The LA Times and the Boston Globe both report on Harvard’s mysterious—and now embarrassing—withdrawal of its tenure offer to economist Christina Romer, who was just named head of the National Economic Council.

The LA Times:

“She’s a great choice,” said Harvard University economics professor Gregory Mankiw, who chaired the economic council from 2003 to 2005 and is a longtime friend of Romer’s. “She’s a very good economist, a great public speaker, and . . . brings to the table an understanding of history that most economists don’t have.”

…But Christina Romer’s appointment was vetoed by Summers’ successor, Drew Faust, Harvard’s first female president. David Romer then turned down his appointment and the couple remained at Berkeley.

So what happened, Professor Mankiw?

The Globe:

Romer, who is 49, received her PhD from MIT in 1985. Earlier this year she and her husband, fellow Berkeley economist David Romer, were in line for tenured positions at Harvard University, until Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust unexpectedly rejected her bid without explanation.

…“She’ll be weighing in on the side of a large stimulus,” said J. Bradford DeLong, a fellow Berkeley economist.

DeLong was among the economists at both Harvard and Berkeley who were critical of Faust’s decision not to grant Romer a tenured position at Harvard. The Harvard Crimson reported in May that Harvard’s economics department had approved the job offer, but that Faust had vetoed it and declined to explain her decision.

Dear Globe: Harvard’s first female president rejects female economist for department which has reputation for being anti-female. Economist is then chosen for important White House job, making Harvard look silly at best.

Could somebody please report this story?