Is Obama a socialist? What does the evidence say?
What Mr. Johns, Mr. Gingrich, and others brandishing the “socialist” s-word are really complaining of is a return to the policies of John Maynard Keynes, the English economist who advocated vigorous government involvement in the economy, from regulation to pump priming, says labor historian Peter Rachleff of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.
“Socialism suggests getting rid of capitalism altogether,” says Dr. Rachleff. “Mr. Obama is not within a million miles of an ideology like that.”
For what it’s worth, socialists deny that Obama is one of them – and even seem a bit insulted by the suggestion.
“I have been making a living telling people Obama is not a socialist,” says Frank Llewellyn, national director of the Democratic Socialists of America. “It’s frustrating to see people using our brand to criticize programs that have nothing to do with our brand and are not even working.”
Adds Billy Wharton,co-chair of the Socialist Party USA: “I am not even sure he’s a liberal. I call him a hedge fund Democrat.”
Name calling, urban myths and conspiracy theories about birth certificates and socialism is wing-nut conservatives have. They cannot win on the issues if they stick to the facts. Calling Obama a socialist is just a sign of desperation.
Dean Baker’s” THE CONSERVATIVE NANNY STATE – How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer” - if anything the U.S. is a corporate nanny state in which most Americans are just wage slaves.
Fox Right-wing Hack Doocy still misinformed --and misinforming -- about AZ law
Another day, another reason for Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy to stay far, far away from legal (mis)interpretation. On the July 7 edition of Fox & Friends, Doocy questioned why the White House is suing Arizona over the state's controversial illegal immigration law when it should be "singling out Rhode Island" -- a state he falsely claimed has "a law that mirrors" Arizona's law, has "been on the books for years," and "has already been upheld by two of the highest courts in the country." To make this falsehood appear super official, Doocy even offers up the First Circuit Court of Appeals case Estrada v. Rhode Island amixed in with a little legal analysis as "proof" of his claims. Too bad he is one hundred percent wrong.
Conservatives don't like being called stupid, but Doocy is an example of why it is at least difficult to think of Rethuglicans as smart. Clever and conniving they certainly are.
