"Resolved" Old Battles

Barack Obama, in his Feb 9 press conference:

And in fact there are several who have suggested that FDR was wrong to intervene back in the New Deal. They're fighting battles that I thought were resolved a pretty long time ago.

Check this out.

“I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises.”

“I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started. … And an enormous debt to boot!”

Sounds like Obama and the Democrats campaigning against Bush, McCain in the 2008 election, doesn't it?

Now check this:

“We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work.”

Clearly the wing-dinger, fascist Republican response, right?

Well, those quotes are all from FDR's secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau ... after 8 years of the New Deal. Fortunately for the economy, the country started gearing up for WWII shortly after that -- first to help supply Europe and eventually to supply ourselves when we officially got involved.

I just finished reading Amity Shlaes' "The Forgotten Man"... and I've gotta say (and I think I've said it before) every Congresscritter and the President himself should take two days out to read this book before sitting down to decide what to do to "fix" the economy.