My Hero and His Fleet

In Constitutional Law, we happen to be discussing the separation of powers. Our discussions in class me reminded me of a story about my favorite President, and as a "TGIF"-type posting, I thought I'd share.

Theodore Roosevelt has got to be my favorite U.S. President. Sure, there are some other good ones, but I really like him. He was, of course, our youngest president, and probably the one with the most exciting life. He seems to be the type of politician that we today lack: a true statesman, but one who gets what he wants, and was quite handy with a gun.

In December 1907, President Roosevelt made the ultimate display of not only American power, but presidential power. It was a rough time. Japan was flaunting its victory over the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War, and the U.S. fleet in the Pacific was still quite small. President Roosevelt assembled a fleet of 16 battleships and their supporting vessels, painted brilliant white, and proposed to send them around the world a la Magellan.

Congress disagreed. They saw it as wasteful, and potentially dangerous. The fleet couldn't pass through Panama, so they would have to travel around South America, then to victorious Japan.

But President Roosevelt was a stubborn man, and, as a trained lawyer, knew that the President had the power to move the military, not Congress. Congress refused to pay for the trip, a correct use of their powers. Roosevelt told Congress that he didn't need their money, and at Congress's dismay, he sent the fleet on their journey on December 16, 1907.

When the fleet reached Japan, Roosevelt went to Congress. He told them that the navy was out of money. Congress was left with the option to fund the return journey or strand the fleet at sea. If they ever wanted the fleet back, they would have to pay for it to circumnavigate the globe. President Roosevelt had used the beauty of the Constitution to smack Congress in the face.

That is why he is my hero.