Yes, Teddy Roosevelt was part of the party that was called Republican at the time, but that party had very little to do with the party that is called Republican today.
He was a Progressive reformer who sought to move the dominant Republican Party into the Progressive camp. He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved forty monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster". He was clear, however, to show he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle but was only against corrupt, illegal practices. His "Square Deal" promised a fair shake for both the average citizen (through regulation of railroad rates and pure food and drugs) and the businessmen. He was the first U.S. president to call for universal health care and national health insurance. As an outdoorsman, he promoted the conservation movement [he created the National Parks system], emphasizing efficient use of natural resources.
Today's Republican claim that they are the party of Teddy Roosevelt is typical of claims by today's Republicans -- while true in a technical sense, it is deliberately misleading to such an extent that I believe it should be called a lie.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-09-05 03:22 pm (UTC)To quote from Wikipedia,
Today's Republican claim that they are the party of Teddy Roosevelt is typical of claims by today's Republicans -- while true in a technical sense, it is deliberately misleading to such an extent that I believe it should be called a lie.