Obama Has Dinner With Stiglitz and Krugman

On the night of April 27, for instance, the president invited to the White House some of his administration’s sharpest critics on the economy, including New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz.  Over a roast-beef dinner, Obama listened and questioned while Krugman and Stiglitz, both Nobel Prize winners, pushed for more aggressive government intervention in the banking system.

– Evan Thomas, “Prisoners of the White House”, Newsweek, May 18

This is supposed to be admirable and show Obama’s openmindedness.  But I’d be more impressed if he invited Tom Woods, Lawrence White, Allan Meltzer and others with a free market perspective.  Of course, that will never happen since: “There is no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jump-start the economy” – President Obama, January 9.