Another distinction. Krugman is a highly regarded, passionate teacher interested in sharing his conclusions, not a political actor in this drama. He’s the Cassandra. Friedman chooses to preach compromise, which makes pragmatic sense in the present extreme mess. But people do first need to know what is being compromised – since many Americans, innocent onlookers in this vicious theological dispute, will pay heavily for all this in the end.

You are right , of course, that in important respects Krugman and Limbaugh are poles apart (and I don’t just mean ideologically). What I was reacting to, however, was a recent Krugman column sent to me in which he lambasted anyone (and I think this was probably a veiled shot at his fellow columnist Tom Friedman) who espoused a “centrist” or “moderate” viewpoint in the current debt debate, or, for that matter, in the larger economic policy debate between Democrats and Republicans. To Krugman, there is no middle ground – there is only the intellectual high ground (his viewpoint) and the wrong ground (everyone else’s viewpoint). Now, he may be right, but in terms of his willingness to accept alternative arguments, he’s not much different from Limbaugh. And it is that strength of certitude – exhibited by the purists on both sides – that makes resolving the debt impasse so difficult. Because, in the end, both sides have to give. Obama recognizes this, but Krugman will never accept it – and neither will Limbaugh.

What is less so – I first wrote outrageous but then thought it was impolite – is your equating Krugman and Limbaugh as party activists. The former, distinguished Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton, Nobel prize winner and NYT columnist since 1999 is a deeply engaged liberal who is appalled at the irresponsibility and wrong-headedness of the current policy process. That this cuts both ways politically is illustrated by his acid comments about President Obama, most recently on July 29.

As for Limbaugh he left Southeast Missouri State University after two semesters and one summer. According to his mother, “he flunked everything”, and “he just didn’t seem interested in anything except radio.” He has been projecting, and subjecting people to his right-wing monologues, since graduating from the ranks of local disk jockeys.

Enough said.