First Door on the Left

(Friday Night Cartoons are below this post.)

It’s been a while since I’ve recommended a Paul Krugman column to you, but his latest is worth a read. Since The New York Times decided to go to a pay format for their online content, I’ve shied away from them a bit. However, as I understand it, if you follow a link from a blog it does not count against your monthly allotment of twenty free articles. So, here, let me get you started, then you can click on the column’s title to continue reading…

Getting to Crazy

There aren’t many positive aspects to the looming possibility of a U.S. debt default. But there has been, I have to admit, an element of comic relief — of the black-humor variety — in the spectacle of so many people who have been in denial suddenly waking up and smelling the crazy.

A number of commentators seem shocked at how unreasonable Republicans are being. “Has the G.O.P. gone insane?” they ask.

Why, yes, it has. But this isn’t something that just happened, it’s the culmination of a process that has been going on for decades. Anyone surprised by the extremism and irresponsibility now on display either hasn’t been paying attention, or has been deliberately turning a blind eye.

And may I say to those suddenly agonizing over the mental health of one of our two major parties: People like you bear some responsibility for that party’s current state.

If you are one of the people who say they will never read a Krugman column, you are probably one of the people who really should read this column. It is always good to have some idea of what your fellow citizens think of you.
 

Click on the first image, or on any image, and an automatic slideshow will begin. Images will change at seven second intervals. You will also have the option of stopping the slideshow and scrolling through the cartoons at your leisure. Enjoy!

As always, our thanks go to the talented an observant cartoonists who, each week, help us smile through the pain.

Bonus video (may not be viewable outside the United States):

Saturday additions:

President Obama held his second news conference of the week this morning. His focus, of course, was on the current negotiations to raise the country’s debt ceiling and reduce the deficit…

Eighty percent of the American people support an approach that includes revenues and includes cuts. So the notion that somehow the American people aren’t sold is not the problem. The problem is members of Congress are dug in ideologically into various positions because they boxed themselves in with previous statements.

And so this is not a matter of the American people knowing what the right thing to do is. This is a matter of Congress doing the right thing and reflecting the will of the American people. And if we do that, we will have solved this problem.

Full transcript follows the break.

Continue Reading »