simple lesson: hoover bad, fdr good

In the grand scheme of things, 75 years is not a very long time. It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt decision to turn away from President Hoover's "pay of the deficit and let the market fix itself" economic policy, and toward one of investment in infrastructure and jobs that stalled the Great Depression and helped create mid-20th century economic prosperity and the American Middle-Class. We know these revolutionary policies as the New Deal, which took place primarily between 1933 and 1936, or about 73-76 years ago.

And yet, many Democrats seem to have already forgotten how the Democratic Party became successful and popular in the first place. They joined with pro-Wall Street Republicans to pass the big bank bailouts while simultaneously hemming and hawing about a moderate stimulus package of grants and tax cuts to average Americans. They stall and hold hissy fits about creating a robust health insurance system that will ensure most Americans and create a bunch of jobs. And now they want to destroy the core of the New Deal, the social safety net of Social Security and Medicare.

There is $317 billion of TARP funds left, with more to come as banks repay the bailout that they didn't need in the first place, and that they failed to loan to businesses like they supposedly were going to. Using this money to create actual jobs would be a good thing, like the New Deal was a good thing. Using this money to try to pay off the deficit when we have drastic cuts across the country due to a lack of revenue, on the other hand, would be a very bad thing.

President Obama has suggested he is open to both options. He should be reminded that Pres. FDR is remembered as one of the greatest presidents this country ever had, and he went with investing in our country and communities; Pres. Hoover, on the other hand, decided to try to cut the deficit. He is remembered as the guy who made the Great Depression a lot worse, and one of the worst presidents ever.