How Krugman continues to refuse to address the gap between Obama rhetoric and action, especially when it comes to ed policy, is beyond me. Obama/Duncan and the rest of the pack of ed deformers have spent 5 years pushing the idea that getting higher quality teachers and removing so-called weaker teachers is the answer to the poverty/inequality question.
And because the president was willing to assign much of the blame for rising inequality to bad policy....
Whose bad policy? Do you think Race To The Top came from Republicans? Billions of dollars down the tubes to the testing/merit pay/bullcrap evaluations of teachers/consultants/etc., etc, etc. instead of going to really reforming education in a way to fight poverty. They might as well have just dumped that money directly into the pockets of the families of the poorest kids and they would have gotten better education results than looking for quality teacher nuggets -- or tossing more money at Teach for America.
Now, however, we have the president of the United States breaking ranks, finally sounding like the progressive many of his supporters thought they were backing in 2008. This is going to change the discourse — and, eventually, I believe, actual policy. ... Paul Krugman, NYT
I'm a big Krugman fan but WTF is Krugman talking about? Breaks ranks from what Krugman has termed the "deficit scolds," which is where Obama has been coming from. But it's just a speech.
Because Obama made yet another speech Krugman feels we will see a change in policy? Let me tell Paul what I tell everyone about Randi and Mulgrew and de Blasio -- watch what they do, not what they say.
Mr. Obama laid out a disturbing — and, unfortunately, all too accurate — vision of an America losing touch with its own ideals, an erstwhile land of opportunity becoming a class-ridden society. Not only do we have an ever-growing gap between a wealthy minority and the rest of the nation; we also, he declared, have declining mobility, as it becomes harder and harder for the poor and even the middle class to move up the economic ladder..... And because the president was willing to assign much of the blame for rising inequality to bad policy, he was also more forthcoming than in the past about ways to change the nation’s trajectory, including a rise in the minimum wage, restoring labor’s bargaining power, and strengthening, not weakening, the safety net.
So, Obama actually uttered the words "labor bargaining power" after 5 years of turning his back on unions and especially after 5 years of engaging in drone attacks on teachers and blaming union rules for the problems in education while signing on to the "no excuses based on poverty" argument? After giving the highest praise to the likes of Michelle Rhee?
There is such an inherent contradiction between Obama's words and actions he firmly belongs in the Randi Weingarten "speaking out of 12 sides of the mouth while doing something else" hall of fame.
How Krugman refuses to address the gap between Obama rhetoric and action, especially when it comes to ed policy, is beyond me. Obama/Duncan and the rest of the pack of ed deformers have spent 5 years pushed the neo-liberal market-based idea that getting higher quality teachers and removing so-called weaker teachers is the answer to the poverty/inequality question.
Let's see Obama offer to bail out Detroit and his old town Chicago where public employee pension theft is taking place and will lead many more people into poverty and grow the inequality gap. Let him renege on the policies of his boy Rahm. Then Krugman can start talking about Obama returning to his progressive roots -- if he ever really had progressive roots.
Obama should seriously think of what Mandela might do in this situation and he will find he is a far cry from Mandela.
At least there are signs of a rising progressive wing in the Democratic Party as evidenced by Elizabeth Warren and Bill de Blasio (the jury will be out on him for a while).
A
must-read piece in today's Times addressed this issue:
Coalition of Liberals Strikes Back at Criticism From Centrist Democrats
The Clintons and Obama are 3rd Way Democrats and the counter reaction to their weak-kneed moves to the right is causing them to reassess and nudge themselves in the direction of the Progressive wing -- a way to coopt. For us Randi-watchers we know exactly how that works. Just say a few words to cover your ass and stay the course. That is exactly what Obama's speech was about. Too bad Krugman keeps falling for it.
Obama Gets Real
By PAUL KRUGMAN
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/06/opinion/krugman-obama-gets-real.html?ref=todayspaper
Lisa Fleisher 
Mark Treyger