Luskin is probably quoted because he got into a bit of a tiff with Krugman. When Krugman became a prominent Bush basher before it was fashionable to be one, Luskin seemingly became an attack dog sent to challenge him on his economics, most people after all who write about economics know zip. Unfortunately for Luskin, Krugman is the real deal.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081013/eu_sweden_nobel_economics.html Krugman also has derided the Republicans as becoming "the party of stupid." He definitely has a tiff with Republicans.
Krugman worked in the Clinton administration. A generation ago the Chicago School of economics won the lions share of Nobels. Now the University of Chicago is synonymous with socialists ala' Obama. In fact there's recently been protests at the U of C over the school's naming buildings ect, after Milton Friedman etal. Leftist's assert that free market, Laissez faire capitalism causes poverty. Now days the New Economists as defined by Nobel preach government intervention in banking, markets, insurance, manufacturing, speech and thoughts.
Not sure about that. As I understand it he was considered for a position but was at odds with some of the other policy makers and their practices. He wrote a couple of books criticizing them. Peddling Prosperity and Pop Internationalism. It should also be noted he worked as a staff economist on the Council of Economic Advisors during the Reagan administration. Intervention has always been in the toolbox since the Great Depression. There is no controversy over it. Friedman himself supported intervention in his analysis of the Great Depression. If you don't like the sound of that you'll have to switch your allegiance to the Austrian School of economics who by the way say a lot about prevention but not much in the way of solution when there is already a problem. Since this is a thread about Krugman perhaps it would be apropos to link to his general stance on the Austrian School: http://www.slate.com/id/9593
Krugman and Bernanke I think are generally on the same page since they are the economists. Their counterparts would generally be Hank Paulson and other Wall Streeters.