More on Furmangate

Uchitelle in the NYT, Borosage, and, my favorite, Dean Baker on why Obama (wisely) didn't pick a crazy-ass progressive economist like say, Dean Baker.

The reality is that if Obama had picked a progressive economist (a.k.a. a Neanderthal protectionist), who had not been initiated into the Wall Street club, he would have gotten beaten up so badly by the media that he would want Reverend Wright to come back for more press events.

There's also supposedly a video of Baker floating around in which he exclaims, in his prophetic voice: "God bless American capitalism? No, God damn American capitalism!"

Furman argues in Uchitelle's article that his own views are "irrelevant.” But that strikes me as spin—the blow-up around Furman's appointment will help keep him fair and balanced, but based on his writing and quotes, he's a true believer in Rubinomics, and it's inevitable that those views will influence the advice he gives.

Baker is probably right about how a progressive economist would have been treated by the media, and Borosage is right when he says Furmangate really isn't about Furman, it's about Obama's economic views. But I'd still love to see an economist from the non-Rubinite camp on Obama's staff alongside Furman. And to be even more super-duper-radical, how about a woman on either the paid staff or unpaid economic advisor list (right now the same list of roughly five white guys is regularly cited). My top pick for either would be Heather Boushey, who's currently working for the Joint Economic Committee on the hill, has as much or more policy savvy as Furman, and knows way more about labor market economics, which I hear just might be an issue in this election, than he does.