The Times ran two interesting pieces this weekend hinting at problems with having Larry Summers as head of the National Economic Council--basically the top White House economic aide. They both raise legitimate points, but the objections are ultimately overstated, I think. The first, by Jodi Kantor and Javier Hernandez, is a fascinating account of Summers' post-Harvard rebirth, and is the more gentle of the two pieces. It includes the following riff:
As the head of the National Economic Council, he will play two roles: counseling the president and nurturing the proposals of others. Few doubt that Mr. Summers will excel in the first; Democrats and Republicans call him one of the top economic minds in the country, with a r