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Apr 29, 2009

Should We Require . . .




Members of Congress to pass a basic U.S. History exam?

Talking Points Memo posts a clip from the House floor of Michelle Bachmann. The Minnesota congresswoman is contending that the"recession" FDR inherited was no more severe than the recession Calvin Coolidge inherited (she seems to be confusing Coolidge, who took office in 1923, with Warren Harding, who took office in 1921 and actually did inherit a recession). Bachmann then hilariously suggests that FDR made the"recession" worse by pushing through Congress something called the Hoot-Smalley Act. The Smoot-Hawley tariff, of course, was a GOP initiative, signed into law by President Hoover in 1930. Just amazing.



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Barry DeCicco - 5/8/2009

Well, when UCLA historians have trouble with history, can't politicians be forgiven?


Jeff Vanke - 4/30/2009

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/lessons-from-the-non-pandemic-of-1976/


Jeff Vanke - 4/30/2009

I wonder how many other Congressmen would repeat such Limbaughese on the one hand, or Zinnian on the other, if put in front of the camera with no idea of the historical subjects to be discussed. Bachmann is bad, and not alone.


Tim Lacy - 4/29/2009

...you try to learn your history from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. - TL