In this diary I'm going take a look at my favorite president (which is pretty mainstream) and I'm going to try to analyze how he would have been judged if we judged him only by what he did in the first 6 months.
My favorite president is FDR any comparison to him is not fair to whoever is getting compared to him. Its simply unimaginable to think that anybody who change society as rapidly as FDR but here is the Major accomplishments that FDR did in his first hundred days Major Banking Legislation that included The Glass-stegal Act which created the FDIC he also established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided work for 250,000 young men, ages 18-25. These young men were getting paid 3 dollars a day though. The administration then proceeded to establish the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), which doled out the $500 million appropriated it through grants and matching grants, help states establish their own relief projects. He also passed the National Industrial Recovery Act in order to stimulate industry and establish labor standards. (Among other laws not mentioned are the Farm Credit Act and the Railroad Coordination Act. In the torrent of legislative activity that was the first one hundred days, the government, fighting charges of socialism, established the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to bring hydro-electric power, soil conservation and flood control to seven southern states; addressed the home mortgage foreclosures which had caused Americans to lose homes at the rate of 1000 per day, helping the real estate and construction markets he also abandoned the gold standard to avoid the gold runs from foreign nations and reigned in inflation.
Now that list of accomplishments is extremely impressive but lets look at the things that he hasn’t done let take the most critical view from a progressive standpoint. He hadn’t signed the social security act yet that was about 3 years away and probably one of his most important pieces of legislation. He also hadn't signed The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was the last major program launched, which set maximum hours and minimum wages for most categories of workers. Which probably had a bigger impact on future American lives as any of the legislation signed in the first hundred days. Lets not forget the contentious issue of civil rights his record was downright non-existent in the first hundred days his biggest accomplishment being nominating my favorite cabinet member ever Frances Perkins a woman to his cabinet. When it came to African Americans Roosevelt explained his reluctance to support anti-lynching legislation in a conversation with Walter White of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People):
I did not choose the tools with which I must work. Had I been permitted to choose them I would have selected quite different ones. But I've got to get legislation passed by Congress to save America…If I come out for the anti-lynching bill now, they will block every bill I ask Congress to pass to keep America from collapsing. I just can't take that risk. Wait don’t worry it gets worse The Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, for example, segregated their work forces by race at Roosevelt's insistence after Southern governors protested that unemployed whites were being required to work alongside blacks
but in the end he did move the ball forward in June 1941 Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which created the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC). It was the most important federal move in support of the rights of African Americans between Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The order stated that the federal government would not hire any person based on their race, color, creed, or national origin. The FEPC enforced the order to ban discriminatory hiring within the federal government and in corporations that received federal contracts. Millions of blacks and women achieved better jobs and better pay as a result.
Now lets take a look at Barack Obama’s accomplishments thus far a 1000-dollar tax cut for working families a 500-dollar tax cut for individuals. Similar to the 500 million Roosevelt got congress to appropriate to the states to establish relief Obama sent 87.1 billion to the states to maintain those programs. He also approved of 53.1 billion in aid for job training and education. A 11 billion to modernized the electric grid 5 billion to assist low income Americans in weatherizing their homes 20.9 billion for food assistance 1.5 billion to fight homelessness 19 billion for high speed rail and other public transit. I could go on& on but I barely can spell so I'm going to stop He Has also signed into law the expanded State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), that provides benefits to 4 million additional working families, he also signed the Ledbetter law requiring equal pay for women, winning approval of a congressional budget resolution that puts Congress on record as dedicated to dealing with major health care reform legislation this year, he implemented new ethics guidelines designed to significantly curtail the influence of lobbyists on the executive branch. He has also ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba, as well as lifted travel and money restrictions to the island. On civil rights Obama though slow to action has made some progress. He has signed the residential memorandum regarding federal benefits & non discrimination he also announce his support for the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, crucial legislation that will guarantee these rights for all federal employees. He’s also on record supporting the repeal of DOMA.
The point being based on the facts OBAMA cant be judged a right wing anything or a disappointing president based on a progressive point of view because Barack Obama stacks up against FDR better than almost any other democratic president in history this far in his term as president. SO when somebody says Obama only been in office 6 months ask yourself what standards are you holding Obama too cause it cant be none from this world.