Theodore Roosevelt: Imperial President, Dictator
On this date in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt used his executive authority to set aside the Grand Canyon for permanent protection. If it hadn't been for President Roosevelt's Draconian power grab — this unprecedented trampling of Freedom and Property Rights — the Grand Canyon would have turned into a cesspool of mining, drilling and fracking operations.
In 1903, after his first visit to the Grand Canyon, Theodore Roosevelt said:
“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which, so far as I know, is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to do one thing in connection with it in your own interest and in the interest of the country to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is.”
After the fact, in 1913, Roosevelt said:
“My belief was that it was not
only the President’s right but his duty to do anything that the needs
of the nation demanded unless such action was forbidden by the
Constitution or by the laws…. I did not usurp power, but I did greatly
broaden the use of executive power. The course I followed was of
regarding the Executive as subject only to the people, and, under the
Constitution, bound to serve the people affirmatively in cases where the
Constitution does not explicitly forbid him to render the service.”
Thank you Theodore Roosevelt.
Labels: Grand Canyon, Theodore Roosevelt
4 Comments:
When I looked at the article and noticed that it failed to say anything about the Pinchot–Ballinger controversy. What it meant to Presidential Constitutional Powers, as well as a split in the Republican Party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchot%E2%80%93Ballinger_controversy
Maybe I'm missing something but I'm not sure how this is an example for Obama. Except for his Progressive (read: Liberal) policies, TR would have been the perfect model for a modern Republican President ..as long as he was conservative of course.
Erik
Erik: Interesting link. I hadn't known anything about that. I hope Roosevelt's example will be an inspiration to Obama to tune out the "Imperial Presidency" and "Dictator!" rhetoric from the Right.
If Obama was anything near "imperial" or a "dictator", John Boehner would not be the House Speaker. FOX News would not be allowed to broadcast. People like Darrell Issa, Ted Cruz, Allen West, Rush Limbaugh, etc. would simply disappear.
Of course Obama knows this, and I believe because he knows those are absurd labels he will ignore most of it and just go ahead and do what he believes is best for the country.
Snave: Your hypothetical description almost makes me wish Obama really was a king or a dictator :)
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