The Kroog Versus Our Post-Factual Media

Paul Krugman came right out and said what Ian Boudreau and I were discussing on Saturday's podcast, namely that our "both sides do it" Village media is incapable of calling out Republican lies without equating them to whatever sin the Democrats have committed.

On ABC's "This Week" roundtable Sunday, Paul Krugman said Mitt Romney is exploiting a press that is ineffective at holding politicians accountable for lies.

"The press just doesn’t know how to handle flat-out untruths," he said.

"I don’t know whether to blame [the debate moderator Jim] Lehrer or the president, but it was kind of amazing because Romney was not only saying things that are not true, he was saying things that his own campaign had previously said weren’t true,” said the economist and New York Times columnist.

Citing Romney's claims on taxes and preexisting conditions, Krugman said the Republican nominee showed "contempt for us by thinking the news media will not cover on me as long as they say forcefully I won."

Almost immediately tjereafter, GOP press flack Mary Matalin proved Krugman's point, berating him and announcing to Krugman:

"You have mischaracterized and you have lied about every position and every particular of the Ryan plan on Medicare, from the efficiency of Medicare administration, to calling it a voucher plan, so you’re hardly credible on calling somebody else a liar."

Except, you know, Krugman is right about Ryan's Vouchercare nonsense.

But this is exactly what the Ryan proposal is — turning Medicare from a “defined benefit” into a “defined contribution” plan. Seniors would get a voucher from the federal government that they could use to help pay for a selection of private plans.

Although the Romney/Ryan campaign has shied away from this phrase in favor of the euphemistic “premium support,” Ryan himself has specifically referred to his proposal as a “voucher” program in the past.

That's exactly what it does.  And as President Obama pointed out at the debate, the problem with this is that insurance companies are not required to give coverage nor to approve medical care.  Under Ryan's Vouchercare scheme, the insurance companies get to decide still.  Defined contribution, meaning you pay into the program.  Not defined benefit, because coverage under the program is NOT GUARANTEED.

Do we get it now finally?