Krugman phones it in

My long-standing complaint about Paul Krugman is that he doesn’t feel that he should deign to present evidence and thoroughly explain his opinions. Instead, he makes a large sweeping motion with his arm and declares: “Isn’t it obvious?” Here’s the opening of his column today:

It's the season of the angry liberal. Books like Al Franken's "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," Joe Conason's "Big Lies" and Molly Ivins's "Bushwhacked" have become best sellers. (Yes, I've got one out there, too.)

Nice plug. Subtle!

But conservatives are distressed because those liberals are so angry and rude. O.K., they admit, they themselves were a bit rude during the Clinton years — that seven-year, $70 million investigation of a tiny money-losing land deal, all that fuss about the president's private life — but they're sorry, and now it's time for everyone to be civil.

Who are these conservatives? Can you name just one who has cried “Uncle?” This is the premise for the whole article and it’s a chimera. Skipping this minor point, Krugman lists all those mean conservatives (which I’ll summarize):

1.) Christine Amanpour criticized Fox News – Fox News criticized her back.
2.) Charles Krauthammer said that Al Gore “could use a little help.”
3.) A Bush advisor said John Kerry “looks French”

That’s it. Have you ever in your life seen such thin and thin-skinned whining? President Bush is regularly lampooned as a dullard, a “shrub,” an illegitimate leader, a boy warrior and a traitor. But somebody called Kerry “French” – sacre bleu!

And if you’ve ever read a Krugman article, you can really dispense with the remainder of today’s column which is his usual baseless litany of inchoate brickbats; their purpose is never to illuminate or convince, but to carp and kvetch. It’s déjà vu all over again. (Yawn).