David M. Shribman is executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A president campaigns with promises to achieve a specific goal. The House goes along. The Senate begins to examine the matter, accedes to various lawmakers' demands for special favors and concessions, but the process runs into resistance. Commentators ask why a Republican president with a Republican House and a Republican Senate can't pass a major element of the Republican platform.
That describes the legislative history of the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill of 1930, admittedly an unfortunate comparison to President Donald J. Trump and his efforts to win repeal of Obamacare. That tariff bill eventually passed into law, beginning a debate that continues to this very day about whether it caused, or deepened, the Great Depression. That debate is beside the point, at least for this column. What is relevant is the process — and the political implications.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.