In 1934, rightwingers, Republicans and fascists railed against Franklin Roosevelt when he took over the White House, hurled slanderous charges, accused him of bringing socialism, communism and ruin to the Republic. Why? Because he thought that the average American needed a "New Deal". The Wall Street boys and other speculators had pushed America into a Great Depression. Roosevelt programs to stop America from financial bleeding and to get America moving were called socialism. His closing of the banks to halt bank runs was called a dictatorial taking over of the banks. He shut down the bankrupted banks and reopened the solvent ones under government regulation and with insurance for depositors. This was called the acts of a communist. His creating public service jobs, providing benefits for the unemployed, and his establishment of a social security system, were called a dangerous scheme to redistribute wealth. In 1934, a fascist plot led by Wall Street and British bankers, under the direction of City of London, England, investment firms was only foiled because the general, Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, who the bankers chose to be the front man for the plot, proved to be a patriot and informed on the plotters, (The Business Plot). The Republicans in Congress did everything that they could to stop the New Deal programs. Most of the newspapers in the country were owned by conservatives who railed against Roosevelt and the New Deal. What did Roosevelt do? Did he allow the Republican propaganda machine to destroy him and his Administration, and his work to rescue America from the Great Depression? No. He went to the American people and he told them that he had come to Washington to change things, to give the average working American a break, to pull America free from the reckless excessive dealings of the banking and financial industries. He put the onus on where the blame belonged for preventing change, on the Republican opposition. He told the American people that if they wanted change, they would have to send to the Congress more Democrats, which they did.
The leaked Republican National Committee 72-page memo, that makes it clear, even to the blind that the Republicans have no interest in bipartisanship, the Senator Bunning incident showing how one stubborn old man can stop a bill that majority supports, is more than enough evidence that there will be no change until the Democrats have more Democrats in the Congress.
Mr. Obama and the Democrats must seize the opportunity, and do what Franklin Roosevelt did, to tell the truth on the Republicans. Make it clear even to the hard of hearing, that the Republicans have been voting in a block against change, and to defeat anything President Obama and the Democrats have proposed. The Republicans voted against a bill that cut taxes for the middle class and for small business. They voted against jobs for the unemployed. They voted against a bill that will hold to account the people who got us into this mess, the bankers. Instead of weakening Democratic proposals for change, as was done in the awful Senate health care bill, which must be defeated, the Democrats should stay on course, pass what they can get passed now, that will truly improve the lives of Americans, and point out that they are not able to get what needs to be passed now, because there are too many obstinate Republicans, who are opposed to change, and the American people should return a Congress that is ready to make the change that is needed, a Congress with fewer Republicans.
Links:
Business Plot, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot).
RNC Infamous Meno, (http://www.politico.com/static/PPM136_100303_rnc_finance_leadership.html)
Bunning Incident, (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gettowork/detail?entry_id=58253)
