Thomas Frank Exposes Washington's "Wrecking Crew"

Thomas Frank, the author of "What's the Matter with Kansas," explains what's the matter with Washington in his new book, "The Wrecking Crew," at a talk at the National education Association headquarters in Washington.

The book is an expose of the wreckage caused by decades of conservative government in Washington and how progressives can undo the damage. Frank says that the anti-government bent of the conservative movement is not a recent phenomenon and is not, as some conservatives claim, a reflection of Bush administration incompetence or closet liberalism. When regulators literally allowed the Wall Street implosion to unfold before their eyes, Frank says, "They were asleep at the switch because they were supposed to be."

Frank encourages progressives to more forcefully press the ideological contrast between the ideology of the common good and the conservative worship of an unbridled free market.

Also at the event, David Donnelly of the Public Campaign Action Fund said that "The Wrecking Crew" points out the need for public financing of campaigns, so that elected officials are not dependent on money from the interests that "The Wrecking Crew" is serving.