Alabama Rethuglican Sen. Richard "Smelly" Shelby has blocked the nomination of M.I.T. professor and Nobel laureate in economics Peter Diamond for a seat on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Sen. Smelly's reason? He insisted that Dr. Diamond lacked the qualifications for the job. That's what he said. Seriously.
We suppose Sen. Smelly's career as a political hack, lawyer, and small-bore magistrate qualifies him to pass judgement on an economist that could run circles around the Senator when it comes to understanding the Fed and monetary policy. But we're certain this wasn't about "qualifications" at all, just another cynical monkey-wrench thrown into the gears of Government by Rethuglican dead-enders.
