You know what's funny?

It wasn't a bailout: Obama did walk GM through bankruptcy.

Because bankruptcy doesn't need to mean liquidation.

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker

Even further, a newspaper op-ed is not the message: its part of the backing for the message. You can be as reasonable as you like in the op-ed ~ and indeed it makes sense, since the less there is to attack in the text of the op-ed, the less attacks on the op-ad can be used to distract from you messaging ~ but if your message in made-for-TV sound bites is that its a mistake for the government to intervene, then your actual message is that the government intervention that did take place should not have taken place.

And that was Romney's actual messaging: that the government intervention should not have taken place.

The reason that the "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" headline resonates is that Romney made quite clear that he was joining the chorus of voices opposing the government intervention.

After all, effectively supporting Obama's action would have been political suicide: he's running in a Republican Primary, for pete's sake.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.