Former President Reagan Rarely Awake - Report

Yahoo News ^ | December 5, 2003

[RWR8189]

Former President Ronald Reagan, is now confined to a bed, rarely awake and unable to walk or talk, People magazine said in a report issued on Thursday. In an essay accompanying the article about the former president's condition, daughter Patti Davis said people may still think Reagan, 92, is somewhat mobile and active, despite his well-publicized illness, because his family has guarded his privacy so zealously.

"But it would be a disservice to every family who has an Alzheimer's victim in their embrace to say any of that is true, and I don't believe my father would want us to lie," she wrote.

The magazine said Reagan spends his days either in a bed or occasionally in a wheelchair, in a small room at his home in the exclusive Bel Air section of Los Angeles, where he is kept out of the sight of all but his closest family and helpers.

His condition has been in the spotlight again of late after CBS shelved plans to air a mini-series on his presidency that conservative groups said was biased and an unfair attack on someone who was no longer able to defend himself.

The miniseries was eventually edited into a single movie and shown on CBS's sister cable network, Showtime.

Davis, once estranged from her family, said her family's life is now arranged around Reagan's bedside, where he spends his sedentary days.

"When he is awake, which is not that often, he can gaze at the trees outside the window," Davis said.

[My2Cents]

the i42 hired Greg Craig to defend him during the impeachment proceedings. Craig originally defended John Hinckley after he shot President Reagan.

That's a good reason.

[My2Cents]

"Be Still My Soul"

My favorite hymn.

[Hot Tabasco]

He's banned.

Send me his address via Freepmail if you've got it.....

[Brett66]

I consider this man my ideological father. He's the reason I believe in the ideas I do today. I wish he could live forever, it's going to be tough on me when he finally passes. My eyes are misting as I type this....

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

his legacy is much, much better than I was lead to believe as a young man growing up in the 1980s.

Ronald Reagan

1. got the country going again,
2. whipped inflation,
3. ended the energy crisis, and
4. transcended communism

[ChemistCat]

That's the kind of thing that trolls live for. Trust me. You don't want to extend the contact.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

You know, that is exactly how I feel. I keep saying that I see another Ronald Reagan in George W. Maybe not with all of the polish but perhaps a diamond in the rough. Ronald Reagan took a lot of heat from the world for his decisions but he gave us a gift that we can never repay. Because of him we are no longer fearful of communism. Now, I believe George W. is waging a different kind war but one no less deadly. I think God knew what he was doing when he put these men in positions to lead this nation.

[speedy]

That's why we gather here on Free Republic. We were raised right. I doubt if there are many of us who have posted to this thread with a completely dry eye. I had the honor of meeting President Reagan in 1981, and Mrs. Reagan at the Library for a book signing in 1999. They are two of the most precious memories I will take from this life.

[speedy]

You said it perfectly. And you have a great name, too.

[VOA]

thanks for the Whitman verse...I'm afraid my education didn't take me as far as that poem.

[VOA]

He will live on.

He (embodied in CVN 76) will continue to protect us for many years.

[Angelwood]

Thank you for posting a portion of Reagan's farewell address. Prayers for Ronald Reagan and his family and the strength to carry on to the end. He was an outstanding leader.

[VOA]

I for one plan on praying that Clinton is "too sick to attend"...

I can second the emotion, but...
Having all living Presidents (in/out of office) attending the funeral/burial of one of their
colleagues is a powerful symbol of continuity.
As much as I disdain Bubba, having him, Papa Bush, Carter, Ford (I think that that was all?)
at the Nixon funeral was just a good sign of stability and being part of a civilized country.

I suspect this sort of tradition is lacking in a fair number of countries I would NOT
want to live in.

[Toskrin]

[VOA]

"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate!
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! "

Help me out Freepers...how did this famous line get in the speech?
I seem to vaguely remember that it was either speechwriter Peter Robinson who
came up with it (or was it Reagan himself)...but that the US entourage was
tried to get it out of the speech.

Anyway, I'll never forget when the Wall did start to go a few years later...I thought it
was a Commie trick!

Thank goodness Reagan had more vision and faith than I did!

[The South Texan]

This almost makes me cry, but I know he will soon be in a better place.

I'll never forget the President I grew up watching on TV and admiring. Thank God we have another man in office now that has the same respect for me and others that loved President Reagan. I'll gag if a Democrat President has eulogize Presdent Reagan much like Clinton had eulogize President Nixon.

[pctech]

I agree, God bless this great man, he is sorely missed.

[pctech]

Er...have any of you considered XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX XXXXXX? (editted for obvious reasons)

I take it that his comment was pulled by the moderator. Good, that kind of statement has no place here. Sounds like a Clinton crooney has invaded FR.

[xp38]

One of the constants since I joined FR has been Reagan threads and I always enjoy looking for interesting photos. This one was captioned from the 1950s.

[ConservativeMan55]

bump for later reading.