It was pretty generic, and it sounded like he was talking through a 100 year old phonograph.
I hope tomorrow he'll have something that has some personal talk.
President Bush: "His Work is Done and Now a Shining City Awaits Him"
Fox just ran the video tape. It was a beautiful tribute and you could see he was deeply touched.
PARIS, June 5 - The White House confirmed that former President Ronald Reagan died on Saturday and that President George W. Bush had been informed.
A White House spokeswoman said Fred Ryan, a Reagan aide, telephoned White House chief of staff Andrew Card to inform him. "Andy told the president that President Reagan had died," spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.
She said the White House planned to issue a statement shortly about the death.
Bush, on a trip to Italy and France, was at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Paris when Card told him of Reagan's death less than half an hour after Bush left a working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac.
Bush was expected to make public remarks about Reagan on Sunday, a spokesman said.
After attending D-Day 60th anniversary ceremonies on the Normandy beaches, Bush planned to arrive in Sea Island, Georgia, late on Sunday to play host to a Group of Eight summit.
The White House left open the possibility of a change in his schedule later in the week for Bush to attend to Reagan memorial duties.
Bush considered Reagan a hero and in many ways has tried to emulate Reagan's sunny optimism and firm conviction that the United States must advance peace through strength.
Bush spoke about Reagan's legacy in christening the USS Ronald Reagan at Newport News, Virginia, on March 4, 2001.
"As president, Ronald Reagan believed without question that tyranny is temporary, and the hope of freedom is universal and permanent; that our nation has a unique goodness, and must remain uniquely strong; that God takes the side of justice, because all our rights are His own gifts," Bush said at the time.
I've been searching for the text. It is very moving and meaningful.
I need to leave so expect someone else will find and post shortly.
You want a transcript, not the video. President Bush could not have done a worse job, it was stiff, poorly read, lacking emotion, and he looked stunned and frozen. Deer in the headlights, indeed. A stunning contrast to President Reagan, President Bush came across as tiny and ineffective. Pray that the media doesn't play this clip over and over, its the kind of moment that can doom a campaign, an oratory 'Dukakis in a tank'.
He better step up to the plate for the televised funeral. Where the heck were his advisors, why did no one have him at least practice this to make sure it would go off ok? No exaggeration, the delivery was horrible. Is Rove MIA?
I take no joy in noting this, President Bush is a good man, a good leader, and must win in November. But this is the kind of gaffe that cement media myths and sink campaigns. Hopefully nobody saw it.
I thought his remarks were heart-felt and sincere.
President HW Bush is speaking now.
I'm thankful that so far we've not had to suffer hearing the lip-biting ex-42.
I can see cnn funeral coverage.
"That was Mr. Bush's eulogy of Ronald Reagan. We go to Vice President Gore for an opposing view."
PS Let's make all tag lines be Reagan quotes!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/
*All speeches and official statements are posted on this link.
President Bush read the following statement in response to the death of President Ronald Reagan:
"This is a sad hour in the life of America. A great American life has just come to an end.
"I have just spoken to Nancy Reagan. On behalf of our whole nation, Laura and I offered her and the Reagan family our prayers and our condolences.
"Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness and won its love with his goodness.
"He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility and the humor that comes with wisdom.
"He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save. During the years of President Reagan, America laid to rest an era of division and self doubt.
"And because of his leadership, the world laid to rest and era of fear and tyranny. Now, in laying our leader to rest we say thank you.
"He always told us that for America the best was yet to come. "
We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that this is true for him, too. His work is done and now a shining city awaits him. May God bless Ronald Reagan."