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Reagan's heart and head were clearly on the side of free trade. While president, he declared in 1986: "Our trade policy rests firmly on the foundation of free and open markets. I recognize ... the inescapable conclusion that all of history has taught: The freer the flow of world trade, the stronger the tides of human progress and peace among nations."

-- AND -- :

"We shall show by deed and dedication, after the legislative process has been completed, that the lowering of tariffs and trade barriers is the way to a more prosperous world. Protectionism is out, and trade expansion is in."

-- AND -- :

"...[W]e must do all we can to avoid protectionism, to keep our market open to free and fair competition, and to provide certainty of access for our trading partners. This Administration has repeatedly, and most recently at the London Economic Summit, committed itself to `'resist continuing protectionist pressures, to reduce barriers to trade'..."

-- AND -- :

"We can look forward to the day when the free flow of trade, from the southern reaches of Tierra del Fuego to the northern outposts of the Arctic Circle, unites the people of the Western Hemisphere in a bond of mutually beneficial exchange, when all borders become what the U.S.-Canadian border so long has been: a meeting place, rather than a dividing line."

... and... and... and; etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Ronald Wilson Reagan's tireless (and historically validated) championing of free trade, as a bedrock conservative principle, is easily enough demonstrated, beyond any possible hope of logical refutation. Even if they are wholly unfamiliar with the particulars -- and I am not -- five minutes with Google is all any naysayers ought to need, in order to educate themselves properly on the subject.

Historical revisionism is a mug's game, ultimately.

Anyone want to guess who said this?

"But, generally speaking, the Protective system in these days is conservative, while the Free Trade system works destructively. It breaks up old nationalities and carries antagonism of proletariat and bourgeoisie to the uttermost point. In a word, the Free Trade system hastens the Social Revolution. In this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, I am in favor of Free Trade."

In Bush Win, House Narrowly Approves CAFTA

The spirit of this agreement...the 'free flow of labor'...makes a mockery of our immigration laws and our border security.

As if they weren't already being mocked sufficiently by the scofflaws we now have in power...

If Mexico, Canada, et al want to share a border with us, let them apply to the Congress for statehood.

Ronald Wilson Reagan's tireless . . . championing of free trade, as a bedrock conservative principle

You sure you don't mean bedrock neoconservative principle?

"Lind argues that the neoconservatives are influenced by the thought of Trotskyists . . . .

"He sees the neoconservative concept of 'global democratic revolution' as deriving from the Trotskyist Fourth International's 'vision of permanent revolution'.

"He also points to what he sees as the Marxist origin of 'the economic determinist idea that liberal democracy is an epiphenomenon of capitalism', which he describes as 'Marxism with entrepreneurs substituted for proletarians as the heroic subjects of history.'"

". . . [neoconservatism] is a movement founded on, and perpetuated by an aggressive approach to foreign policy, free trade, opposition to communism during the Cold War, support for beleaguered liberal democracies such as Israel and Taiwan and opposition to Middle Eastern and other states that are perceived to support terrorism."

Exsplains a lot, especially this part,

"Marxism with entrepreneurs substituted for proletarians as the heroic subjects of history."

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism_(United_States)