[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 6, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, in the fall of 1940, Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt was attempting something audacious, unprecendented in 
American history--running for a third term as President. His opponent, 
Wendell Wilke of Indiana, a man with whom he would attempt to forge an 
alliance 4 years later, was gaining momentum. Roosevelt had waited 
until October to begin his formal campaign, but when he hit the trail, 
he did with characteristic gusto.
  ``I am an old campaigner,'' he told cheering audiences, ``and I love 
a good fight.''
  Mr. President, it was the love of the fight, not in the sense of 
carrying a chip on one's shoulder, but more in the manner of relishing 
a challenge to one's ideas and abilities, that marked Franklin 
Roosevelt's character. That spirit motivated him in his fight against 
polio, sustained him during many a dark hour in the White House during 
the Depression and the Second World War and infused itself into his 
concept of a government that shrugged off old models of action--or 
inaction --and engaged in bold, persistent experimentation, seeking the 
best solutions for the pressing problems of the Nation.
  His administration did many things considered audacious in 
Washington, including the creation of then-radical programs like Social 
Security. It is well-documented that one of the sources for some of 
Roosevelt's bold experimentation was the Progressive tradition in 
Wisconsin, which pioneered unemployment insurance and workers' 
compensation.
  Mr. President, Franklin Roosevelt sometimes succeeded gloriously. 
Sometimes he failed. Sometimes he was helped by a fortuitous turn of 
events; other times, events frustrated his purposes. Through it all, 
however, he kept trying, kept experimenting, fueled by a restless 
intellect, guided by the constitutional responsibility of government to 
promote the general welfare of the people, and supported by a bedrock 
conviction that an honest attempt would, at the very least, yield a 
useful lesson and might well solve the problem.
  Mr. President, last week we dedicated the Franklin Delano Roosevelt 
Memorial, a celebration of his memory, his accomplishments and, perhaps 
most importantly, his spirit. He was a man of enormous complexity and 
energy who embraced life and encouraged others to follow his example. 
His philosophy of encouraging boldness and creativity in the service of 
the common good and his insistence on an inclusive, not exclusive 
politics will serve us well in any time.

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