Summers speaks to Congress...

...about a fiscal stimulus package. On the one hand, you have to respect Summers as an economist and as an informed/engaged participant in the debates about the current situation. He deserves to be listened to when it comes to economic policy and proposals.

On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if there is any political motivation driving the call for such a stimulus package. Summers, a former Secretary of the Treasury for Clinton, would certainly be a candidate for a post in any Democratic-White House, and his pushing of a plan similar to the ones supported by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama surely will not go unnoticed by each campaign (perhaps, perhaps, its been co-orchestrated). Also, even if it is a politically motivated proposal, it does not mean that A) its an unwarranted proposal given the recent economic data or B) Summers is wrong about the positive effects such a package might have.