dgaraetsNPR and Politico are reporting that Rebecca Blank is a possible choice to replace Larry Summers as head of the Council of Economic Advisers. Dr. Blank is an official in the Commerce Department with responsibility for the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis. Other interests include German club and the debate team.
Which I happen to know because Becky and I both graduated from Alexander Ramsey High School, now known less elegantly as Roseville Area. Back in 1973 we were the Ramsey Rams; now they’re the Roseville Raiders, though sports team names didn’t mean much either way to debaters or, in my case, drama geeks.
I knew Becky just well enough to know that she was much, much smarter than I was. So, yeah: Put her in charge of the Council of Economic Advisers. If she can’t do it, no one can.
NPR is also reporting that Summers has to go back to Harvard soon or lose tenure. Now, wait a minute: Doesn’t working at the White House count as national service? Would Harvard take tenure status away from military reservists or Guard members called to active duty? (And yes: I’m betting there are lots of them on the Harvard faculty.)
