Theodore Roosevelt's Pen and Phone

PGA Weblog ^

[ProgressingAmerica]

On Jaunary 14th, 2014, President Obama declared:

"We’re not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help they need. I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone."

Who was the first president armed with a pen and a phone? Who was the first president to issue over 1000 executive orders? Of course, it was America's first dictator. America's first progressive president:

Theodore Roosevelt. Who else did you expect? It's nearly always TR at the root of modern executive malfeasance.

Now, in addition to issuing over 1000 executive orders, there is the general insight as to what these executive orders were for. In his book "Take Up Your Pen" (See page 196) the author explains that TR regularly used unilateral directives for major policy purposes, often times as an end-run-around Congress,(much like Obama does today) which was a stark contrast to all of his predecessors. TR used his executive orders to create chaos and havok, earlier presidents only moved slowly and on uncontroversial matters.

It has been said that Obama has racked up more debt than all previous presidents combined, and the same can nearly be said of Theodore Roosevelt with respect to executive orders.

In the first 112 years of America, American presidents racked up over 1200 executive orders. For those keeping count, that's 25 presidents. Only one president other than Theodore Roosevelt reached over 300 - Grover Cleveland. Every other president issued less.

King Teddy the First issued nearly 1100. It only took him 7.5 years to duplicate what it took 112 years to accomplish in the first. That's an average of 145 executive orders per year. The nearest average prior to TR is 41 per year, from William McKinley.

So, you say you don't like King Barry the First's Pen and Phone? Obama's "Pen and Phone Power" begins with King Theodore Roosevelt. Progressives have always been bad for this country. Always.

Here is a table for illustrative purposes.

[Manly Warrior]

I was not comparing him to Obama. I was comparing your feelings towards him as an analogy to his and Obamas EO record exclusivel.

TR had his strengths, but they were not indicative of a strong constitutionalist.

A statist/leftist is a statist/leftist.

[karnage]

Apologies. I misunderstood your comment.