Something positive to look forward to today:

President Barack Obama on Monday will announce he has chosen Princeton University labor economist Alan Krueger to become the top White House economist, a White House official said.

   It isn’t simply that Krueger believes in government action to create jobs. It’s that he is the co-author of a study (with David Card) which demonstrated that a rise in the minimum wage has only a modest, if any, impact on overall employment. That study has been attacked–surprise!–by conservatives who would prefer that there be no minimum wage at all.

   Of course, it’s the guy at the top who has to decide to make a massive push for jobs. We’re waiting.