Herbert Catches Krugmania

What is it with being a New York Times columnist? Something in that institution nurtures a blithe disregard for the facts. Times columnists have unlimited budgets and fact-checkers at their beck and call. So why do they continually make stuff up?
I’ve always thought Bob Herbert was a poor columnist, but I haven’t put him at the Krugman/Dowd level of depravity. Reader Jesse Malkin, however, caught Herbert in a bold-faced lie in his most recent column. Jesse–who, by the way, has the immense good fortune to be married to Michelle–was kind enough to copy us on his letter to Herbert:
“Mr. Herbert,

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