Liberal Media Elite

When I took AP US History in high school I had this giant tome of history. It was the same text used in survey courses at Yale. It was almost 4″thick. I learned some history. Not quite so randomly, here are some things I learned:

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff was a major policy initiative of Herbert Hoover. Authored by Senator Reed Smoot (R-Utah) and Representative Willis C. Hawley (R-Ore) was signed into law on June 17, 1930 by President Hoover, and was in fact the law of the land for almost 3 years before FDR was sworn in as president on March 4, 1933.

In 1976, during Gerald Ford’s last year in office, there was a Swine Flu scare leading from the death and hospitalization of several Army recruits at Fort Dix, New Jersey. President Ford ordered nationwide vaccinations beginning the following fall. However the innoculations led to serious health problems, and 30 deaths and were discontinued in December, 1976, roughly a month before Jimmy Carter took the oath of office.

For the record the Hoot-Smalley Tariffs are entirely fictional, and sound amazingly like something from an SNL skit featuring (Senator) Franken.

It’s such a relief to see the serious discussion about what Bush, Cheney et al. have done to the soul of this country by authorizing torture. The discussion is painful, it is necessary, and having the strength to engage in it is something America can be truly proud of.

I’m a bit troubled that it seems we are, here on the left, pissed at financial institutions that took bailout money and pissed at those same financial institutions when they decide to pay it back. Can’t really have it both ways, you know? Sure, there is the potential for banks handing back the money when they need it and, as a result, not lending, etc. And there is the potential for troubled banks handing it back because they feel the need to keep up with healthier banks who don’t need it and, as a result, those troubled banks go under (which sucks in the short term but is probably better in the long term). But, either way, either we should pissed when the take the money and, therefore, pleased when they give it back OR we’re pleased when they take it but pissed when they pay it back but right now it appears we’re pissed when they take it AND pissed when they pay it back. Which is kinda fucked up.

I will hold off on any snarky remarks about right wingers wearing native american garb and protesting taxation with representation and referring to it as “teabagging”.

I will point out this quote from one of the West Coast organizers (from the AP…I seem to keep screwing up the link)…

“What is happening now is unfair,” said Alice Broich, who was organizing a protest in Palm Springs. “When you see mom and pop businesses going under and people losing their homes while these big businesses and CEOs are getting bailed out, it’s wrong.”

Apparently, to Ms. Broich, the people going out of business and losing homes are being taxed out…or something.

And, as proof of the wingers assertion that this is the beginning of a new grassroots Republican effort that will rival the Dems…

Several dozen people in Boston rallied, footage from CNN television showed.

That’s right, y’all. Several whole dozen. If that ain’t a groundswell then I don’t know what is.

Checking in after my morning work call, Everyone seemed to be really excited for Iowa. At frist I thought it was Final Four nonsense. Then I realized that Iowa isn’t in the Final Four.

Upon further research, something really, really cool happened there today.

Rock on, Iowa.

As a coda on a discussion at the bar last night, the accomplishments, to date, of our 44th President:

Signed into law:

Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Act.

SCHIP

An 800bn Stimulus Bill

The FY 2009 Budget

Omnibus Public Lands Act (I’m a big fan of this one, protecting over 2 million acres of public land, and over 1,000 miles of rivers, and other waterways. Awesome!)

Executive Orders:

Opening Presidential Records.

Banning Torture

Closing Gitmo

Lifting the ban on stem cell research.

Presidential Memoranda, other actions.

Overturning the Mexico City Policy.

Fast-tracking fuel-economy standards to the 2011 model year.

I could go on. The complete list is found at Whitehouse.gov.

More progressive goodness has come from this man’s first 72 days in office than the previous 8 years. And he hasn’t been in the job for a full 3 months. I think all the hand wringing, consternation, doubt and concern are, at this point a little premature.

Let me be clear, I do have concerns. The Geithner-Summers duo have me concerned. They seem to be of the mindset that dragged our economy into this mess, and don’t quite appear to have any good ideas to get us out. Granted, the mess is so completely intractable, I don’t think anyone has all of the answers, but I’d at least like to see a Krugman or a Stiglitz at the table on this one.

I also fail to see how contracts with AIG are somehow infallible, yet contracts with UAW and other unions need to be revisited, revised, and reduced every time corporate America feels their profits being pinched. That seems to be a double-standard the Administration has embraced.

So far he’s accomplished a lot. The big fights are yet to come, and they will certainly take all of us keeping on him and Congress to get the job done right.