Press Criticism

President Obama, incoming Speaker Boehner don't need couple's therapy
Press Criticism | By Greg Marx | New York Times, Social Security
With control of the House of Representatives about to change hands, a recent New York Times article worried over whether Washington's "new power couple," President Obama and presumptive Speaker of the House John Boehner, could get along. But while the emphasis on personal relationships might have made for an easy read, it obscured both the nature and the point of politics. While “working together” and “forging bonds” sound good, it’s not necessarily the case that more comity will produce better outcomes — or, more to the point, who those outcomes will be good for. More
First, 'blame the borrowers.' Now, 'blame the lawyers.'
Press Criticism | By Greg Marx, By Craig Gurian | Wall Street Journal
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal blames "the growth of a legal sub-specialty called foreclosure defense" for slowing the rate of foreclosures, thus spawning "confusion and turmoil in the housing market." But that framing not only obscures the central role played by the fraudulent practices of financial firms in creating the current slowdown — it also sweeps aside the possibility that alternatives to speedy foreclosure might lead to a healthier economy in the long run. More
Article fails to probe potential impact of GOP plan for hearings to review health law
Press Criticism | By Lori Bikson | Health care, Washington Post
Washington Post story on Republican plans for holding 2011 oversight hearings as part of an effort to cause the public to repudiate the new health insurance law fails to ask basic questions about what the hearings strategy would mean, including questions about what evidence the GOP would be able to marshal or what counter-evidence Democrats might produce. More

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