August 5, 2003

#112: Where has he been the last 50 years?

P. Krugman
KRUGMAN TRUTH SQUAD
For a guy who makes his living spinning economic data for partisan advantage,Everything Is Political (08/05/03) by Paul Krugman is the height of chutzpah. His alleged point is that the Treasury Department no longer gives politically unbiased assessments of the economy. NO LONGER? Where has he been the last 50 years? Has he never heard of Engine Charlie Wilson or George Schultz or Don Regan or Nicholas Brady or James Baker or Robert Rubin or Larry Summers? Does he think "Rubinomics" was named after Robert's dog? ALL Treasury secretaries push the President's case. That's their job. That's why Paul O'Neill is no longer in office and John Snow took his place. And if Tim Russert befuddles Howard Dean on Meet the Press by uncritically citing Treasury Department estimates that's too bad for Russert and Dean.

Anyway, what's wrong with administration departments taking positions on complex policy issues? Krugman certainly does. In his ideal world there would be no Republican Treasury secretaries, only the rich would pay taxes and they would never get a tax cut. So anyone taking a position contrary to that is not being objective. Is that what he is saying?

This is one of Krugman's more absurb columns.

[The Truth Squad is a group of economists who have long marveled at the writings of Paul Krugman. The Squad Reports are synopses of their discussions. ]

Posted by John Weidner at August 5, 2003 7:34 PM
Weblog by John Weidner