Greg Anrig, Jr. fisks George Will's "Case for Conservatism."

Art Brodsky: three cheers for Edwards and Gore for their leadership in the arcane but important world of telecom policy.

Paul Krugman has jumped into this week's TPMCafe Book Club, aka The Rumble in the Econ Department.

If you're just checking into the debate, read a quick summary of what you've missed here.

If you're like me, you're all about Al's point that this whole internets thing is providing a great platform for hashing out real issues. Real issues, like what theoretical framework we use to analyze our economy and how that framework is or isn't shielded from dissent by a roving band of vigilante Department Chairs. But, maybe also like me, you've been too busy doing actual work to keep up and read 16 posts in two days.

Fear not dear reader, if you want to follow the last two days of this titillating debate but are just joining us, we've put together a quick summary that will catch you up in just over 500 words. Special thanks to new TPM intern Evann Smith for helping me put this together.

Read more »

Dissent in the ranks of Milton's army.

We're breaking the rules a bit with this week's TPMCafe Book Club. We've assembling a distinguished group of economists to discuss Christopher Hayes' feature Nation article "Hip Heterodoxy."

James Galbraith, Tyler Cowen, Max Sawicky, David Warsh, Diane Coyle, Thomas Palley and Paul Krugman will be joining Hayes to discuss his argument that the field of economics is policed by a neoclassical mafia that creates taboos and enforces boundaries.

Blood will be drawn.

"Just the facts, Ma'am."

Scott Winship sits down at TPMCafe's Table for One to discuss empiricism in progressive politics.

Welcome to the TPMCafe Book Club! This is where we regularly invite authors to come and discuss their most recent works with readers and invited commentators. Past Book Club authors include Thomas Frank, Anthony Shadid, Larry Diamond, George Packer, Ivo Daalder/James Lindsay, Robert Dreyfuss, Chris Mooney, Gene Sperling, Gershom Gorenberg, Peter Beinart, Kevin Phillips, Sidney Blumenthal, Reed Hundt, Anne-Marie Slaughter/John Ikenberry, Jonathan Cohn, Daniel Gross, and Steven Cook.

This week we'll be discussing Chris Hayes' feature article for The Nation "Hip Heterodoxy."

In the article, Hayes shows the tensions that exist between those who practice and defend neoclassical economics, those who challenges its formulations, and the growing ways in which the categories blur.

Debating and discussing Hayes' argument will be James Galbraith, Tyler Cowen, Max Sawicky, Nathan Newman, David Warsh, Diane Coyle, Thomas Palley, David Ruccio, Mark Thoma, and Paul Krugman.

-ahg

President Bush is at Arlington Cemetery, the Great 08ers are all traipsing about Iowa and New Hampshire, and I'm getting some sleep and then going to a BBQ.

Not that anyone needed to be reminded, American military fatalities* in Iraq: 3455.

* Corrected on the recommendation of this reader.