Now Why Can't This Economist Write for the NY Times?

Steven Levitt, who like a famous economist I have mentioned before here is also a John Bates Clark medal winner, has been burning up the bestsellers lists with his book Freakonomics. He also has a blog. He even allows comments on it, and unlike Brad DeLong he doesn't even appear to delete and alter comments from people who disagree with him.

In any case he has a rather good post rebutting a NY Times Magazine article titled "Peak Oil" which is basically predicting the end of oil supplies. His post is rather logical, full of economic principles, and completely devoid of ad hominem attacks on his opponents, paranoid conspiracy theories, or irrelevant screeds against President Bush. All of which will immediately disqualify him for a job writing a permanent column for the Times.