More on Larry Summers and the Seven Dwarves

Economic book cookers and lightweights

First, here’s Politico touting the recession knowledge of Christina Romer, who will head the Council of Economic Advisors:

Romer and her husband David Romer, also a Berkeley economist, were both campaign economics advisers to Obama.

In March, National Journal had this précis on the couple: “As professors at the University of California (Berkeley), they are well-known macroeconomists — experts on the workings of the U.S. economy — who jointly hold one of six spots on the academic committee of economists that decides when recessions begin and end.”

So, the Romers are part of the six-person team of politically-driven book-cookers which tries to decide that recessions aren’t yet happening, due to exigencies of election calendars, etc., is what Politico really means.

Or, to put it another way, she’s on the committee that, per Kevin Phillips’ latest book, hasn't protested how DC insiders of both parties have continually changed the numeric definition of what constitutes a recession.

As for touted progressive Melody Barnes, who will head the Domestic Policy Council , in charge of interagency coordination from the White House?

One commentor (No. 15) to Yglesias’ post says she’s “all hat, no cattle”:

Melody Barnes is one of the slowest, least impressive liberal minds out there. You all must remember her from the OJ Simpson trial days. She was one of CNN’s talking heads, a lawyer brought on to opine on the day-to-day testimony with Leo Terrell. Her insights and how she presented them were so shallow and muddled that by the end of the trial her appearances had been all but phased out.

If you’re too shallow for Judge Ito and Marcia Clark, you’re in the kiddie pool indeed.