As Matt Drudge has reported, Time Magazine is set to name Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the "Man of the Century." While I am hardly an admirer of FDR, I will readily admit that his policies have had enormous influence on our country and much of the rest of the world. As such, he is probably as good a choice as any for this honor.

Born into a wealthy family in 1882, FDR's childhood was geared toward a career in public service. And, perhaps, inevitably, given the influence of his "progressive" fifth cousin Theodore, and Teddy's niece, Eleanor, Franklin veered ever leftward. FDR moved up the political ladder rapidly, starting as a New York state senator in 1910, and then on to assistant secretary of the Navy in 1913.

In 1920, he received the Democratic nomination for vice-president, but got buried by the Republican landslide of Warren G. Harding.

Stricken with polio in 1921, he stayed reasonably active in politics, operating behind the scenes. He was elected governor of New York in 1928, and president in 1932.

1933 was the height of Great Depression, and desperate times seemed to call for desperate measures. Many agencies were created as FDR single-handedly redefined the role of the Federal government. In 1934, he devalued the dollar by about 40%, and by the fall of that year, a limited degree of economic recovery was noted. Opposition was mounting to his programs from both sides. The poor felt that he had not done enough, and middle class and business interests were horrified by the proliferation of agencies, and especially the devaluation. After all, holders of government obligations were now cheated out of their just return!

1935 was probably the killer year, with the advent of Social Security and a tax reform scheme that even proponents admitted was a significant factor in redistributing US income.

In his second term, FDR tried to pack the Supreme Court, to fend off constitutional challenges to his programs. This turned off more of his supporters, and in the summer of 1937 he was blamed for labor troubles and a further recession.

By 1939, of course, foreign policy was becoming a huge issue, and just in time for Roosevelt. He ran against Wendell Willkie in 1940. Both candidates promised to keep the US out of the war, and FDR won his third term.

FDR lovers say that he was surprised by Pearl Harbor, but many, including this writer, disagree with that assessment. The US did institute an embargo of Japan, and was negotiating with them in the fall of 1941. With the Japanese fleet on the move, it is difficult to believe that he felt they were bluffing. At any rate, it is safe to say that WWII is what brought this country out of the Depression, rather than his domestic policies.

His apologists re-tell the Tehran conference story of 1943 with both FDR and Churchill being bamboozled by Joseph Stalin, but I don't buy it. It seems to me that Uncle Joe lost a big ally when FDR died in April of 1945.

So what is his legacy?

A tremendous political talent, he came up with a formula for winning elections that worked even down to Bill Clinton's first try in 1992. He established a massive role for government, that has caused way more problems than it has ever solved. He got our country involved in a war that arguably could and should have been avoided, and he sealed the fate of millions who were forced to live under Communism.

Quite a resume for the Man of the Century.