The Krugman-Sorkin reporting-off has taken another turn, as Andrew Ross Sorkin has offered a response to Paul Krugman’s post this morning in which he took issue with Sorkin’s claim that during the financial crisis Krugman had called for “nationalizing the entire banking system,” following the example of the Swedes. Krugman ended his post with a bold challenge to the younger Times reporter: “I defy Sorkin to find any examples of me calling for a total takeover.”
Well, Sorkin took to his DealBook blog tonight and — in a post titled “Dear Professor Krugman ” — he doesn’t apologize, as Krugman had asked for, but instead reveals the “source material” he used for his initial column.
“On your blog on Sept. 28, 2008, after reading a piece by Brad DeLong, an economist, which you linked to, you wrote, ‘Brad DeLong says that Swedish-style temporary nationalization is the right answer to a financial crisis; he’s right,’” Sorkin writes. “In your column on Feb. 23, 2009, you asked, ‘Why not just go ahead and nationalize? Remember, the longer we live with zombie banks, the harder it will be to end the economic crisis.’”
Sorkin concludes his post by conceding that Krugman “may have articulated the details of [his] views differently, or more specifically, in other columns and forums” and by somewhat obsequiously claiming he “loves reading” Krugman’s column. Your move, Paul.
Dear Professor Krugman … [DealBook/NYT]
