Krugman doubles down

On July 25th, Paul Krugman wrote a NY Times op-ed column in which he said that "Climategate" is "a fraud concocted by opponents of climate action, then bought into by many in the news media."  James Taranto correctly rebutted this.

Now, it would be one thing for Krugman to argue--wrongly, in our opinion--that the "supposedly damning e-mail messages of 'Climategate' " were not actually damning. But no one has denied that they are genuine. Krugman's description of them--and every other accusation "leveled against climate researchers"--as "a fraud concocted by opponents of climate action" is flatly false.

This week, Paul Krugman doubles down with more accusations of "fraud", bashing the proposals of Representative Paul Ryan (R, Wisconsin), and the media for following them.

One depressing aspect of American politics is the susceptibility of the political and media establishment to charlatans. You might have thought, given past experience, that D.C. insiders would be on their guard against conservatives with grandiose plans. But no: as long as someone on the right claims to have bold new proposals, he’s hailed as an innovative thinker. And nobody checks his arithmetic.  ...

But it’s the audacity of dopes. Mr. Ryan isn’t offering fresh food for thought; he’s serving up leftovers from the 1990s, drenched in flimflam sauce. ...

But they don’t. The Ryan plan is a fraud that makes no useful contribution to the debate over America’s fiscal future.

Hey, the "audacity of dopes" line is pretty good.  In a later blog, I may look in more detail at the numbers behind Ryan's plans.  It seems true that a Tax Policy Center analysis of his initial plan shows a shortfall.  So, technically, Krugman presented a true fact.  Part of the "shortfall" is because, under Ryan's plan, government revenues remain steady at around 16 - 17%, while, under the CBO baseline, they rise up to more like 18 to 20%.  However, a quick followup search shows that Ryan is willing to work on the numbers.

Ryan has explicitly stated that he is willing to work with the Treasury department to adjust the rates on his tax reform plan to “maintain approximately our historic levels of revenue as a share of GDP.” (which is ~18%)

Looks like Krugman's "fact", though technically true, is intended to deceive.  Since Krugman falsely cried "fraud" just last week, why should we believe him this week?  Maybe it is Krugman who "makes no useful contribution to the debate over America’s fiscal future"?