New York, Nov. 16—It pays to read every word of the Atlantic Monthly article, then every word of David Stockman’s statement to the press, and then at least one novel by Anthony Trollope. What is truly astonishing is that there should be such astonishment. If the point were simply made that Stockman used here and there an unfortunate metaphor, why then it is good news that the hygiene of the English language has suddenly become a front-page concern. If the point is that setting out to a) balance the budget, b) defeat inflation, and c) do a) and b) under the onus of a democratic system requires hard maneuvering, flexibility, frustration, exaggeration, then really there isn’t that much of a story here.
What is the worst that can be said about Stockman? 1 mean, how would, say, the William Kunstlers of this world state their case against him?
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