WP: Dropping Report's Iraq Chapter Was Unusual, Economists Say

[kskiska]

Concern About Impact on White House's Credibility Cited

At the National Security Council's request, the White House excised a full chapter on Iraq's economy from last week's Economic Report of the President, reasoning in part that the "feel good" tone of the writing would ring hollow against the backdrop of continuing violence, according to White House officials.

The decision to delete an entire chapter from the Council of Economic Advisers' annual report was highly unusual. Council members -- recruited from the top ranks of economic academia -- have long prided themselves on independence and intellectual integrity, and the Economic Report of the President is the council's primary showcase.

The withholding of a completed chapter struck some economists from both political parties as evidence of the council's waning influence.

"This is extraordinary," said William A. Niskanen, a CEA member in the Reagan White House and the chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute. "The council has been unfortunately weakened."

Outgoing CEA Chairman N. Gregory Mankiw declined to comment.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45323-2005Feb22.html

[wtmusic]

1. When are one of these guys going to speak out

"The administration strongarmed us. It was sickening."

That's all we need to hear. Call it like it is, you wuss.

[lovuian]

2. Thanks for letting us use your names and reputations to lie

Welcome to Bush Neverland

[kodi]

3. Russert had the head of the Council on last week. it was not pretty

[rooboy]

9. Is that Karl Rover ? n/t

[grytpype]

4. "It was so obviously screwed up we were ashamed to release it."

That's how I read it. It must have been really, really, really, farking, really bad for the Bushists to be ashamed of it.

[leftchick]

5. exactly...

it was so fucking bad no one had enough lipstick to cover that pig.

[cthrumatrix]

6. and we have spent how much money ????????????

[cap]

7. no... they were going to lie...

and the rest of the world would have called them on it...

there wouldnt be an insurgency if the economy was going great guns...

kinda like the US we have been doing well, havent we?

[NVMojo]

8. hiding Bush's Uncle Bucky's contract???

[Moderator]

10. kick to combine threads

[rodeodance]

11. Dropping Report's Iraq Chapter Was Unusual, Economists Say

another attempt to look good!



Dropping Report's Iraq Chapter Was Unusual, Economists Say
Concern About Impact on White House's Credibility Cited

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 23, 2005; Page A17

At the National Security Council's request, the White House excised a full chapter on Iraq's economy from last week's Economic Report of the President, reasoning in part that the "feel good" tone of the writing would ring hollow against the backdrop of continuing violence, according to White House officials.

The decision to delete an entire chapter from the Council of Economic Advisers' annual report was highly unusual. Council members -- recruited from the top ranks of economic academia -- have long prided themselves on independence and intellectual integrity, and the Economic Report of the President is the council's primary showcase.




.......Council members said they were striving for brevity even before the Iraq chapter was removed. But the White House intervention heightened concern among some economists that the Bush administration does not value lengthy, reasoned analyses of its policies.

"They just don't seem to show that serious study is an important part of politics," Bartlett said. "It's a very casual, hands-off, almost lackadaisical approach to the policy process.".......

[hvn_nbr_2]

13. When God tells you what to do, who needs analysis?

Especially when God always tells you to do what you wanted to do anyway.

"It's a very casual, hands-off, almost lackadaisical approach to the policy process."

[gratuitous]

12. How could this possibly hurt the White House's credibility?

I haven't seen any direct evidence of this corrupt administration's credibility since the day it took office and lied about how the place had been "trashed" by the previous occupants.

[malachi]

15. Credibility not important when there is no accountability. The chimp

and his barrel of monkies are not held responsible for anything. Has anyone in fuckheads admin been fired for lying, poor performance, etc? The only people that get canned are those that tell the truth.

[Spiffarino]

18. In Bushworld...

...when you fuck-up you get promoted. When you TOTALLY fuck-up, you get a medal.

[neverforget]

14. Bad news = no news in Bushworld. Everything's fine, move along

[Supersedeas]

16. unprecedented secrecy and extraordinary obstruction--leave it to *

[Spiffarino]

17. Yahoo Ranking Is Being Freeped...

Vote it up for the truth:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20050223/pl_washpost/a45323_2005feb22

[depakid]

19. Hey, if you don't believe economic laws apply

then why bother with a Council of Economic Advisers?