Huey Long.

[coloradodem2005]

Long introduced several major reforms once in office, including free textbooks and free night courses for adult learning, increased expenditures on the state university, and a program to build a school within walking distance of every child in the state. Once in office Long also financed a wide-ranging program of public works; over 12,000 miles of road were paved and over 100 bridges were built, as well as a new airport in New Orleans, and a medical school at Louisiana State University (LSU). The programs were financed by increased taxes on the rich and on big business; the new roads were payed for with a tax on gasoline. Long was so determined to have his way that, bypassing the state legislature, he put considerable effort into ensuring that his own people controlled every level of the state political system. His efforts in Louisiana were the subject of an IRS investigation; he had increased annual state government expenditure three-fold and the state debt over ten-fold. In 1929, he was impeached on charges of bribery and gross misconduct, but the state senate did not convict him by a narrow margin of two votes. It was often alleged that Long had concentrated power to the point where he had become a dictator of sorts; this was quite unprecedented.


In the Senate
In 1930 he was elected to the United States Senate. He went to Washington in 1932 after having ensured that Alvin Olin King was elected to replace him as governor. Long continued to be in effective control of Louisiana while he was a senator. Though he had no constitutional authority to do so, he continued to draft and press bills through the Louisiana legislature, which remained controlled by his supporters. He was vigorous in his efforts to try to combat the damages of the Great Depression. By 1934 he began a reorganization of the state that all but abolished local government and gave himself the power to appoint all state employees.

He was a vocal supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1932 election, but when Long was not offered a federal post, he turned against Roosevelt. In 1933 he was part of the three week Senate filibuster against the Glass-Steagall Act. In another famous filibuster on June 12–13, 1935, Long made the longest speech of his Senate career. The speech took 15 1/2 hours and was filled by 150,000 words. <1> (http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Huey_Long_Filibusters.htm) In 1934 he created the Share Our Wealth program, proposing heavy new taxes on the super-rich. Though he was a Democrat, President Roosevelt considered Long a demagogue and privately said of him that "he was one of the . . . most dangerous men in America." He positioned himself to run against Roosevelt in the 1936 elections, announcing his bid in August, 1935.

<snip>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey_Long


Was Long a true populist or a demagogue? Do you see similarities to Howard Dean or not?

[tx_dem41]

1. Not. one. iota. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Is it true that Long read a phonebook into the Congressional Record

as part of his filibuster?

[JanMichael]

3. Dean isn't remotely like Huey.

It was a different time and circumstance. And on the oratorical level there isn't much of a comparison, that whole early 20th century group smashes most of our current politicians.

Long ultimately could have become a Fascist nightmare or a Leftist's dream. He truly did intend to elevate all at the expense of the ultra-rich but it's hard to say how it would've turned out.

Personally I'm more of a Eugene V. Debs fan.

[theplutsnw]

4. It has never been about Dean

but about us!

AP in Seattle