Roosevelt is DEAD

[wiggs]

...and they want to kill him again.

From Daily Kos in May:

"To this day the GOP is still fighting the war that began in 1933 with Roosevelt’s election, and seemingly won’t rest until the New Deal has been completely dismantled. Conservative leaders still make the claim that Roosevelt’s policies extended the Great Depression and, in fact, made it worse. Said de facto Republican Party leader Rush Limbaugh in a(n) (in)famous rant, "Roosevelt is dead. His policies may live on, but we're in the process of doing something about that as well." Some conservatives, including former president Ronald Reagan, have attempted to twist the New Deal into an example of American fascism in action.

With the glut of recent bills that propose ending or radically altering New Deal and “liberal” policies (such as Medicare, Social Security, public education and cutting funding for infrastructure projects), can there be any real doubt that this is the agenda of the modern Republican Party?" (Thanks to DUr Marr for quote clarification)

This explains, in part, what the GOP is doing. They aren't only looking toward 2012. They've got the weight of 75 years of GOP New Deal bitterness to support. Doing something about the New Deal means starving the govt and lying to the public so that social safety nets are destroyed. This isn't just about appeasing the Tea Party...rather the Tea Party is giving them cover to achieve long-standing goals of Prescott Bush and Reagan. They are "in the process" of doing something about those goals.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/31/980973/-It-Almost-Happened-Here

I don't know why the big picture isn't painted more clearly for the American people...that this is a battle waged for 75 years and that this is the biggest threat to some of the most successful and important US programs ever created.

The Rush audio should be played daily.

[WI_DEM]

1. One problem is that we haven't had a Democratic president in about 40 years who have stood up for

true progressive liberal principals. Carter in some respects but in many ways he was a moderate/conservative on economic policy and Clinton...

[rurallib]

2. sadly, the last liberal president was Nixon.

[wiggs]

5. Obama has the potential to do it. That's why he's considered

such a huge threat and why it's McConnell's primary task to delegitimize him.

As it turns out, as much of a charismatic progressive as he is at heart...as smart as he is...as inspirational as he can be....turns out he's a consensus-building constitutionalist that prefers to encourage and nudge rather than jam things through. This is a blessing to the top who recognize opportunity when they see it. If they go further and further right, public discourse and the media will follow...and Obama will find where the political will is. Add to that the fact that gop can and will go low in politics and have the media treat it as worthy of discussion...and you have a recipe for negative change that the gop has admitted they wouldn't have if they had both the congress and the WH themselves.

I hope, as his term goes on, that he sees the big picture and doesn't place so much faith in consensus building.

[Octafish]

3. You can't kill an idea.

http://www.rooseveltinstitute.org/

Thank you for an important OP, wiggs. The vulgar pigboy won't rest until his satanic masters have all the money and control all the power.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. I seen some on DU state FDR had outdated ideas

and I need to get with the 'new' program.

Fuck that shit

[Octafish]

6. With that kind of ''thinking,'' we'll all be Republicans soon...

...which would be bad.

For instance: President Roosevelt thought it was his job and the government's role to apply their powers make life better for ALL Americans.

GOP presidents, on the other hand, have largely thought it was their job to oversee the functioning of government and to preserve the status quo.

Which path have the "new" Democrats chosen?

[wiggs]

8. A good serious question that's at the heart of a lot of

frustration here. DU has been mystified by dem leader behavior for a long time. I think your question is a difficult one...and that's a huge part of the problem.

[whathehell]

7. They're sadly mistaken....FDR is responsible for the New Deal policies

like social security and support for Labor, which not

only brought millions into the middle class, but proved

wildly successful and made it THE reigning party for

near half a century.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. The Third Way infection does run pretty deep here. nt

[BeFree]

11. They never stop

Thank gawd they don't control the voting machines. Oh wait.....

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. The Right and the Republicans didn't elect Obama

The Democrats did..... he needs to know who elected him
and quit playing .. I'm the president of all the assholes.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. I don't think he really gets that. He may be president of all the people,

but he was elected, by a solid majority, by the people who rejected the basic premises of the other party.

The other sides' arguments are not any more valid after the election than they were before the election - instead of compromising with them, he should be showing them how liberal policies are good for everyone - including the wealthy. He's a hell of a speaker, and if he takes his case directly to the people they (except for the 23%) will see how off base the RW politicians are.

By compromising with them, he legitimizes their arguments.

Why can't he simply say "They are WRONG"?

[wiggs]

13. kick till we hear the Rush audio out there. nt