Moments In High Broderism
Alas, Krugman’s response to Broder noting Franken’s well-above-the-Senate-mean knowledge of public policy probably won’t cut any ice, given that there’s nothing worse to Broder than actually caring about public policy. Remember his attacks on the borrr-ing Al Gore and his actual interest in public policy?
I have to confess, my attention wandered as he went on through page after page of other swell ideas, and somewhere between hate crimes legislation and a crime victim’s constitutional amendment, I almost nodded off.
The fact that Franken almost certainly knows far more about public policy than Broder just makes him worse!
In addition, I wonder if Broder will share with is the names of the “scholars” who allegedly claim that as “such complex legislation is being shaped, the substance is likely to be improved when both sides of the aisle contribute ideas.” This is more Brockington’s department, but if I understand correctly many scholars that that Westmintster systems in which the opposition party has pretty much no say in policy outcomes perform as well or better as separation-of-powers systems. At any rate, given that the Republicans in this case aren’t trying to “contribute ideas” but to “stop the Democrats from enacting any decent legislation” the point is moot.
…Matt has more on what actual “scholars” have to say on the subject.