While the article mentions the '29 Depression and Panic in '07, they curiously failed to talk about the Depression of '20-21.

Did the government "prime the pump" and spend money that it didn't have to get the economy going during that time?

No, they didn't.

Instead, they did EVERYTHING at that time, that people were calling to be done again regarding TARP and the bailouts.

President Harding slashed the federal spending. He also imposed across the board tax cuts.

The Fed (yes, there was a Fed at that time) did nothing.

And what did this "Libertarian/laissez-faire" approach accomplish?

A "malaise" in which there is no improvement in sight? Ginned up economic numbers and unemployment figures put out by the government?

The end result back then wasn't even close to what we are experiencing today.

In about 18 months, the economy showed signs of turning around. Unemployment fell from 12% in 1920 to 6.7% in 1922. And in 1923 it fell again even further to 2.3%.

They turned things around back then in about 18-24 months, while we're struggling to see numbers improve after how many years now?

But what the hell, it's a lazy day anyway...

The bailout of Detroit, using TARP funds, is illustrative of the deficiencies inherent in crafting legislation in times of crisis, no matter how necessary. Blaming Hoekstra for it is disingenuous and not really credible.

The Wall Street bailout Bill creating TARP funds, is illustrative of the deficiencies inherent in Hoek$tra voting for such haphazard crafted legislation in times of alleged crisis, no matter how many corporate welfare advocates call for its necessity.  Blaming Detroit for using TARP funds is disingenuous and not really credible.

Cash for clunkers was a not-very good idea, but understandable, and no worse than a myriad of other little noticed ideas, such as tax credits for energy-efficient furnaces and the like, that government distributes willy-nilly still today.

Good Lord!  I should've stopped you at where you wrote "but understandable".  You sure do understand the art of projection well, don't you?  Ya, Cash for Clunkers... yessirree, there's another useless $3 billion pork barrel Pete p!ssed away.

...I'd be far more interested in a response to the points made in the Williamson article, and what evidence there is against it.