The Right’s Dangerously Bad History

[marmar]

from Consortium News:


The Right’s Dangerously Bad History
January 18, 2013

Exclusive: Reacting to President Obama’s modest executive orders on gun safety and his proposed legislation to Congress, the Right is engaging in hysterical rhetoric about “tyranny” and riling up angry whites to arm themselves. But key Republicans can’t even get their historical facts straight, notes Robert Parry.

By Robert Parry


One conceit of America’s right-wingers is that they respect U.S. history and especially the Constitution in ways that other Americans don’t. But not only has the Right absorbed a grossly distorted idea of the Constitution but many prominent conservatives have a shoddy understanding of history, most recently revealed by Sen. Rand Paul.

On Wednesday, the Kentucky Republican appeared on Fox News to liken President Barack Obama’s executive orders on gun safety to the behavior of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who guided the nation through much of the Great Depression and World War II.

According to Paul’s version of that history, “FDR had a little bit of this ‘king complex’” like Obama, so “we had to limit FDR finally because he served so many terms that I think he would have ruled in perpetuity, and I’m very concerned about this president [Obama] garnering so much power and arrogance that he thinks he can do whatever he wants.”

Regarding the FDR point, Paul is referring to the 22nd Amendment which limits a U.S. president to two four-year terms. Roosevelt was the only president elected more than twice, having won four elections. But the 22nd Amendment did nothing “to limit FDR.” ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2013/01/18/the-rights-dangerously-bad-history/

[Flashmann]

1. Evidently

You fail to recognize and acknowledge that,by virtue of his being an ophthalmologist,paul is a constitutional and historical scholar and expert,and whose opinion,thusly, is unimpeachable gospel.......

Doesn't that seem rather small minded??.....

[PopeOxycontinI]

2. uh...yeah

Hell, they can't even get very recent history straight. Calling Obama dictatorial,
when their drooling sun-god Bush was much much worse! Hypocrites!

[awoke_in_2003]

3. Yeah, FDR was going to hit...

the campaign trail for his fifth term. Luckily the republicans stopped him, because we have never had a candidate from the grave before