The Importance of Spokespeople

Meet the Press this morning had Larry Summers and John Boehner talking about the stimulus package.

At first during the Summers piece I was getting really annoyed at David Gregory and then realized the problem wasn't him, it was that Summers is a terrible interviewer. By the time Boehner was done I was almost ready to personally write a billion dollar check to poor Bill Gates and forcibly shut down every State government (ok that is a slight exaggeration).

In case Larry finds himself within earshot of a microphone anytime soon here are some ideas.

If someone asks why you should give states $1.5 billion for retaining thousands of police officers instead of giving every American a check for $5, it is because recovery takes businesses not afraid of being robbed, not everyone buying an extra latte or extra value meal.

If someone wants to know how you could possibly let the Bush tax cuts expire, the answer is simple. Tax cuts cost money too. And if we have to choose between helping a handful of millionaires and millions of middle class American families - our police and teachers and military and factory workers and bridge builders - I will always choose the latter.

And if someone wants to know why you aren't 'forcing' banks to lend you note the irony of Democrats being yelled at for not intervening in the market, remind the interviewer you have only been in office for 5 days, inform folks that you don't have voting rights, and suggest that if that is a problem maybe we need to think about nationalization.

On a larger point I am glad to see the return of subject experts to government, but letting communication idiots - and Larry Summers has a long history of tying himself in knots - near microphones only makes the job of fixing things a hell of a lot harder.