What is going on with Greg Mankiw? Since leaving the White House, the distinguished Harvard economist and former Bush administration CEA chair, whose statements about the revenue effects of tax cuts were repeatedly contradicted by White House officials without public comment by Mankiw, keeps suggesting that other politicians and economists are deviating from economic truths for political reasons.

Back in 2007, Mankiw criticized the implausible supply-side claims of John McCain, but the Harvard Crimson pointed out that Mitt Romney, who Mankiw was advising, had made nearly identical statements without rebuke from Mankiw. Similarly, Mankiw did not call out President Bush or other administration officials when they repeatedly suggested that tax cuts increase government revenue.

Then on Sunday, Mankiw suggested that contradiction existed between the conclusions reached by Obama’s incoming CEA chair, Christina Romer, and the stimulus approach Obama was promoting. Romer’s Berkeley colleague, Brad DeLong, vehemently defended her, stating that Mankiw had mischaracterized Romer’s beliefs and her research.

I share Mankiw’s concern with truth and accuracy in public statements about economics, but shouldn’t he start with his former employer before going after anyone else?