NABE To Host Debate Among Top Candidates’ Economic Advisers

As the 2008 presidential race moves toward its accelerated primary season, NABE will shift the spotlight to economic issues in sponsoring a debate among economic advisers to the top Democratic and Republican candidates on Friday, Nov. 9 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

David Wessel of the Wall St. Journal and Judy Woodruff of the Newshour with Jim Lehrer will moderate the debate, which is scheduled to begin at 9:10 a.m.  The debate will last for one hour and will be followed by a half-hour period of questions from the audience.  Then the participants will make brief closing remarks.

“We anticipate a lively interchange that will enrich our understanding of the candidates’ economic policy platforms,” said NABE President Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, chief economist at Ford Motor Company. “We at NABE are thrilled to have an opportunity to provide an educational forum for the candidates’ chief economic advisers.”

The National Economists Club, NABE’S D.C. chapter, and NABE are co-sponsors of the debate, a nonpartisan educational event.

Confirmed participants as of Oct. 10 are Austan Goolsbee, economic adviser to Barack Obama; Leo Hindery, economic adviser to John Edwards; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, economic adviser to John McCain; and Gene Sperling, economic adviser to Hillary Clinton. Still to be confirmed are Michael Boskin, economic adviser to Rudolph Giuliani, and Glenn Hubbard and Greg Mankiw, economic advisers to Mitt Romney.

As political polls consistently show, economic issues rank at or near the top of issues that most concern voters.  This election is no different with trade, tax cuts, and health care economics dominating debates among both Democrats and Republicans as they head to the first primaries in January.

The debate is open to NABE and NEC members.  Registration is complimentary, but space is limited, and advance registration is required. For more information and to register, go to http://www.nabe.com/publib/debate08.html.