The worst thing about the show was not even Oborne but Paxman who did not behave like an unbiased journalist leading a debate should .
Concerning the widespread view in the Anglo-Saxon world of Europe being " in denial" : why are we considered in denial if we criticize for instance downgrades of European countries by rating agencies and is it at the same time OK for the US president to say that ratings don't matter and that the US "will always be a AAA country", why does the CEO of the rating agency that downgraded the US have to resign a few days later ? why is an investigation launched shortly after the downgrade to check the responsibility of the rating agencies in the Subprime Crisis ?
Paxman asked the idiot why the markets were not supporting his optimistic view…I would have returned the question and asked the following question : if really things are so bad in the Euro zone and Armageddon is near, why then has the Euro not collapsed against the Dollar ? Maybe because the market knows that the US is living on credit cards and is in even worse shape…I agree that European leaders have not shown great leadership in this crisis but I’m not impressed either by American style Quantitative Easing policies resulting in the printing of Billions and Billions of dollars..
Why is operation Twist (extension of US debt maturities ) OK when at the same time the rating agencies warned European leaders that extension of the maturity of Greek debt (like proposed in the rescue plan of 21/07) would be seen as a “credit event” and be considered as a default by Greece ?
How can (Anglo-Saxon dominated) financial markets really be taken serious when the CDS market considers a default of France as more probable than a default of countries like Vietnam or Peru ? Why so much fuss about the Euro zone and its “unbearable” debt burden ( 85 % of GDP on average) and so little noise about the US (almost 100 %) and Japan (almost 200 % !) ?

The sheer nasty, gratuitous attitude of the thoroughly egregious Oborne is par for the course... Cretins like him rant while the usual bankers, tories, money launderers, Etonians, Sherbornians and generally piss-taking right wing queens mather on about reduced regulation and anti-European debate - beware... the thick deluded right wing loonies are on the march... Get Cable Street prepared...

The Idiot in London.
Peter Oborne should be in forums like Jerry Springer, that seems to be his level of education, but then again, may be Jerry would be quick enough to get rid of him.

Paxo was right to castigate Oborne because oborne was the only idiot n that discussion for his disgraceful behacviour and objectionable views.The man should be banned from the BBC altogether.

Well that really does just prove everything that is wrong about the attitudes of certain cliques in the British media. Obourne denounces all around him as an idiot, rewrites the past about men like Hague (who was possibly one of the worst Tory leaders) and then proceeds to run a man from the Euro out of the studio, leading to a 1 side, shoddy debate.

Paxman should've acted quicker to get him on message. Ridiculous.

In defence of Oborne the guy in Brussels is just in complete and utter denial. What he was saying went beyong optimism and into fantasy. It would be interesting to know if he himself has convinced himself of the lies he was saying or is just forced to say that as it is his job.

The real issue is that politicians in Europe are trying to delay the problem and probable collapse of the Euro so it does not seemingly happen on their watch.

Oborne was right to repeatedly call him an idiot, that Brussels federalist guy was talking absolute nonsense.

Listen to what he was actually saying. Its beyond stupid.

'The Idiot' wanted full union because his own nation has failed and he personally wants more power, cash and gravitas.

Oborne behaved like a prick.
And for the most part Paxman allowed him to.
He pulled his stunt on Lambert too, giving him a copy of Guilty Men.
Lambert got the better of him.
Fuck him and his white socks.

Typical CONservative arrogance from Peter O'bore.
Is "Yaboo!!!, shout down your opponent" a debating technique taught at private schools?
It seems to be populat with CONservatives and its supporters.

Three cheers for Oborne.
A spade is a spade... an idiot is an idiot... time someone said so.
Lambert = "that idiot in London" !

I'd rather be rude than an idiot.

I am shocked that any human blessed with cognition could still, in the face of cataclysmic economic destruction, believe that the EU and the Euro are good things in need of support.

Like those who deny the holocaust and those who deny that climate has ever changed until we burned a bit of carbon, these economic reality deniers are delusional beyond belief.

I would not normally have inclination to mind. People are free to believe whatever nonsense they like in a free society, but their hubristic delusions have rendered a disaster upon millions and are on the verge of creating a single political, economic and fiscal dictatorship which is the opposite of a free society. Democracy is literally in it's death throws throughout the Eurozone with the inevitable impact that will have on the whole of the EU, we MUST be granted a binding referendum on membership, before our English law becomes a mere reference in a history book.

@scandalousbill

"Neither of the pound, the dollar or the euro is having their finest hour in world markets."

What a terrible eductation system we have here. I blame the last Labour government more than the "right wing press".

Depressing

Maria, Oborne has been articulately debating the fine details and merits and lack thereof of the Euro for a couple of decades now. In response he, and those who agree with the sceptical and realist argument regarding the unsustainability of the euro have been continuously met, not with reasoned argument or even rational cognition, but with knee-jerk insults like "little Englander", "xenophobe", and "racist nutter". Now that we, on the reality side of the argument, have painfully been proven right, again those in opposition fall back on, "In fact he is just a nasty boy who has never developed beyond the public school VIth style of 'debate.'" instead of facing reality.

All we get is insults and denial and you wonder why we revert also to insults out of frustration? The Europhiles have led this continent to the edge of a catastrophic cliff and now they think that the answer to the catastrophe is to drive full speed over the edge of it!

Oborne may have been insulting, but he was also passionately truthful and correct. I find the fact that these idealistic, foolish and delusional Europhiles have driven this continent to the very edge of economic destruction to be far more gratuitously offensive, and idiotic, than listening to a man proved right by events to be truthfully calling an idiot, an idiot.

I like a lot of Oborne's work, but that was pretty poor last night. The arguments we hear these days in defense of the single currency can be easily and very elegantly ripped apart, it's frankly idiotic when given just such an opportunity, to behave as Oborne did.

Sorry - prat.

Pratt is ignorant but not pig-ignorant.

Oborne had a golden opportunity on Newsnight, as he did with his Blair doc, but managed to come across as a prat in both. His Blair efforts were poorly researched backed by poor analysis and delivery, his Newsnight appearance was embarrassing. Is he as close to retirement as he appears?

If that IDIOT in Brussels had a worthy case he would have stood his ground. Instead he threw his toys out of the pram! Loved it!!