When Social Security came up for a vote in the House, not a single Republican voted in favor-- not 1

[phantom power]

In 1932 when FDR and the New Dealers rolled up their sleeves and set about to rescue the country from a Great Depression caused by decades of unfettered corporate excesses and grotesque Republican misrule, the Republicans went on an orgy of obstructionism. When Social Security came up for a vote in the House, not a single Republican voted in favor-- not one. Instead, it was seared into the minds of voters that the GOP was the Party of Sore Losers. While FDR was busy rescuing and rebuilding, the Republican Party decided to re-brand the Democrats... as socialists. And how did that work out for them? When Hoover won the presidency in 1928, on the eve of the Depression, 270 Republicans were elected to the House and the Senate had a 56-35 seat GOP majority. Republicans with a world view identical to that of John Boehner, Miss McConnell, Jim DeMint, Newt Gingrich, and Rush Limbaugh put together their multi-cycle obstructionism/rebranding strategy which resulted in a loss of nearly 200 House seats by 1936. That's right; the GOP sank from 270 seats to just 88 in the House. And their healthy majority in the Senate? After the 1936 election their 56 seats dwindled down to just 17 impotent, barking chihuahuas.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/50-votes-by-digby-so-ama-came-out-in.html

[marmar]

1. And they've been ramming it to us ever since.....

n/t

[DJ13]

2. Thank God Harry Reid wasnt majority leader back then!

It would never have come up for a vote out of the fear a filibuster might happen.

[marmar]

7. "Thank God Harry Reid wasnt majority leader"

No shit..... :scared:

[Riley18]

3. History does repeat itself.

[old mark]

14. Another Eagles fan?

Welcome - post something on the Lounge.

Superbowl this year!

:applause:

mark

[Indydem]

4. Not true. Republicans voted in support.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/tally.html

[timeforpeace]

6. That's the official Social Security site?

Well, they would know. Repubs voted 81 to 15 in favor. And the vote was in 1935, not 1932.

Besides, Roosevelt didn't become President until 1933.

[Bozita]

9. Thank you.

[RoyGBiv]

10. I'm glad you posted that ...

I was about to lose my lunch.

This is why we don't take what random bloggers who fail to cite anything at all for their assertions at face value, even if we like what they are saying.

That piece has other errors as well, but none so glaring as that one.

[phantom power]

13. Good point. I noticed Digby also included that in a correction.

[Stuart G]

5. If I recall, they were not for medicare either.. nt

[kenny blankenship]

8. No wonder it never passed! Only bipartisan legislation succeeds!

[RoyGBiv]

11. The SS Act was bipartisan ...

In fact, the final bill that was passed went through a lot of the same process that, for example, various health care measures are experiencing now. The main difference, up to this point, is that Roosevelt's Committee on Economic Security that developed the plan was incredibly efficient and filled with talented members who had a common goal based in their desire to institute social insurance of some sort. Obama's failure so far is in not putting together a similar kind of advisory committee to help draft legislation.

But when the bill got into Congress, those critters did mangle it from what was originally conceived, and it was subsequently changed in many ways in the immediate years after its initial passage.

This idea that FDR just pushed through anything he wanted whenever he wanted because he had such huge majorities of people working in lockstep with his wants is a myth that needs to die now.

[Historic NY]

12. so then they shouldn't have a say now..period end of discussion. ..

I'd remind them old f--king right wingers that their checks are owned by the Democrats..that ought ot send them over the edge. their successors today would gladly kill it off.

[old mark]

15. I think the Obama Era - so far - reminds me of FDR's time -

Republicans were terrible back then, espousing racism, anti-semitism and hatred of the "wrong" religions, and especially hatred of immigrants.
Lots of really anti-American right garbage and hate mongering on the radio and in the press.
They seem as remarkably stupid as Republicans in our day.

Maybe they never really changed.
mark