the impeachment were themselves unfaithful to their wives, Newt Gingrich perhaps most spectacularly, the impeachment was notionally about perjury and obstruction of justice, and any affair between the most powerful man in the world and a young intern under his authority can hardly be entirely consensual.
That said, the distinction between perjury and lying to the American people as a whole rather than a particular court is not a very useful one, and a President whose words bear, if anything, a negative correlation with the truth can be considered harmful.
17
The Kavanaugh nomination is why Supreme Court Justices should require a minimum of 60 votes to be seated for a lifetime on the highest court in the land. If that standard existed, Kavanaugh would never have been nominated, nor would any of the other 25 judges on the Federalist Society's list of ultra conservative justices.
771
@Ronny You mean 'should once again require a minimum of 60 votes'. That was the rule until McConnell realized he could never get Gorsuch confirmed under it.
28
@Ronny Term limits of 20 years on the Supreme Court. That's it. I have had it up to my hair roots. Enough of this idiocy.
8
Kavanaugh has a history as a stooge for the GOP. That doesn't make him a brilliant, supple, inquisitive and independent legal mind who we need in the Supremes for decades to come. It makes him someone who should have been passed over for this and who should be grateful for the position he does hold. Voting to confirm a stooge isn't an act of any kind of integrity. It's doing what one's told.
896
More than a stooge, Federalist Society lawyers like Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are extreme right wing, super-Catholic, Libertarian political operatives hellbent on locking in unaccountable corporate dominance for decades to come. They're highly skilled Koch brothers hit men-- the absolute opposite of impartial, fact-driven jurists.
10
@interested reader
This is a continuation of the partisan ranting characteristic of the hearing so far. You might not get an argument that the Democratic choice, which was more or less railroaded via the partisan route would have been better, but just because of the amicus briefs record, which in reality was (is) merely a training ground for efficacious judges, party preferences notwithstanding, is no good reason for rendering the judgment that he is none of the above mentioned. What needs to be examined is his record of service in the executive branch. Those documents ought to be subpoenaed, forcing the President to adhere to the letter of the law where executive privilege is concerned. The Republicans can lay no claim to integrity generally, but that doesn't mean that this gentleman is not a pillar of respectability. More and more hysteria is not good and serves no purpose.
''The very process that brought Kavanaugh to the brink of a lifetime Supreme Court appointment was saturated in bad faith.'' - Well, in all likelihood, it is going to be proven to more than just bad faith, but rather a conspiracy to usurp an election with the aid of a foreign power. (but moving along)
No longer is the republican mantra of ''take two tax cuts and call me at the next election'' working. It may be working for a select few at the top, but it no longer works for any other Americans. (it really didn't anyways, as the trickle down was less than a trickle)
Having said all that, the ruling class does not even have any pretense anymore - it is all about power (getting it and keeping it)
If the opponent is in power, then anything is said or done , (inclusive of completely bringing the procedures of Democracy or government to a standstill)
When they are in power, then even if the election was won by one vote (or less in the popular vote by millions) then that majority will be used as if there was a massive mandate by the electorate.
The mandate of course, is to lower the responsibilities for that elite. Taxes are responsibilities. Infrastructure does not pay for itself and they partake in that infrastructure as well. They consume more, and pollute more. They need to give more. (Progressively, which is more than fair)
There is no bad faith in that.
187
FunkyIrishman....the true Republican platform is this:
"Take two tax cuts and call me from the morgue !"
"Drop dead, 99% of America !"
Greed Over People 2018
These are very sick GOPeople.
168
@Socrates
Even sicker are the people who pay them to do what they do. None of the people who were appointed by Pence were picked for no reason and look at all they've managed to do in less than two years!
https://www.rimaregas.com/2018/08/07/greed-malfeasance-never-sleep-blog4...
@Socrates These republican lackeys are not sick, they are EVIL.
If it wasn't completely obvious from 2010 on, there can be no doubt, almost two years into the Trump administration, that the GOP is completely bought by the oligarchy.
All of the things that have been rolled back or made into law, specifically and only, benefit those who have the means to buy themselves a party. America will find out, after the election, exactly what it means to live under the oppressive weight of a mafia-like regime.
On Saturday, inexplicably, Justice Roberts intervened in a case that, had he left it alone, would have barred the Department of the Treasury to keep dark money donors' names from becoming public.
Adding Kavanaugh to the high court guarantees rulings that favor corporation and wealthy donors. It also guarantees that privacy, the prison industrial complex, and even white supremacist laws will be upheld for a long time to come - unless - Democrats are willing to finally play as mean and dirty as Republicans have since John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.
If Democrats win majorities in Congress, they must obstruct, nullify, and impeach. They must also prevent oligarchs from running as Democrats. As it is, several are running in state races. Oligarchs are never benevolent. They belong to their own class and will look out for themselves, not us.
===
Things Trump Did While You Weren't Looking
https://www.rimaregas.com/2018/08/07/greed-malfeasance-never-sleep-blog4...
258
To illustrate where we are from the headlines today alone:
Foreign lobbying overhaul loses steam in Congress
When Paul Manafort was indicted last year for failing to register as a foreign agent, lawmakers vowed to crack down on people who skirt the rules on lobbying for foreign interests.
Nearly a year later, amid partisan clashes and pushback from foreign-owned companies, the push to strengthen the Foreign Agents Registration Act appears to be going nowhere fast.
“There’s these very fierce efforts to maintain the status quo,” Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), one of the lawmakers pushing to overhaul FARA, said in an interview Monday.
---
This is AFTER Manafort pled guilty.
15
@Rima Regas There is one unwritten rule Democrats can break if they ever win the White House and Senate, and that is increasing the number of justices in the Supreme Court to at least bring more balance. The constitution does not specify the number of judges on the Supreme Court and in fact that number has fluctuated before it settled on nine. That could eventually lead to all parties agreeing to a constitutional amendment fixing the number and imposing rules that make it difficult to have a politically biased court, such as requiring at least 1/3 of Senators from the minority party approving. Term limits should also be part of that amendment.
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@serban
The question is, if the same leadership remains, whether they'll do it. I have my doubts.
This morning's news includes an item about Devin Nunes' Democratic opponent. The DCCC had promised funds for his campaign. He can't even get them to return his calls.
Democratic voters need to take a greater interest in party politics. These shenanigans have gone on without hindrance for far too long.
The sad thing is that not one of these GOP senators is losing a moment of sleep over any of this. That’s left for constituents, that is, everyone else. With exploding national debt, threats to the social safety net, the undoing of critical environmental regulations, the right to choose and on and on.
The only solution is to vote and grant these Senators their turn to toss and turn at night and wonder what they’ll do with all the free time.
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@TDC
Sadly, there are billionaires out there who will make each Republican Senator a millionaire simply for casting one "yes" vote for Kavanaugh. When offered that much money, how many Republican senators will say "no"? Only the independently wealthy ones.
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@McCamy Taylor-Recalling the $500,000 bonus Paul Ryan received from his Koch Brothers' paymasters after helping to pass the Republican tax give-away to the rich, sadly I fear you are right.
I think the independently wealthy Republicans are bought and paid for too. And certainly looking out for themselves. For the GOP, the party is those in power, not their constituents, and it's always self over party and party over country.
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And the even bigger evidence of 'bad faith' is that after the GOP'ers did their worst, many of them are retiring (graduating to lobbyists) instead of facing the voters again and taking their lumps.
Sad.
Of course, since Mitch McConnell and his merry band of Seditionists didn't pay a price for ignoring the Merrick nomination - and their Oaths - why would Congress think they had any duty to voters, instead of a duty to their donors.
And the whole situation is a knock-on from the unequal recovery following 2008, which the always excellent Matt Taibbi explains so well:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/financial-crisis...
It seems GOP'ers would have remembered 2012, and the price they paid of Romney's loss following John Boehner's 2011 bragging that capital was on strike until massive tax cuts were passed for the ultra-wealthy and corporations:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-s-mcelvaine/capital-strike_b_96540...
so there was no infrastructure investment in the Obama years.
Though now, after the huge tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and corporations with GOP'ers in control, there's still no infrastructure investment.
Odd.
But thank goodness Wall Street's average salary increased 13% in 2017, to $422,500+ so that something will trickle down - soon - any day now - just wait.
It's only been 10 years - give it time :(
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@R. Law "It's only been 10 years - give it time :("
Good post but I disagree with the last sentence.
We first heard about trickle down economics when St. Reagan was running for president so it's been longer than 10 years and at least 90% of us are still waiting.
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Thirty years. The dribble down insanity started with St. Ronnie. Clinton never really addressed it, both Bushes made it worse, and Yertle McConnell dedicated his party to behaving like they were in the majority even when they weren’t early in Obama’s tenure.
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@R. Law Unfortunately, trickle-down "voodoo economics," which was launched by Reagan and his cronies, has been failing to deliver for anyone but the wealthy for forty years. Then again, I did feel a warm stream on my head when I lost my job in 2008.
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The actions of “activists in Maine” seeking to pressure Sen. Susan Collins to vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation employ “surely legitimate” tactics when they basically focus on one issue and place her entire career in jeopardy trying to get an opponent elected instead, yet the efforts of Charles Koch and Sheldon Adelson are less legitimate when they seek to unseat Democrats. The truth is that this is a life-or-death nomination to many liberals, and anything goes; but similar moves against them are unfair.
The REAL truth is that Democrats have become SO desperate to stop this nomination at any cost that engaging in “bad faith” is the least of their transgressions. The demands for endless documentation beyond anything reviewed for any other nominee merely to draw the process out beyond November, when they believe they might have a shot at the Senate (fuhgettaboutit), is emblematic of this desperation.
Krugman must have turned in this column before the current brouhaha over allegations that Kavanaugh, when a high school minor decades ago and inebriated, attacked a girl at a party (but didn’t rape or otherwise physically harm her). She alleges, he denies categorically, and is supported by the other man who, as a boy, was only now, decades later, alleged by the woman to have been a part of the attack. The willingness to bring this up basically on the eve of his confirmation has delayed the vote to hear testimony from the woman and Kavanaugh next Monday. I expect …
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@Richard Luettgen
"Krugman must have turned in this column before the current brouhaha over allegations that Kavanaugh, when a high school minor decades ago and inebriated, attacked a girl at a party (but didn’t rape or otherwise physically harm her)"
Correction, Richard.
According to her account, the two friends of Kavanaugh who were present in the room pried him off of her and she was able to flee the room. So, it isn't that he "didn't rape her," as much as it is that he didn't have the opportunity to finish what he was doing.
There's a difference. There are also two other people who were present. If Democrats are smart, they'll demand they be brought in as witnesses if their identities are known.
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@Richard Luettgen
With regard to your first paragraph, I think the point Krugman is making is that the like of Charles Koch and Sheldon Adelson have previously done much the same to others as Maine activists are currently doing to Susan Collins, so why are Republicans complaining?. Perhaps we should ask Merrick Garland what he thinks.
How about Republican concern about the deficit? It seems a strange silence at the moment.
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@Richard Luettgen
"The REAL truth is that Democrats have become SO desperate to stop this nomination at any cost....."
Ah, custodian of the REAL truth, pray tell us the REAL truth about the Republicans who were SO desperate to stop the nomination of Merrick Garland.
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