Rush Limbaugh And Father Charles Coughlin

Have you been hearing about Rush Limbaugh and his remarks about Sarah Fluke? Who hasn't?  Rush says "Ratings Have Skyrocketed After Fluke Attacks."

Rush is certainly not the first controversial figure to raise issues related to American politics. And he won't be the last. Back in the 1930s, when I was a kid, one such popular broadcaster was Roman Catholic priest Father Charles E. Coughlin. Father Coughlin first took to the airwaves in 1926, broadcasting weekly sermons over the radio. By the early 1930s the content of his broadcasts had shifted from theology to economics and politics. Along with the rest of the nation, Father Coughlin was obsessed by matters economic and political in the midst of the Great Depression.

Father Coughlin -Library of Congress photo LC-USZ62-38494 

Coughlin had a well-developed theory of what he termed 'social justice,' predicated on monetary 'reforms.' He began as an early supporter of President Roosevelt, coining a famous expression to the effect that the nation's choice was between 'Roosevelt or ruin.' He viewed FDR as a radical social reformer like himself. During his inaugural address Roosevelt implicitly promised to "drive the money changers from the temple." This was music to Coughlin's ears since a core part of his own message was monetary reform. Roosevelt's early monetary policy seemed to fulfill this promise. So Coughlin viewed him as the savior of the nation.

Later in the 1930s, when FDR failed to follow-on with additional radical reforms, Coughlin turned against him.

During FDR's second year in office, on November 11, 1934, Father Coughlin established his own political organization, the National Union for Social Justice. The purpose of this group was to "affirm the sanctity of private property" and to gain support against the Roosevelt administration. Coughlin pushed for an economic plan that would create ease for the people by creating a more plentiful money supply. The National Union for Social Justice pushed for the silver standard, arguing that this metal was more plentiful and it would in turn increase the amount of money circulating within the economy. FDR resisited this idea, and later had an article published naming the largest silver holders in America. To everyone's surprise, Coughlin and the National Union for Social Justice were one of the largest silver holders in the nation.

Coughlin continued to use his radio program as a platform to attack FDR. In the 1936 presidential election, the National Union for Social Justice, now known as the Union Party, had its' own presidential candidate. The candidate was Congressman William Lemke, born in Minnesota, but then from North Dakota. However, Coughlin's vicious attacks on FDR and the New Deal did not serve to benefit Lemke at all. He received no electoral votes. To make matters worse, Coughlin had promised to retire from radio broadcasting and give up political campaigning if his candidate did not garnish 9 million votes. Lemke received just over 900,000 votes, forcing Coughlin to retire from the air waves until 1937.

When he resumed, Coughlin's radio sermons became even harsher than before. He exercised extreme criticism and vicious attacks against FDR. Coughlin claimed the New Deal was a communist conspiracy. At this point in his career his anti-semitic messages were harsher than ever. He quickly lost favor in the public eye.

In 1942, the FBI found a way to get Coughlin off the radio without violating his First Amendment right to free speech. A federal grand jury indicted Father Coughlin and his organizations for violation of the Espionage Act. At this time Coughlin's primary means of funding was through mail solicitation. He and his organizations were stripped of their second-class mailing privileges, thus eliminating his income. Coughlin's Bishop ordered him to cease broadcasting. He quietly returned to his parish. Charles Edward Coughlin retired from the Shrine of the Little Flower Church in 1966. He continued to write pamphlets denouncing Communism until his death on October 27, 1979.

Almost sounds like 2012.