Pro-stimulus propaganda

The Washington Post shills for the stimulus bill with an article claiming that "an overwhelming number [of economists] from both parties are saying that a government stimulus package -- even a flawed one -- is urgently needed to help prevent a steeper slide in the economy."

This certainly was news to me. I wasn't aware of a single right-of-center economist that was so eager to get a stimulus bill out the door that a flawed one was considered better than nothing. To back this assertion up the article quotes two conservative economists, Alan Viard of the American Enterprise Institute and N. Gregory Mankiw of Harvard University, both of whom served in the Bush Administration.

Several months ago, [Viard] thought the right size for a government spending bill was "probably zero." He favored reliance on the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates and existing unemployment benefits to bolster the jobless.

Now Viard shares the view that a stimulus package is needed, although he would prefer one limited primarily to tax cuts and direct benefits for victims of the recession, such as increased unemployment benefits.

"Things have gotten so bad so quickly," Viard said. "We have now lost 3.6 million jobs, a stunning loss. But what's more horrifying is that half that loss has occurred in the last three months. This is a severe recession. There's no doubt about it."

...Mankiw supports cuts in payroll taxes partially offset by gradual increases in gasoline taxes. He says more time should be taken to craft spending programs that would not be wasteful.

That's it. That's the sum total of their evidence. Do either one of these guys sound like they favor a stimulus package, even if flawed, just as long as it gets passed as soon as possible?

Clearly having invested so much in Obama's election the doe-eyed media is willing to carry as much water as necessary to ensure the success of his administration.