EPU’d, but it’s appropriate here too:

I’m hearing a little sound bite/whine from the Republicans: This stimulus bill is bogus because it’s just loaded up with Democrats’ pet projects that they haven’t been able to get passed till now.

Instead of denying this, why can’t the Dems say something like:

Yes, I can see how Republicans would see it that way. There is a huge backlog of good government they’ve been blocking for years, and it’s true that we Democrats are eager to restore good government and all the benefits that flow from that. If you want to call good government our “pet”, well, Democrats will be happy to plead guilty on that.

This is a letter I sent to my local newspaper – I’m hoping it gets published –

Dear Republican Policy Makers,
Please just stop.
In case you did not notice, the last two elections were a repudiation of your party, your failed governance, your way of playing politics and finally your bad policy making decisions.
If it weren’t for you and your lax oversight and so-called trickle-down economics, we wouldn’t need this stimulus bill and we wouldn’t be in this recession.
Your way has obviously not worked and clearly it is time for something new.
So enough is enough, either you are part of the problem or a part of the solution.
Which is it?
Sincerely…

The only problem with this strategy is that it will allow the Democrats to win because they are not plumb-ass crazy, as opposed to actually having constructive policy ideas.

It would be nice if the GOP was capable of challenging Obama from a responsible conservative position — forcing him left, rather than catering to crazies and allowing him to govern from the center or even center right.

Hey,

I’m willing to call rebuilding our infrastructure “Democrat pet projects.”

Agreed. That’s certainly a problem from a progressive standpoint.

Where was Pus Limbaugh when billions of US dollars were going missing by the skid load in Iraq?

Crickets.

Eff them all.

-G

Thanks for the post, Blue Texan. And good job, J.cro! Way to go, both of you!

George Bush and Karl Rove thought they had achieved a millennial shift to Republicans only to see it evaporate a couple of years later. Blue Dogs continue to support many of the crazy and discredited Republican positions so I think that declarations of victory may be premature. The Democrats need to deliver. So far with respect to the economy they don’t seem willing to do what needs to be done. How this failure will translate in political terms remains to be seen.

The dollars going to the Bamster’s stimulus are three times the entire Iraq War…GOP opposition will redound to their benefit when we are worse off in 2010 and 2012 than we are now…

Thank you Ann!!

Can someone explain this to me? Since it is VERY obvious the GOP is in shambles, why are the Democrats STILL lapping up to them? Obama aside (I don’t know why he keeps catering to them), what about the Senate? Is it true that it IS a club? I found it hard to believe, but when I saw them have no problem castigating MoveOn over the Patreus (sp?) ad, but cheered Tubes Stevens when he left the Senate. What does it TAKE for any of them to say something bad about a fellow senator? Oops! I know. For him/her to say they are an atheist. That’ll do it.

And the media! Keith! Rachel! Over-the-top ratings, yet the media STILL has on right-wingers. Why? I have heard for decades that the media has NO politics — just making money. If so, why don’t they put on liberals, if they make the network money???? (And if they claim to have right-wingers on because it is good for ratings, I can assure them, that since TiVo came out, I do not watch them. In fact, just yesterday, I fast-forwarded through the Republican on Rachel’s show.

It’s really crucial. Job One for the Dems has to be emphasizing again and again that the Democrats are the good government, can-do, Fighting Seabees type party — writ large larger.

I agree. Perhaps Obama is giving them enough rope to hang themselves, but that members of the party of big bailout to banks, the party of tax cuts for the wealthy goes uncriticized by the Dems is beyond me. For not quite two weeks Obama’s done well, but if he expects the Repubs to crossover, I think he will be disappointed. I wonder how long it will take him to reach that conclusion. As for the Dems, we may need an alternative. They may not carry water either.

It’s like the Merkun Peeples haz suddenly realized the Republicans came in and planted a giant leech on the backs of every citizen — and now we’re saying “get it off!”

Praying for a depression. Good American that you are. We’ll see if the Lord answers your prayers this time.

-G

Goos afternoon BT.

I was listening to Limbaugh, less than an hour ago.

He talked of unsconstitutionality, immorality, porkiness… It was a projection fest of epic proportions.

It was all fattassery.

I’m a college dropout. Perhaps I shouldn’t bother getting involved in Democratic or Left politics because I don’t have a piece of paper. Please have a care when using things like “college dropout” as a pejorative.

Yes, it’s a beautiful thing to watch, but when will the Democratic lawmakers take advantage of this fact and actually do something without caving to the Rethugs?
It’s beginning to look like we’ll build super majorities in both houses, to no avail, as they’ll all be either Blue Dogs or corporatists.

I think the R’s are going to get some street level bad feelings about this. BO tried to work with them – widely discussed how unusual – and to come back with 0 support means they didn’t like ANYTHING? in the bill?

It’s not beautiful to watch. This is not Black Bart slipping off the raft into the icy Yukon and his well-deserved demise.

These are examples of Republicans continuing to control the debate, continuing to keep the spotlights on them and their distorted priorities. These “antics” are not their last throes; they are planned initiatives that continue to motivate the Base — and deliver succor to all those who feel alienated from themselves, their ever more vulnerable jobs, and their own government. You see the seeds that land on hardened ground; the neocons see the many landing on well fertilized, plowed soil. They are using the propaganda tools that helped turn a small Jewish sect into the Christian religion.

The Democrats, like Roman senators appeasing this general and that Goth, remain virtually speechless, without enough orators to overcome the noise of the GOP-funded mob. A new emperor there may be; he hasn’t yet brought us a new government or a future different from that bequeathed us by George the Younger.

What has Obama learned from the pre-compromised stimulus bill that bought not one Republican vote in the House? That he didn’t compromise enough? Or that he is needlessly throwing his own supporters to the lions, which merely encourages his opponents to fight harder and compromise less?

I’m a college dropout too, but I take no offense at some calling Limpballs what he is, which is a drug addicted college dropout.

Some of the nuttiest people I know have that piece of paper. Has nothing to do with common sense. I had many friends who dropped out because they just didn’t like it. Wanted to do something else. I have the piece of paper but doubt it makes me any smarter.

The Good Lord sure did deliver a message with that last election.

Hallelujah.

-G

thank you for saying that. i expect you weren’t the only one thinking it.

earlofhuntingdon, you da man!
Eloquently stated critique on the current status of the Democratic party.
My apologies if you’re not a man. /g

Actually, George Bush and Karl Rove were misquoted. They were not seeking a Permanent Republic Majority. In fact, they were seeking a Permanent Republic Minority as a small, regional party of the South. They are so close to achieving that dream and resent the Blue Dogs attempts to mess things up.

I think the R’s are going to get some street level bad feelings about this. BO tried to work with them – widely discussed how unusual – and to come back with 0 support means they didn’t like learn ANYTHING from the last 8 years or from the fact that they lost the election? in the bill?

Fixed it for you; hope you don’t mind. This was all just another political maneuver for them. What was in the bill would not have mattered, IMHO.

I’m a college dropout too, but I take no offense at some calling Limpballs what he is, which is a drug addicted college dropout.

Yeah, but it kinda loses it’s teeth when you realize that Bill Gates was a college dropout!

Get a dictionary.

This is NOT necessarily good. As the GOP moves farther to the right, they start to lose the right side of the center to the Dems. This will move the Dems further to the right and increase the power of the Blue Dogs.

And the GOP that is left will NOXIOUS. Life begins at conception and ends at birth. The only amendment that matters is the 2nd. Tax cuts are the answer to almost everything. If you don’t think tax cuts will work, try abstainence. White collar crimes are punsihed with fines, everybody else gets death.

Boxturtle (Progressives need to figure a way to make pay-as-you-go work)

Nor a calculator

Where was Pus Limbaugh when billions of US dollars were going missing by the skid load in Iraq?

Anybody seen that missing 8.8 billion in cash?

Anybody still looking?

Anybody check Darth’s basement?

Yeah, but you’re not trying to run the country. And you’re not a nutball.

Let’s not overthink it. The total implosion of the GOP isn’t bad for Democrats. As Attaturk pointed out, the challenge will be to continue to fight for progressive values.

Failin/Russ Porkiness 2012

Bring it on!

I mean no disrespect, but I wouldn’t want to go to a doctor without a degree. There are some things in our society you sort of opt-out of without a degree, and I think crafting economic policy for the world’s largest economy would be one of them.

Why do people seem to take things so personally? Rush didn’t say he wants Obama to fail, he wants his policies to fail, not be passed. He obviously wants America to prosper or else he is a great actor with his passion in conversations.

If Obama wanted to reach a compromise then he would have. Saying you made an effort and that you are so disappointed by no republican support isn’t news, it should be expected. Trust listening to someone, shaking your head, saying you understand, and doing nothing about it is nothing more than a dog and pony show. nothing was accomplished and thats the reason why conservatives didn’t vote for the “stimulus” package. Politics and strategic planning had no logical role in voting opposed. It was common sence in their eyes and increasingly many others.

it is absolutely wonderful that the republicans are buckling down
they need to , “do the right thing”
the liberals are working to take this country down
thanks republicans
http://wwwamericanpatriot-vance.blogspot.com/

Anything to stop a socialist revolution in this country. You’re very welcome…

He said in not so carefully chosen words that we, Americans, have to take in in the butt, because Obama is black.

He has no good will or common sense. He is a hate spewing, drug addict, repuglican shill.

Your example of being Roman Emperors feeding the masses bread and circuses is apt. That’s all the “progressive” wing of the Democrat party is–providing welfare and government propaganda to the masses. Republicans believe in self reliance–a more Republican goal….

But, but, but! The kool-aid drinkers who show up at FiveThirtyEight swear that the GOP didn’t vote for the stimulus because Nancy Pelosi was mean and didn’t give them any input on the bill, and she’s betraying Obama’s plan to be bipartisan and also is a terrible speaker!

(They seem incapable of understanding that this is about as plausible as claiming they didn’t vote for the bailout in September because Pelosi made a mean speech.)

Crack open a history book cheese wiz. FDR’s New Deal was ushered in by the Great Depression.

Boy, what a sap.

-G

I agree with your methodology that certain fields definately require a college degree. I myself lets college (business) because it was slow, I saw the laziness of youth, and I learned more reading books and understanding how money works on my own. I believe I will be much better off on this path, I am in trade school now as a backup but its paid by my company. If money management was stressed in schools and we didn’t need these bailouts and have these crisis I think the rift in America would decrease dramatically. Finacial comfort reduces stress and enable compromise and most importantly is attainable with some work and mostly understanding.

I think BT has it exactly right err… ‘correct’.

Until the GOP stops the crazy talk and the race baiting, they have no chance nationally.

More specifically, until they make nice with Hispanics (and that won’t happen playing solely to their base), they are headed for long walks in the wilderness.

This country looks nothing like 1980 when Raygun came out of nowhere to win POTUS; minorities will have to feel respected before they vote GOP again, and without large minority support and turnout, they can’t win in many places across the country.

That’s community college dropout. Not that I’m dissing on community colleges, I’ve got an associates degree I’m quite proud off. The point is that the man has zero educational achievements to point to, yet his glaringly ignorant, ill-informed views on the environment, economics, biology, climate science, stem cell research and a dozen other topics are all regarded as received wisdom by the GOP rank and file. Why these people think a flat earth cult led by a blithering doofus is going to succeed as a political movement, I have no idea. Maybe Mark Halperin needs to explain it to me….

And FDR didn’t get us out of it. If you would listen to Mr Limbaugh instead of calling him names, you will discover that the USA–even according to Krugman–was worse off in 1940 than in 1933–only WWII got us out of it…

I have all the bottom flattening paper (the B.A., M.A., J.D) that Rush doesn’t have and the history says that Rush is Right.

Rush didn’t say he wants Obama to fail

He said exactly that.

He also called Pres. Obama a “Magic Negro”.

As Sen. Moynihan famously said “You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts.”

Yes you can take soundbites but the fact remains it is his politics that he wants to fail, if that includes him so be it but it IS his politics. There is such a thing called context that helps a person convey a full message. Also understand that Rush and anyone in the media will have remarks that get a rise out of people. Sarcasm and blownout of proportion metaphors create an opportunity to see things in a different light.
If our leaders were so concerned with facts they would study history of not only our country but also the world. This simple step would prevent history from repeating itself so many times over, but such is life.

So to you, saying ‘I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails,”’ which is what he actually said, doesn’t mean he’s saying “I hope Obama fails?”

He wasn’t talking about a vote in Congress, there was no indication he was talking about failing to pass a bill; that’s just wishful thinking. He was saying in no uncertain terms that he disagrees with Republicans who say they hope Obama succeeds or wish him well, he said he was reacting to a request for an article on his hopes for the Obama presidency, and his response was that he hopes it fails.

There’s just no getting around that.

And claiming that the fact that the bill got no Republican support proves there wasn’t real outreach ignores the possibility that House Republicans were simply being intransigent. It also ignores the numerous discussions with Republican lawmakers, the removal of the elements they most publicly objected to (if that’s “doing nothing” then I presume you would agree that those objections were just for show?) and generally showing a hell of a lot more consideration for their views in crafting the initial bill than Bush ever did. The fact that after all that, it got no GOP votes demonstrates that their response to compromise continues to be to demand more.

If continuing to demand more of the policies that got us into this hole and nothing else is “common sense” from which conservatives are unwilling to consider any deviation, then I hope the Bush-level approval doesn’t come as a surprise to you. They’re welcome to ride that all the way to the dustbin of history for all I care.

Krugman actually says that the US didn’t continue to pull out of the Great Depression because FDR gave in to those who pushed for moving back toward a balanced budget in 1937 instead of continuing with the level of spending needed to stimulate the economy. (Not to blame FDR, a lot that we now know about spending and stimulus was learned from the Great Depression.) Thus Krugman is arguing the exact opposite point you are attempting to enlist him in, and pointing out the reason why conservatives (like Rush) cherry-pick the period starting with 1937 in their attempts to discredit the New Deal.

yes I guess I’m selfish in that sense because I expect more from my government too. This is supposed to be a stimulus package not a spending package. Many projects in this bill are good projects, although many are definately not but this is not the place. History throughout the world shows us that infrastructure projects as a basis for stimulus is not effective. Stick to stimulus, get that hammered out first. I have not fear with democrates in power many many spending bills will be brought up over the next 4 years.

Please enlighten me; what is the difference between a “spending bill” and a “stimulus” bill?

Especially, since the “spending bill” includes a lot of things that will act as a stimulus and allow states and such to spend money for things that are necessary and good projects but have been on hold while BushCo raided the treasury for their pals at KBR and Halliburton.

The Great Depression era and New Deal talks should not be the great comparison here. We are no where near that bad in many aspects. This current crisis is closer to the carter years. Even this we must realize with 8 million jobs lost in his time then would equate to 12 million now. Which we are not near. The interest rates were in the 20% range and inflation was in double digits.

I have not fear with democrates in power many many spending bills will be brought up over the next 4 years.

AAAAH, the true colors come out…

Actually, I should have added before – And we got to this point in our economy because the Bush Admin was so thrifty?

that wasn’t obvious before????

Indeed it was – but I couldn’t resist being over the top obvious.

And I noticed how you skipped over my question…

Rush said he wanted Obama’s policies to fail, that if the Bamster became a Reaganite and supported tax cuts he’d support him 100%. The “Magic Negro” song was a parody of an LA Times article, not the Bamster himself.

Fact is, Hoover raised taxes already and FDR should have CUT taxes a la Reagan and he would have been successful…

Ha, ha, ha. Who says stand-up is gone forever?

Also to j.cro -57

The Bush administration did allow too many spending bills. I don’t believe he turned one down. I’m not defending Bush, I’ll admit he like all men have many faults. The economy is not all on his shoulders though. Just because a new president comes in doesn’t mean that is the cutoff where everything is on his shoulders. It the Dow down today because of Obama? not necessarily….

The difference between spending and stimulus…
I believe that government should provide incentives to succeed and hinderances to failure. Sounds like the legal system. The tax code should do the same thing. Allowing people and businesses who employ people and pay taxes to keep more of the money they produce is a proven example of stimulus. I think that letting the people and business entities have more money to do with what they see fit, what they see will benefit them the most will better. I don’t like the idea of government getting larger, using our tax dollars (with interest of $347 billion, more than the afgan war) in order to do with the money what they see fit. I don’t want $650 million to go to the DTV transition for the 5% of Americans that didn’t prepare in the last 2 years. I don’t want $12 million to go to Barney Franks favorite bank. I don’t want billions funneled to Acorn. What people need they will then be able to buy, what people want to invest in they can, businesses that want to grow have the opportunity. Don’t bailout failing companies survival of the fittest to an extent will not have people looking for handouts. I just don’t believe it neccessary for government or anyone for that matter to take something from me when I am capable and have been given the tools to do it myself.

sorry for the delay, college dropout that can’t type fast… I try though haha

The mythology that today’s Republican leadership believes in self-reliance is tired, don’t you think? Unless by “self-reliant” you mean nibbling so hard on the government teat that you break it off and kill the cow. Thanks be to Hank Paulson and his Wall Street knackers.

Today’s GOP is corporatist rather than self-reliant. It is happy to avoid paying taxes themselves, while doing the utmost to receive tax subsidies, rebates, credits and legal immunities from a forgiving GOP-led government. If that means those who pay taxes have nothing left to fund their communal roads, bridges, schools, education and health care, then too bad. Let them eat rebates. America’s wealthy, meanwhile, will send their jobs to China and buy their estates in the former Communist Adriatic coast. Life’s a beach.

And I do believe I heard Laura Ing…call Ms Obama a Liar, this am.

thank you Ann #27 am a very humble lurker since the Lake started but you are so very correct. Just seeing how the spin plays out here in Chi, not willing to play along/ get along; a lot of people who/ are getting to be out of work and the bonus’s paid seems to be hitting home.

LG

Rush said he wanted Obama’s policies to fail

I’m gonna try this again.

He said he wanted Obama to fail.

Now, I didn’t stick around to read all the other claptrap you mention, but he said it, end of story.

To see only what you want to see is a remarkable gift. It’s a pointless exercise to argue with you; I would only point out that allowing an unemployed taxpayer to keep more of what he earned is not terribly helpful; to allow a business to keep more of the profits that it isn’t getting because too many people can’t afford to buy things isn’t terribly helpful. The Great Depression was worse, but this is just getting underway, and I don’t see any encouraging signs that tell me that Magic Republican Fairies waving tax-cut wands are going to make everything all better. As for compromise, once again it was all on one side. The GOP has done its level best to destroy this country, done very well at it, and to now demand that they should continue to get the benefits they refused to allow the opposition is the very definition of both insanity and Chutzpah. The present House Republican leadership has less shame than Blagojevitch and fewer scruples than, well, even fictional characters like Dr. Lecter. 70 years and more the radical Republicans have followed their blind, visceral hatred of Roosevelt and all he stood for, and here we are. Having driven from the GOP anyone with an ounce of common sense or patriotism, the reactionary core finally achieved the dream of their grand-fathers, and we are living in the result. To continue to support their Ivory-tower corporatist fantasies marks you simply as a blind idealogue comparable to the Stalinist-apologists of the ’50s.

Give the troll a break. He’s doing the best he can.

I’m not viciously “parodying” you, only people like you. The “you”, of course, defined like a good government contractor, to include every male African American president of the United States, a large group to be sure, all of whom inherited the worst political and economic conditions since the Great Depression. Glad that the ReichWing wasn’t just pandering to its shrinking base with dark racist “humor”.

I wonder when the Wingnut scholarships for Karl’s Klackers expire? At least now, though, they don’t share in the White House’s discount on Internet connections from the RNC.

I think that the Democrats should just point out all the “pork” (i.e. road construction projects) that’s going into Republican states and districts. Then say “Repesentative “X” says that this infrastructural bill is simply pork and doesn’t create jobs….tell that to the people of *** County that would receive these jobs. He doesn’t want them?” Point this out in the local newspapers in every Republcan Congressional District and Red State.

Point out how the re-instatement of student financial aid will allow students going to the local University obtain the skills to become employed as well as reducing the burden on their middle class families. Note as well that if students are attending school they reduce the unemployment rolls and competition for the limited blue-collar jobs currently out there.

Ideas are great but only useful if you embrace them and use them. This is something I worked for and I feel I am successful. I am not rich but I have a plan. I don’t count on Social security but I do count on people to put their money into banks and banks in turn to loan money to me so I can invest in properties. Yes this will help me financially but also it will help people have great places to live with a responsible and caring landlord. It will help the community and my work in these areas will put money back into the community and the economy as a whole. I will also help the neighbors by having a respectable property to keep the values up. I will be able to do this because I have a vested interest. If the government would runs these, the people taking care of them would not have the same care because it would just be a job.

As far corporations are concerned, you are right we should raise taxes on them until they have only three choices…. 1. Leave the country to work in countries that are more business friendly. 2. Start losing so much money that they will need to be continuously bailed out by the government. 3. Go out of business. None of these help they all take tax money out of the country, loses American jobs, and makes our country weaker in the ever expanding global environment. Yes many businesses made bad decisions and they should not be bailed out.
Study history and economics to see that Bush and the Republicans are not the cause on our current crisis. If so would France and Germany have entered recessions before us, because they have many liberal views that many liberals would love to see here. Open your mind to all sides and carefully way your decisions. That goes for many things, if you are Christian study Islam, Judaism, and other religions. It will bring about better understanding of the world around you and maybe even a greater appreciation for your own faith, or your new faith…

There are lots of people who somehow go to college and never see it as an experience to broaden their knowledge about the world and how different fields of knowledge can explain how that world operates. People can learn about that outside academia, by being well read, interacting with people with diverse backgrounds, seeing and listening to films and documentaries that explore various issues. Travelling and living in another culture (preferably more than one) is another way of doing it.

But college is a time and opportunity to find others that have thought about their own fields intensely, who usually have a broader perspective themselves, and where you can meet and investigate a broad range of topics.

But many students only find that it challenges their preconceptions and stop up their ears, muddle through, and come out with only a narrow experience. They’ve wasted the opportunity.

“Rush didn’t say he wants Obama to fail”

Actually that’s PRECISELY what he said.

“He wants his policies to fail, not be passed.”

The first part…not the second. He has said that he hopes that Obama’s policies…and the President DOES set the policy agenda for the country…will fail.

“He obviously wants America to prosper.” Not if it requires success of Obama or his policies. And he isn’t going to help make those work in anyway…he’s going to fight them, work to make them fail, and in doing so make the country unsuccessful.

Rush is already saying that he deserves control of billions, that he should be in charge of the budge, etc. Limbaugh wants to play petty Napoleon, an unelected demogogue who has never faced a real election claiming he deserves this power? He’s obviously insane.

Also state when these construction, road projects, improvements, and other infrastructure investments will start. Show the job creation numbers for that area and how long it will provide these jobs.

The students going to college to artificially delay the unemployment figures will then have greater access to financial aid. Great, now they will have 2-5 years to build up college debt among other living expenses debt because minimal jobs have been created. Right now we have the highest unemployment rate among College graduates. College is proof to employers that a person can get through college and has some level of determination. It doesn’t not necessarily translate to higher intelligence or even better job security. Learning how to be responsible with money would be the greatest class/learning experience that any person could receive.

Again infrastructure is important but now it the time strictly for stimulus so the current college students have jobs when they graduate college, or high school or when any person decides to enter the workforce.

“The “Magic Negro” song was a parody of an LA Times article, not the Bamster himself.”

Show me the words in that song that indicates that Obama is a person of substance, values, charaxcter and not, as the song says, a “Magic Negro”?

Actually that article, which was actually a critique of whites for using token blacks that had no actual power or who merely acted as “sage cultural advisors” describes Limbaugh, and the Republican party, to a “T”.

Rush may assert that it only applies to “liberals” and much of his on-air discussion actually needled the left for “Obama, the Magic Negro”. But he himself has argued that Obama was nothing but an “empty suit”, whose speeches were poetic but carried no meaning (or worse, actually hid his actual intent).

So he actually BELIEVES that Obama is “A Magic Negro”, lacking accomplishments, elected merely because of his race.

Limbaugh said that he was going to “Own the term” “Magic Negro”…and now he does. It’s his albatross, his cross to bear. The article was obscure until he dredged it up…and I doubt that 99% of those that have heard the term can even state the name of the author of the LA Times op-ed.

This reminds me of Limbaugh’s attitudes towards another “Magic Negro”…a fellow named Donovan McNabb…that Limbaugh argued shouldn’t be playing quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and was simply an “affirmative action” experiment by the NFL. in the 2002 season, Limbaugh argued that McNabb didn’t deserve the spot, despite the fact that the Eagles had won the NFC Eastern Division the previous year.

Rush was pulled off the air for those comments, which were widely regarded as racist. McNabb went on to win the Divisional title in that year, 2003, 2004, and made a comeback last year to take the Eagles to the 2008 Championship game. He won Pro-Bowl selections repeatedly.

Meanwhile Limbaughs version of accomplished Blacks are folks like Clarence Thomas.

The “fact is” that Hoover had cut the top income tax rate from 73% to 24% PRIOR to the Depression. Flush with money, that wealth went into the stock markets, and helped create the bubble that burst in 1929. When combined with the sharp decline in incomes during the early depression, the result was a serious deficit in the federal budget.

That resulted in the Congress, desperate to increase federal revenue to balance the budget, enacted the Revenue Act of 1932. The Act increased taxes on all income levels, and the percentage increased with income, to near pre-1928 levels for top income earners (63%). It also implemented a 13.75% tax on corporations. This was of course, when the economists all argued that there should be year-to-year (or pay-as-you-go) budgets. The Keynesian model of allowing deficits to run up was not considered reasonable. Thus no spending on public work projects or other activities that might increase the deficit were considered.

Also, a “check tax” of 2-cents (>30 cents in today’s dollars) on all bank checks. The impact of this was that small bank customers stopped using their accounts for daily transactions since the tax was regressive towards small amounts. This created a major contraction in the money supply.

Hoover also relied on the voluntary cooperation of banks and financial corporations to direct assistance through loans to distressed banks and those facing bankruptcy. Like today, they simply failed to do so. There was no penalization for non-compliance. Instead the money was often used for further speculation and buying up of “distressed assets”.

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was created in 1932. The RFC’s initial goal was to provide government-secured LOANS to financial institutions, railroads and farmers. Roosevelt later expanded the RFC as a government-subsidized jobs program as part the New Deal.