Critique from the Right of Obama

I agree with Greg Mankiw's criticism of Obama's speech on health care to the joint session of Congress:

Yes, indeed. That is why this passage in the President's speech had me scratching my head:

I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits -- either now or in the future.(Applause.) I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize.

At first, it sounds like the President is threatening to veto the bills being considered in Congress because, according to CBO, they will add significantly to deficits in the out years. If true, that would be a big story. But the provision he mentions in the next sentence seems to suggest he is just passing the buck.

Translation: "I promise to fix the problem. And if I do not fix the problem now, I will fix it later, or some future president will, after I am long gone. I promise he will. Absolutely, positively, I am committed to that future president fixing the problem. You can count on it. Would I lie to you?"

My criticism is that Obama needs to confess that fixing health care will cost money. There is no "magic". All the years of promising to "cut waste" from government spending has been years of lying. Why is Obama adding to this nonsense. There are real savings to be had. That is what the public health care of other developed countries demonstrate. But it will cost money to get there.

Mankiw is a smart dude (but too right wing for my taste). His criticism is that Obama is just playing at being a politician making typical politician promises while cynically knowing that nobody will remember the promise or knowing that by the time the birds come home to roost, he will be long gone from office and therefore unaccountable.

I think both critiques are right. I don't like to agree with right wing political types, but this is one case where I agree. Obama is not being honest. He needs to demand that people understand that it will take some sacrifice to fix the problems. There can be savings but they will be ten years out. The first ten years will cost money, require new taxes. The promise of a free ride should be over. It doesn't work. People get cynical about politicians because they keep playing this game of "I'll give you what you want and it won't cost a thing". There are no free lunches.