Figures don't lie, but liars figure

Heard Paul Krugman and Lawrence Kudlow on the Diane Rehm Show this morning. Krugman was serving as a one-man truth squad, as usual -- talking about the dubious state of the economy as well as the relative merits of John Kerry's health care proposal (which will translate into coverage for thousands of people who now have none) and Bush's version (which is primarily another tax shelter for the wealthiest Americans and will ultimately result in lower- and middle-income folks LOSING coverage).

Kudlow was spouting the standard RNC talking points about trickle-down economics, how well we're all doing in the stock market, CEOs deserve all that money they make, capitalism will take care of everything if we just get outta the way, yadda yadda yadda.

But Kudlow -- who kept yammering about this terrific economy -- just got hammered by caller after caller. The folks out in the real world were saying: My income's stagnating, while my expenses just keep going up.

Finally Kudlow accused the callers of "extrapolating from their own experience." How very Republican of him: Who are you gonna believe -- my numbers or your lying eyes?

Or as my friend Halley used to say: Figures don't lie, but liars figure.