Alas, Holtz-Eakin . . .

What is with the liberal economists suddenly discovering, in wide-eyed shock, that economists who are attached to political campaigns spin things to favor their candidates?  I don't like Doug Holtz-Eakins' candidate, nor for that matter, campaigns.  But he's conducted himself with integrity and a fair amount of civility throughout this campaign.  I've seen much nuttier economic pronouncements by Robert Rubin, like his extravagent attempts to claim virtually all of the 1990s economic boom for the Clinton tax hikes.  I've certainly seen Austan Goolsbee say things that I'm pretty sure he would not be saying if he were attached to a campaign.  Welcome to politics.  I am skeptical that Brad De Long and Paul Krugman have never noticed the phenomenon before.