Hey, who's that guy on the Dime? And why do Republicans hate him so very, very much?

[ColbertWatcher]

His name is Franklin Delano Roosevelt and he was America's 32nd and longest serving president having been elected to four terms!

"There was no compelling reason to match George Washington with the quarter, for example, or Thomas Jefferson with the nickel. Nor was John F. Kennedy closely identified with the half dollar, or Dwight D. Eisenhower with the dollar. In each case, the coin was chosen not so much because it was fitting, but because it was handy. Jefferson got the nickel, for example, because it was due for a design change, and Kennedy got the half dollar because Benjamin Franklin, the coin's former occupant, seemed less likely to be missed than the men on the other coins.

There was ample cause to issue a coin in Franklin D. Roosevelt's honor after his death on April 12, 1945. He had guided the nation out of the Great Depression and to the very threshold of final victory in World War II, steering the ship of state through 12 of the most tumultuous years in history. He had his critics, to be sure-bitter ones, at that, for the emotions he stirred were intense. But his achievements clearly entitled him to a niche among the nation's great leaders, and a place of honor on its coinage.

Three coins-the Lincoln cent, Mercury dime and Walking Liberty half dollar-were ripe for replacement at the time, all having been in service for the statutory minimum of 25 years. There was never any doubt, though, that the choice would be the dime, for this was the coin that Roosevelt had used to wage war on the domestic front-war against disease."

--Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Man on the Marching Dime

"The March of Dimes occupies a unique place in American history. Its efforts to provide care for the victims of polio while aggressively working to develop vaccines against it, represents the first large-scale, nationwide biomedical initiative, led by a charitable organization. It also helped make the volunteer movement an integral part of the fabric of American life.

Before the development of the polio vaccines, an estimated 50,000 people in the United States were affected by polio each year. As a result of March of Dimes efforts, virtually all babies now receive the Salk vaccine to prevent polio and there has not been a new case of the disease in the Western Hemisphere since 1991. In 2001, the World Health Organization reported just 480 cases of polio worldwide and hopes to declare the world polio-free by 2005."

--The March of Dimes story

Republicans hate him s-o-o-o much, they changed the Constitution so that Presidents can only serve 2 terms, and they desperately want to get him off their precious money and replace him with Saint Reagan (gag):

"While I can understand the intentions of those seeking to place my husband's face on the dime, I do not support this proposal and I am certain Ronnie would not..."

--http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-12-05-reagan-dime_x.htm">Nancy Reagan

So, the next time you look at that dime, feel confident that every Republican is an idiot!

Yay dimes!

[Frances]

1. Roosevelt helped the poor join the middle class

Ronnie helped the middle class join the poor

[MannyGoldstein]

2. A Better Idea For Reagan

The Ronald Reagan National Debt would be a better memorial.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Please check out this list of things...

...to be named after "Saint Ronnie, The Old": Things Named In Honor Of Ronald Reagan.

Oh, and since it's a wiki, you can add your own.

[bushmeister0]

4. Wasn't Ronnie a big New Deal guy at one time?

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Yes he was...

...http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760624.html">Infoplease says:

"When his father got a New Deal WPA job, the future president became an ardent Roosevelt Democrat."

[guyanakoolaid]

6. Wouldn't a new thousand-dollar bill be more appropriate for Reagan?

[ColbertWatcher]

7. Only if it "trickles" on you when you try to spend it. n/t

[Thor_MN]

8. I think red ink would be a fitting tribute.

What color is that pen? Reagan Red, of course.

St. Ronnie is going to get a coin, at least for a bit, with the presidential dollar coin series. Ironically, they can't issue his until after President Jimmy Carter's coin and they can't issue that as long as he is living. I'd like to see him hit the high Hundred teens.

[guyanakoolaid]

10. Hahahaha, YES. It's about time we put some color itno our money, that would be PERFECT

[bushmeister0]

9. From a similar thread eary this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3213505&mesg_id=3213808

And: "they changed the Constitution so that Presidents can only serve 2 terms."

Yet I remember the howls of indignation from the Republicans about the 22nd amendment when they thought it was unfair to prevent the American people electing him to a third term if they wanted it.

[WoodyM]

11. Perhaps it is somewhat

ironic that after getting the term limit into the constitution, the next president the republicans elected could have run for extra terms and won. That was Dwight Eisenhower.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. The GOP never miss a chance to shoot themselves in the foot...

...just as long as they can take someone else's rights away as well.