Krugman Versus The NY Times

Paul Krugman battles the NY Times.  From the Politically Plugged-In Prof:

Before he saw the polls, Tom DeLay declared that "one thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America." Now he and his party, shocked by the public's negative reaction to their meddling, want to move on.

From yesterday's NY Times:

After a string of fruitless legal and legislative efforts, the central question in the Terri Schiavo case - Who makes end-of-life decisions when the patient's wishes are disputed? - is headed back to Capitol Hill, where debate over broader legislation has already begun.

On Sunday, lawmakers of both parties agreed that Congress has a role to play in such cases and should contemplate legislation that would give added legal recourse to patients like Ms. Schiavo. While it is difficult to predict whether such a measure could pass, the Schiavo case has clearly pushed thorny questions about end-of-life care to the fore on Capitol Hill, as well as in state legislatures around the nation.

The Republican-controlled House already passed a bill that would allow the federal courts to review cases like Ms. Schiavo's, in which the patient has left no written instructions, the family is at odds and state courts have ordered a feeding tube to be withdrawn. That bill evolved into one that was narrowly tailored to Ms. Schiavo.

Now some Democrats, prodded by advocates for the disabled, say Congress should consider whether such a law is needed.

My money is on Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the Times; C-Span will cover the action as it unfolds.

UPDATE:  Powerline and Right Wing Nuthouse join the fun.  Having read their posts, we identify a rising star for "Weirdest Paragraph of this Weird Column:

America isn't yet a place where liberal politicians, and even conservatives who aren't sufficiently hard-line, fear assassination. But unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic extremists, it can happen here.

"Isn't yet"?  "Unless... it can happen here"?  Boy, what is the opposite of a 60's flashback?  Has the Earnest Prof ever heard "Abraham, Martin and John" on the radio?  Who does he suppose it is about?  If I said "Kennedy, Kennedy, King" could he think of a common theme other than the first initial?

Or, we could cite George Wallace and Ronald Reagan.  Whew.  Someone buy Krugman a subscription to a newspaper, or the history channel, or something.

Comments

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Just when I think Krugman couldn't get any sillier, I read:

"Yesterday The Washington Post reported on the growing number of pharmacists who, on religious grounds, refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control or morning-after pills. These pharmacists talk of personal belief; but the effect is to undermine laws that make these drugs available."

I'd forgotten all about the part of the Constitution that enrolled pharmacists in the law enforcement apparatus.

[TM]

My runnner-up bit for "Huh?" was this:

And it won't stop there. There is a nationwide trend toward "conscience" or "refusal" legislation. Laws in Illinois and Mississippi already allow doctors and other health providers to deny virtually any procedure to any patient. Again, think of how such laws expose doctors to pressure and intimidation.

Ok, I am thinking, but I am drawing a blank. Is this even more intimidating than picketing abortion clinics and shooting at the doctors? I doubt it. And I I certainly deplore that behavior - I'm just wondering, how is this law even an issue?

On abortion services, the Alan Guttmacher Institute says this:

In that year, 34% of women aged 15-44 lived in the 87% of counties with no provider, and 86 of the nation's 276 metropolitan areas had no provider.

...the proportion of counties without a provider increased from 77% in 1978 to 86% in 1996.

From another AGI study, roughly 24% of women travel over 50 miles for an abortion (in both 1996 and 2000).

And *now* Krugman tells us?

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

A terrible tragedy this; his intellect has passed into a permanent vegetative state, kept 'alive' by Robin Wells dripping, dripping, dripping....ideas into it.

Would a John Bates Clark medal holder really want to live like this? Withdraw the tube.

[Neo]

Paul Krugman has a point.

Next thing you know there will be political pundits having shoes thrown at them, then food like salad dressing. I can even imagine protests of political parties where the protestors try to seize the offices. Even gunshots fired at the same party's offices.

Yes, Paul Krugman has a point. Unfortunately, he's got it backwards.