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To: Reagan Man
T.R. was a statist. He supported national health insurance and cozy big business/big government partnership. Grover Clevaland belongs on your list. T.R. doesn't.
23 posted on 01/22/2003 6:37:10 AM PST by Austin Willard Wright
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To: Austin Willard Wright
For starters, Grover Cleveland had much in common with Bill Clinton. Not only did he have a child out of wedlock, two years into his presidency he married his 22 year old ward and finally, he took credit for legislation that he didn't originate or initiate.

There were some good aspects to Cleveland's first term as POTUS, however, his second term was mired in the worst depression in the nations history, up till that point, with unemployment hitting 18%. Cleveland also made a very unpopular move by ordering the US Treasury to sell governemnt bonds to WallSt bankers for gold. In Cleveland's remaining time in office, he became a protector of the status quo.

In addition, Cleveland didn't believe blacks deserved the same rights as white folks and he didn't support the right to vote for American women. He also wasn't a supporter of states rights.

While Cleveland wasn't considered a visionary leader, by either historians or the common folk, his fiscal conservatism and strong support for the Monroe Doctrine were positive attributes of his Presidency.

For a 19th century Democrat, he was a decent president, but couldn't begin to touch the accomplishments and achievements of TR.

TR was more a nationalist, then a statist, but if nothing else, TR was a true reformer and progressive leader. His public efforts to advance what he would call the "Square Deal", led to many positive changes in government, but did sow the seed for future liberal policies that transpired during Wilson's eight years as POTUS. As with Cleveland, TR also enforced the Monroe Doctrine. It was by Roosevelt's personal determination, political strength and his willingness to employ the US military, that finally allowed the US to build the Panama Canal, controlling it's operation until recently. Giving it away under the terms of Jimmah Carter's outrageous decision, would have seriously angered TR.

TR`s creation of our National Parks system and his general conservationist moves taken to protect open spaces for future generations, were also highly positive moves. It's a shame that the environmentalist wackos have used that part of TR`s legacy to foster an invasion on the privacy and freedom of individual land owners.

24 posted on 01/22/2003 9:17:17 AM PST by Reagan Man
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