I'm getting ready interview one of (if not the only) surviving aide of FDR this week

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

97-year-old former congressman Ken Hechler, who also served under Truman as a speechwriter. He's a longtime progressive champion who has been active in nearly every social movement of the past century (he was the only member of congress to march with MLK in Selma) and is still quite active in liberal causes here in WV.

The topic of our discussion is going to be the legacy of the New Deal and the current state of the Democratic Party and its need to reconnect with its progressive roots. I'm in the middle of a massive amount of research, but was wondering if any of you might have suggestions for questions on that subject, or any interesting angles I might consider. Or anything you might want to know about the era in general.

The final interview will, of course, get posted here. Any input or advice folks might have will be greatly appreciated.

[provis99]

1. How about getting him to run for President.

I'd rather have a 97-year old FDR man as President than any of the corporate Democratic clowns we have these days. In fact, tell him I'm a 42-year old who said that. I missed the New Deal era, and even the Great Society era, but they were the two greatest economic movements we have had in national politics.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. Well, he did run for U.S. Senate last year, so you never know...

A lot of folks on the left weren't too thrilled with the choice of Joe Manchin as the Democratic option to replace Senator Byrd, so Hechler stuck his name on the primary ballot to offer a protest vote.

[Jamastiene]

3. Does he think we will ever have another president

half as great as FDR?

Also, what advice would he give to help us put a fire under the current progressive movement's collective rumps. In other words, what advice would he have for us to keep it all together and actually pass some progressive legislation at some point in our lifetimes, instead of just dreaming and wishing that day would come.

[EFerrari]

4. Wow, what a treat!

Since education is so key, I might try to figure out how the party got to the point where a Democratic president could comfortably go to war with the teachers unions. But that's my bent.

[Withywindle]

5. Oh hell yeah, so many questions

But I think the most pressing one is: "What's the difference between now and then--to the degree that FDR was willing to be seen as a fighter for at least some economic-populist policies, and Obama shies away from them like they're some kind of third rail that will kill him if he touches them?"

Why is the political climate so different that the President himself is so cowed?


I am completely in awe of people who have such a serious loooooong view.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. Definitely going to get his thoughts on OWS and current organizing

and what he thinks is effective. I know he was a big supporter of the Wisconsin protests earlier this year.
FDR once said to reformers, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." I'd really love to hear his thoughts on that.

[coalition_unwilling]

6. My question would be a very general one: what does Hechler

think is the 'legacy' of the New Deal? After living through the apotheosis of Reagan-Bushism ("government is the problem") in Katrina and the financial crisis of 2008, what legacy remains? Question not uttered in snark but more out of curiosity.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

8. These are all excellent suggestions

and I'll try to work in as many as I can

[BlueIris]

9. What did FDR and FDR's people (staff) think about younger voters?

Was that even an issue in FDR's day? I realize their thoughts about that demographic were probaby totally different to our own, so maybe that's a question more about the period than about FDR's administration. Maybe the question should be...did they care about their younger demographic? (BTW--what was the 'younger' demographic in that era...25? 35?)

[Selatius]

10. Ask him what FDR would've thought about free trade with no environmental/labor protections.

Part of the biggest problem crippling the country is that the US is committing economic suicide by dismantling its industrial production capacity, leaving millions without high-paying union jobs and cities and towns floundering with high poverty and crime.

[pampango]

15. That would be interesting. We know he opposed high tariffs like Smoot-Hawley and

supported multilateral governance of international trade (ITO), finance (IMF) and politics (UN). But did he support them because he thought the US would dominate such institutions anyway (which we did for a long time) or because he really believed in multilateralism as the way the world should work?

FDR was, of course, a huge supporter of organized labor, government involvement in the economy, high and progressive taxes and a better safety net (kind of like Europe today). Did he think these core beliefs were consistent with a system of international trade with lower tariffs and multilateral control (kind of like Europe today) or did he not realize there was possibly a contradiction there?

[Liberty Belle]

11. Rethugs try to debunk FDR's New Deal legacy by saying it was really WWII that ended the Depression,

not his jobs program. Can he offer some specific points to debunk that argument?

[Liberty Belle]

12. Why was Harry Truman the last Dem president who really had a spine?

We need the likes of a give 'e hell Harry again.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

13. that's one

that i'd especially like the answer to

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. thanks for all the help, folks

Great stuff - I knew DU would have lots to offer.
Signing off for now, but if anyone has anything else to offer, i'll bookmark and check this thread throughout the week before I do the interview.

[boomerbust]

16. Was Presscot Bush

Really a Nazi sympathizer?