In a perfect world, I'd wager most people would hope our leaders would be beyond reproach. Their images, after all, grace our coins, currency and postage. Who would want to believe they participated in scandalous activity? It turns out the ones most in the know with locked lips were those closest to the office — the press and Secret Service.

While the Great Depression trudged on and Herbert Hoover's pessimistic legacy clouded signs of recovery, newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt laid out his "New Deal" to return the U.S. to its pre-depression strength. His was no easy task and he failed on several occasions. But, Roosevelt's attitude of hope and perseverance was a breath of fresh air. Remarkably, it took the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to re-energize the country back to its industrial might with resolute leadership that eventually catapulted Roosevelt onto our circulating dime.

What was going on behind the scenes, however, was far more interesting than any war. As a child, Roosevelt had contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. He spent most of his life wearing braces or in a wheelchair. Most of the country knew nothing of it. The Secret Service made sure to hide his illness and kept photographers away. For the most part, the press obliged.

Most remarkable was Roosevelt's infidelity. Married to Eleanor — legally his fifth cousin once removed — theirs was not a close physical relationship (and for good reason ... more about that in a moment.) Dating back to the early 1900s, Roosevelt had an ongoing affair with a woman named Lucy Mercer. Eleanor discovered their tryst in 1918 and demanded it stop. So did Roosevelt's mother who, when informed, told Franklin that if it didn't she'd cut him off from the family fortune.

Roosevelt clandestinely replaced Mercer with a secretary named Missy LeHand. Here's the really intriguing part. Had she known, Eleanor could have thrown another fit regarding LeHand. There was even a reporter named Lorena Hickok who lived inside the White House, in a room directly across from the first lady's bedroom. Try to imagine a reporter living in the White House today. Hickok surely could have done some snooping around.

As it turned out, Lorena Hickok didn't just live across the hall. She and Eleanor were lesbian lovers. Letters found from Eleanor to Lorena confirm their passion. (Why the affair between Eleanor and Lorena was never reported goes without saying.) So, between Franklin having his way with a secretary and Eleanor carrying on with an in-house, female reporter it almost makes the stuff that happened during the Kennedy and Clinton administrations pedestrian.

Missy LeHand died in 1944, leaving Franklin without an amour, at least for a while. He soon relit the flame with Lucy Mercer though, because Eleanor still forbade it, it was kept tightly under wraps with the help of the Secret Service who is said to have helped arrange their meetings. When FDR died in 1945, Mercer was by his side. Of course, prior to Eleanor's arrival, all traces of Mercer's having been anywhere near him were erased from the scene.

In the end, Roosevelt became known for bringing the country out of a depression, his fireside chats on the radio and leading the nation during World War II. But, there was clearly so much more.

Naturally, it's impossible to capture all of that on any coin, be it on the Roosevelt dime or the newest entry in the Presidential Golden Dollar series honoring him as our 32nd president. Issued last week, the new coin may stay below the radar because dollar coins no longer enter general circulation. Instead, the U.S. Mint makes them available to collectors directly via their online and mail order store.

For more information about the dollar coin, or to purchase some in rolls or bags, log onto the Mint's secure website at: www.USMint.gov, or phone them toll-free at: 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.