Similarly, when I wrote about the under-recognized success of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, I was very focused on its core mission of creating a safer banking system. At the time, however, a lot of activist energy went into something else entirely — the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was, rightly, seen as a major goal worth fighting for separately from questions of macro-level financial stability. Overall, as Paul Krugman says, theres enough evidence even now to say that theres a reason Wall Street — which used to give an approximately equal share of money to both parties but now overwhelmingly supports Republicans — tried so hard to kill financial reform, and is still trying to emasculate Dodd-Frank. Thats to say nothing of smaller measures from the 111th Congress like a food safety bill, a child nutrition bill, a Childrens Health Insurance expansion, and a public lands bill the Sierra Club hailed as a historic day for conservation. After all that, Republicans won a huge electoral victory, and during the lame duck session Obama got Congress to finally ratify the New START arms reduction treaty and pass the bill that ultimately ended discrimination against gays and lesbians in the military.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 22:54:41 +0000
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