Jared Bernstein (Politico photo)
Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joseph Biden, served in 2008 as an economic adviser to the Obama campaign. At the same time, he was a member of JournoList, the controversial progressive email list.
Bernstein’s bio at Politico, which appears not to have been updated since 2008, states: “He is an economic adviser to the Obama campaign.”
He was known to many for his regular appearances on the financial channel CNBC. His primary employer in 2008 was the Economic Policy Institute, a pro-labor progressive think tank, but according to his bio when appointed to the Obama-Biden Administration, he also was a member of the Panel of Economic Advisers of the Congressional Budget Office.
Reached today at the Office of the Vice President, Bernstein revealed that his position with the Obama campaign was as something called a “surrogate.” “I was not paid by the campaign,” he explained. “They would call me from time to time to represent their positions, that side of the debate.”
Asked when he left JournoList, Bernstein replied, ‘‘I think I left the list around the time I came here.” Bernstein was announced as Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President-elect on December 8, 2008.
One question that has arisen in the last week is how closely JournoList members, not only discussed how to shape the news to advance the fortunes of Barack Obama, but coordinated with the Obama campaign. Jared Bernstein’s position as an unpaid adviser and surrogate shows that there was at least one direct link between JournoList and the Obama campaign.
Bernstein’s serving on the Economic Advisory Panel of the CBO is less worrisome, though it appears to violate Ezra Klein’s first rule for JournoList:
At the beginning, I set two rules for the membership. The first was the easy one: No one who worked for the government in any capacity could join.
It would appear that Bernstein’s presence on the list violated Klein’s first rule, since he met the test of working “for the government in any capacity.”
Yet note Klein’s careful wording here. People who worked for the government in any capacity couldn’t join, but could they stay on the list if they took a government job after joining?
Were there other campaign advisers or part-time government officials who participated on JournoList?
UPDATE: Here is an example of Bernstein’s humorous political writing at the Huffington Post.
2D UPDATE: I have an anonymous source who has shown me an email thread that appears to be from JournoList. From his search of the JournoList archives, he believes that Bernstein’s last direct email to the list was on December 5, 2008, a charming farewell sent 3 days before he was introduced as Biden’s chief economist. Indeed, months later there were several emails to the list from members who wondered how to contact Bernstein.
I hope to have a lot more in the next few days.
Instapundit » Blog Archive » COORDINATION? Obama Campaign Advisor Participated On JournoList…. says:
[...] COORDINATION? Obama Campaign Advisor Participated On JournoList. [...]
July 22, 2010, 10:27 pmEd Driscoll » Speaking of the JournoList acting as Obama’s ‘Non-Official Campaign’… says:
[...] Jared Bernstein. He’s the Obama campaign adviser who was also a member of the JournoList: Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joseph Biden, served in 2008 as an economic [...]
July 22, 2010, 10:53 pmAmerican Glob » Blog Archive » Of Course… An Obama Campaign Adviser Was on JournoList says:
[...] this particular case however, the person in question actually worked for the Obama Campaign. The Volokh Conspiracy has the details… Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joseph Biden, served in 2008 as an economic [...]
July 22, 2010, 11:10 pmThe bitching’s back from Journolist | Pleasant Valley Sunday says:
[...] blog The Volokh Conspiracy has a post showing there was at least one person linked both to the Obama campaign and to Journolist. [...]
July 22, 2010, 11:31 pmConnections and collusion? « Public Secrets says:
[...] that’s entered the realm of possibility: Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joseph Biden, served in 2008 as an economic [...]
July 22, 2010, 11:35 pmGateway Pundit says:
[...] on Journolist. Jared Bernstein was an Obama economic adviser and member of Journolist. The Volokh Conspiracy reported: Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joseph Biden, served in 2008 as an [...]
July 23, 2010, 1:10 amJurnolist who’s who « Not Your Sweetie says:
[...] Jared Bernstein – Biden’s economist, Obama campaign adviser [...]
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July 23, 2010, 9:40 amJournolist, The Movie « Nice Deb says:
[...] Volokh Conspiracy: Obama Campaign Adviser Participated on JournoList Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)LOLZ! Posted in Comedy Gold, Commies, [...]
July 23, 2010, 11:56 amBreaking: Obama Campaign Adviser Participated on JournoList | Impeach Obama Campaign says:
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July 23, 2010, 12:42 pmThe White House Journolist » Blogs For Victory says:
[...] Joe Biden” was none other than Journalista Jared Bernstein, who — thanks to a post at Volokh Conspiracy (via Instapundit)– I just learned was an adviser to the Obama campaign in 2008 when he was [...]
July 23, 2010, 1:42 pmBreaking News: Obama Campaign Adviser Participated on JournoList | Western Journalism.com says:
[...] Read More – Jim Lindgren, The Volokh Conspiracy var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname="Breaking News: Obama Campaign Adviser Participated on JournoList"; a2a_config.linkurl="http://www.westernjournalism.com/breaking-news-obama-campaign-adviser-participated-on-journolist/"; [...]
July 23, 2010, 3:23 pmPeter Orszag-JournoLister « Blog de KingShamus says:
[...] with Jared Bernstein that makes at least two JournoListers with direct ties to the Obama campaign apparatus or the St. [...]
July 23, 2010, 7:01 pmPeter Orszag was on the ole Journolist – that was just swell « BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades! says:
[...] with Jared Bernstein that makes at least two JournoListers with direct ties to the Obama campaign apparatus or the St. [...]
July 23, 2010, 7:19 pmLiberal journalists shamelessly shilled for Obama to hand him the election | The Post & Email says:
[...] described his position on Journolist as a “surrogate,” which appears to have violated the first rule set forth by Journolist founder Ezra Klein. Another report states that Peter [...]
July 24, 2010, 9:21 pmBias « Chockblock’s blog says:
[...] Obama Campaign Advisor Participated On JournoList.(Volokh, h/t: Insty) [...]
July 28, 2010, 10:05 pm