The media insist on imposing a framing on policy issues that often has little to do with reality. For example, they have repeatedly insisted that the debate over creating a public Medicare-type plan is about ideology -- the role of government in the economy -- as opposed to a debate driven by on the one hand a desire to contain costs and provide quality care and on the other hand a desire to protect insurance industry profits. There is no need for the media to insert the latter framing, but it is just plain bad journalism to insist on the former framing. The same applies to the treatment of the homebuyers tax credit (which may no longer be restricted to new homebuyers). This is a big government handout. In the current form, the government hands first-time buyers a check for $8,000 (thank you very much -- I took advantage of this credit). In some versions the handout would increase to $15,000. Many of the proponents of this bill like to call themselves conservatives who favor small government. However, this is objectively big government and big government intervention. The fact that the people who propose it might self-identify as conservatives doesn't change the reality, it just calls into question their honesty.
--Dean Baker
