Historian Michele Bachmann Blames FDR's "Hoot-Smalley" Tariffs For Great Depression
By Eric Kleefeld - April 29, 2009, 11:08AM


Make no mistake: When it comes to economics, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) knows her history -- even if that history is from another planet.

On Monday night, our friends at Dump Bachmann reported, Bachmann took to the House floor and paid tribute to the economic policies of Calvin Coolidge and the "Roaring 20s" (the era that ended with a massive monetary contraction and the Great Depression). One particular line really does stand out, though -- saying Franklin Roosevelt turned a recession into a depression through the "Hoot-Smalley" tariffs:

(vid at site ... )

Here's what really happened: When Franklin Roosevelt took office, unemployment was already about 25%. And the tariff referred to here was actually the Smoot-Hawley bill, co-authored by Republicans Sen. Reed Smoot of Utah and Rep. Willis Hawley of Oregon, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover.

Interestingly, this speech also happened on the same day as when Bachmann connected the 1970s swine flu outbreak to Democrat Jimmy Carter being president, even though it was actually Gerald Ford in office at the time.

Late Update: A shout-out to Liberal in the Land of Conservative for also noticing Bachmann's false attribution of the tariff bill to Roosevelt -- and also to Matt Yglesias for pointing to the metaphysical possibilities.

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Two referenced posts in the 'Late Update' section:


Bachmann And History Don't Mix...0 8:12 PM |
Posted in Michele Bachmann


It has become something of a full time job keeping up with the crazy things that are coming out of the mouth of my representation in Congress. While other people are focusing on her recent comments about Democrats and swine flu in a Pajamas TV interview, her speech about the first 100 days of President Obama on the floor of the House of Representatives has gone largely unnoticed.

In that speech she practices her own special brand of historical revisionism by crediting President Calvin Coolidge for getting us out of the Post-WWI recession despite the fact that by the time he became President the recession was over. Later, she blames the passage of the Smoot-Hawley Act on Roosevelt despite the fact that it was passed a few years before Roosevelt became President and was enacted by a majority Republican Congress and signed by a Republican President.

(vid at site ... )

Apparently history isn't your thing Michele

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Michelle Bachmann Embraces Ignorance, Reverse Causation


Raising trade barriers as a response to an economic downturn isn’t a very smart idea. That said, I’ve rarely if ever seen a serious economic historian attribute the Great Depression primarily to the Smoot-Hawley tariff. The timing doesn’t add up right, and the United States just isn’t a particular trade-dependent country. Milton Friedman, for example, is a pretty hard-core right-winger but that’s not what he thinks. Naturally, since this explanation lacks intellectually respectability it’s commonly heard from conservative pundits and politicians. Michelle Bachman, however, gives it a special partisan twist arguing that “FDR applied just the opposite formula, the Hoot-Smalley Act which was a tremendous burden on tariff barriers” and that this is what caused the Great Depression.

TPM’s Eric Kleefeld has a feeble effort at a rebuttal:

Here’s what really happened: When Franklin Roosevelt took office, unemployment was already about 25%. And the tariff referred to here was actually the Smoot-Hawley bill, co-authored by Republicans Sen. Reed Smoot of Utah and Rep. Willis Hawley of Oregon, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover.

Kleefeld needs to read Michael Dummett on reverse causation. It’s true that Bachmann is making an unfortunate error about the names of Messrs. Smoot and Hawley. But her contention is simply that Roosevelt, though he took office in March 1933, was actually able to cause events in the past precipitating the very years-long Depression that led to his election. It’s a bit confusing, yes. And somewhat metaphysically controversial. But not at all something she deserves to be mocked for.

[no, not really—she should be mocked]

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hehehe ... she's a treasure.

You're a consituient of hers, my sympathies. I'm a neighbor but, a ways north.

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Are you in her district? If so, I feel bad for you.

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As a matter of fact, carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful! But there isn’t even one study that can be produced that shows carbon dioxide is a harmful gas. There isn’t one such study because carbon dioxide is not a harmful gas, it is a harmless gas.
-Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), House floor on Earth Day, April 22, 2009,





Oooohreally no such study that CO2 is harmful? In that case might I suggest to the gentlelady from Minnesota to try this experiment:



1). Put plastic bag over your head (Note: make sure bag has no holes)

2) Seal bag around your neck with some tape

3) Breathe

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"Did you know that Republicans are stupid and evil?" -Bill O'Reilly, Feb 2010

Send me a PM when she lies about her complicity in waterboarding, like S t r e t c h Pelosi, OK?

Which do you find more troubling?

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Undermine our allies. Embolden our enemies. Diminish our country. Barack Who's Vain? Obama Doctrine 2009

Descartes' proof of existence, "I think therefore I am" will not work for a majority of voters in the last election.

“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” - Margaret Thatcher

No, I don't have the 'pleasure' of having her represent me. But, I pay attention to her nonetheless. How can you not? She's such great entertainment. LOL !!!

She is incredibly entertaining at times, isn't she? The problem I have is that once I get done laughing I have to wonder if she actually believes the nonsense that so frequently comes from her when she steps in front of a microphone. And I really don't like the answer I keep coming up with.

And my condolences go out to anyone who does have the pleasure of her representing them in Congress. But look on the bright side; at least you didin't get stuck with Rick Santorum like I did for a few years. All the aggravation, none of the unintentional humor.

ohhh, the pain! YUCK on Rick Santorum !!!

Yea, once the laughing's done, if you really think about Bachman, it's uncomfortable.

Wow, how does someone like her get elected?

Here's her district in Minnesota.



http://bachmann.house.gov/District/6thDistrictMap.htm

Ted you am a genius "Yes, the bag needs a plastic bag over her head!!") Breathe[/quote]"

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