Franklin Delano Roosevelt: January 30, 1882

[Zomby Woof]

As we plunge into the Second Great Depression, let us remember the president who led us through the first one. :patriot:

[originalpckelly]

1. Yes, and let's remember court packing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_packing

[Captain Hilts]

3. It didn't hurt his approval ratings at all.

But it was just like FDR to ask for so many new justices. Had he asked for two, he would have gotten them.

FDR: Sometimes I take my jacket off.

[liberalhistorian]

5. I'm sorry that one of our greatest presidents

wasn't perfect enough for you. Yes, that was wrong, and it's a good thing it didn't happen, but frustration with the do-nothing elitist court is what brought it on. And had we had Hoover or another repub leader at that time, it would have been a complete and utter disaster from which we may very well still be recovering.

[originalpckelly]

7. I think the important thing here is to realize these people are just that.

And only that, there is way too much hero worship of American politicians.

[Zomby Woof]

9. I don't worship him

Nor is he a hero. You should see what I can dig up on ol' Abe Lincoln. Now there is someone overly mythicized beyond the romantic norm.

But I think FDR's birthday is worthy of note. He was a substantial president, flaws and all.

[originalpckelly]

13. My proposition is that ALL Presidents are to one degree or another...

humans, so I wouldn't be surprised about Lincoln.

Our money should come with a short list of their deeds/misdeeds on it. :P

[Zomby Woof]

14. I think we should honor Amereican artists and scientists too

I would love to see Twain, Edison, or Miles Davis on the currency. Hundreds of possibilities.

[originalpckelly]

15. That or how about not putting anyone on the money?

I like your idea though, because it removes political leaders from being on money.

[Zomby Woof]

18. Iconography goes with currency

To avoid counterfeiting, they could put Jackson Pollock paintings on paper money from now on. No wait, that would mean anybody could print their own. Yep, better put people or animals on there instead. :D

[originalpckelly]

20. I like the idea of animals.

I don't think we've had any animals be dictators!

[Zomby Woof]

21. Not true

"And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords."



:P

[Captain Hilts]

25. I want Walter Reed, Jonas Salk, Frank Lloyd Wright, Martha Graham and the 3 Roosevelts...

on currency.

Robie House on the back of at least one bill.

Or Georgia O'Keefe and some of her less vaginally-inspired art on a bill.

The 3 Roosevelts in profile for bi-partisanship.

Walter Reed and Jonas Salk for what they did.

[Prophet 451]

29. We have cultural figures on ours

OK, every British banknote has the Queen's portrait on the reverse (logical since she's our head of state) but the front of the notes has Elizabeth Fry (£5, campaigner for prison and social reform); Charles Darwin (£10, you know about him); Elgar (£20, composer); Adam Smith (also £20, you know about him) and John Houblon (£50, first governor of the Bank of England).

Generally, we go for philosophers, artists and scientists (preferably with very complicated official portraits). In the past, we've had Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Christoper Wren and Michael Faraday.

[LanternWaste]

19. One person's worship is simply another person's admiration.

One person's worship is simply another person's admiration.

I imagine many posters merely admire the sum total of his policies and his populist positions, myself included. Worship? Not quite-- simply respect and admiration for an individual who had the helm during a severe fiscal crisis followed by a direct military crisis, both of which he helped us navigate through with minimal casualties...

[Donnachaidh]

22. ain't THAT the truth!

:thumbsup:

[Best_man23]

27. Had we had Hoover or another repub leader

We would likely be eating schnitzel and saluting pictures of Herr Hitler.

[Zomby Woof]

33. Fifteen is my limit!

[liberalhistorian]

6. I'm sorry that one of our greatest presidents

wasn't perfect enough for you. Yes, that was wrong, and it's a good thing it didn't happen, but frustration with the do-nothing elitist court is what brought it on. And had we had Hoover or another repub leader at that time, it would have been a complete and utter disaster from which we may very well still be recovering.

[Zomby Woof]

8. Oh, I know his record

I consider his three biggest failures to be:

Internment of Americans of Japanese descent during the war. This was a move to appease the western senators who pressured him into doing it. A quid pro quo for further support of his legislation.

Would not push for anti-lynching legislation. Ibid for the southern senators.

SCOTUS packing. A politically obtuse move if there ever was one.


But anyone looking for perfection in a president would not last a day in the job.

[Captain Hilts]

11. Check this out...

One of the more interesting things I've read about these issues in a while...

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/documents/articles/challengetoamerican.cfm

I can well understand the bitterness of people who have lost loved ones at the hands of the Japanese military authorities, and we know that the totalitarian philosophy, whether it is in Nazi Germany or in Japan, is one of cruelty and brutality. It is not hard to understand why people living here in hourly anxiety for those they love have difficulty in viewing our Japanese problem objectively, but for the honor of our country, the rest of us must do so...

[Cronopio]

12. Proof that politics makes intelligent people do the darnedest things.

If you want to make a good person commit an evil deed, get them into a "quid pro quo" agreement. A little farther down that road and they'll end up a Rod Blagoyevich.

[Thothmes]

32. Dont forget authorizing the assination of

foreigh officials.

[Hippo_Tron]

28. Roosevelt's court packing scheme is a great lesson in the virtues of checks and balances

The framers envisioned an executive that would try to expand his/her power beyond what it should be. Sometimes it is done with bad intentions (Nixon and Bush) and sometimes it is done with good intentions (Roosevelt). Roosevelt was in a tough situation because the Supreme Court was striking down key New Deal programs making it difficult for him to facilitate the country's recovery from the depression. Roosevelt saw a means to solve this problem and he acted on it. I think that a lot more people would have done exactly what Roosevelt did in this situation than they realize.

Fortunately the Senate, which was overwhelmingly controlled by members of Roosevelt's own party, did it's job and said "I'm sorry Mr. President, but that is absolutely not acceptable." Roosevelt acted exactly the way the framers anticipated a President would act sometimes and Congress acted in the way that the framers hoped a Congress would act by reigning in a President that needed to be reigned in.

[anonymous171]

36. It sort of worked. The SC stopped getting in his way because they were terrified of him. nt

[anonymous171]

35. Good idea. nt

[Terry in Austin]

2. Now there's a president!

Haven't seen but one like him since!

[Captain Hilts]

4. Everybody par-tay!

[Zomby Woof]

10. My thread feels official

It now has DU's FDR Scholar-In-Residence presiding. :patriot: :party: :D

[libnnc]

16. I triple love your posts

I mean really. :loveya:

Don't stop!

edit to add: I spy Myrna Loy in that pic

and little Margaret O'Brien?

[Captain Hilts]

17. I'm trying to find a workable link of ER with Jean Harlow...

or the one of ER, Jean Harlow, Robert Taylor, etc.

My challenge for the day...

Here's a neat link about FDR's birthday and movie stars...

http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/175114.html

Keep the faith!

[libnnc]

24. nevermind found it

:hi:

[tsuki]

23. I have always been proud to have been born on his birthday...

a few years later of course.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. Happy birthday FDR and tsuki! n/t

[tsuki]

34. Thank you. n/t

[Joe Fields]

30. gladly! k&r

[Hepburn]

31. Best ever and my ~~ by far ~~ favorite Prez.

FDR and Fala:



The above is the reason I have had Scotties since I was in grade school.

:hi:

[.... callchet ....]

37. C'mon Barack Double the New Deal