Stunning display of hackery from Romulan Charles Krauthammer:
So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared "we have chosen hope over fear." Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill.
No, see, here's how it worked. The president tried all sorts of congenial overatures -- for two weeks, he shmoozed and dined with Republicans to attain their input and support. They returned the favor by following Drudge and Limbaugh into the Shit. Fabricating CBO reports that never existed, fabricating line items about ACORN, threatening filibusters and demonizing cherrypicked line items that, when analysed below the surface, actually do create jobs. And, predictably, the spineless blue dog Democrats fell in line behind them.
So the president is rightfully cranking up the volume. It's not "hope versus fear." It's "gloves on versus gloves off." When it comes to fear, however, I think Krauthammer needs to chat with the state governors who are paying government employees with IOUs about that. He should talk with the half-million-plus people who lost their jobs last month.
Adding... Not once does Krauthammer make a case for the opposite of "catastrophe." Does Krauthammer seriously believe that everything is going to be fine? I mean, for everyone other than him?