Posted on 07/28/2004 5:41:03 AM PDT by Area Freeper
BOSTON - Much to the dismay of the Bush campaign, Nancy Reagan has just said no to appearing at the Republican National Convention next month. GOP strategists had hoped the former First Lady and Hollywood actress would make a cameo appearance onstage after a video tribute to her late husband, particularly after her Bush-bashing son, Ron, agreed to speak at the Democratic convention last night.
In an impassioned defense of stem-cell research, Ron Reagan toned down his rhetoric but still delivered one unmistakable shot that all but invited Americans to vote against President Bush.
"In a few months, we will face a choice," Reagan told delegates in an otherwise apolitical speech with mannerisms and rhetorical flourishes that brought to mind his famous father. "We can choose between the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology."
GOP sources, meanwhile, confirmed his mother will not be at their Aug. 30-Sept. 2 convention - and some speculated her son might be behind the snub.
"I do not expect her at our convention but she knows she is welcome," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie told reporters here yesterday.
"If all of you might just keep in mind for a moment the year that Mrs. Reagan has had and be a little understanding of that, I think that would be appreciated by the public and, I suspect, by Mrs. Reagan," Gillespie added.
Republican officials refrained from publicly criticizing Nancy Reagan for the no-show. Privately, however, some were upset as well as disappointed by the decision, which has been known to the White House for some time.
"I don't think she could have missed the symbolic significance of her son going to their convention and her not going to ours," a senior GOP official told the Daily News.
Friends of the 83-year-old former First Lady said she is understandably still grieving for her husband, who died June 5 after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"My guess is that she reached the point of emotional exhaustion in dealing with the old man's final goodbye," a prominent California Republican source told the Daily News. "But I was a little surprised she's not going to be there."
A downcast senior GOP official confirmed Nancy Reagan had never committed to appearing at the convention, but was nevertheless dubious of the official explanation.
"The 'not feeling up to it' line is bull----," the official said. "Something happened in the last month, and whatever it was was real."
Aides to the former President did not return calls seeking comment. In recent years, Nancy Reagan has curtailed her public schedule, but last week greeted the new aircraft carrier named for her husband when it arrived at its San Diego homeport.
Long before her husband's death, Bush-Cheney and GOP campaign strategists were eager to have her appear at the convention, even though her support for expanding stem-cell medical research using fetal tissue implicitly criticizes Bush's more restrictive approach.
If Ronald Reagan was still alive, and had his full brain function he would have told you otherwise. The reason Reagan was able to attract Democrats was simply because he did not bend too far to accommodate the nutcases in the religion right. Don't get me wrong, I am a Republican, and a Christian, but making policies affecting our health is a serious business, and confusing that with stem cell as “killing a human” is a big stretch from an ignorant bunch. Advancement of science must be left to scientists and not politicians or theologians, especially stupid ones.
Rather hyped up story.
I doubt she would have made an impact anyway.
Hopefully Michael Reagan will speak.
Nancy Reagan may have many reasons for not appearing - the death of her husband, her age, her health, the influence of the "Ballerina" on her.
"The Ballerina" is an evil and twisted individual. The equivalent of King Arthur's Modred. Personally, I think he is a changling. Ron's real son is somewhere else and the evil trolls left "The Ballerina" after stealing the President's real son.
He didn't sign anything; he issued an order.
If there is one thing I've learned from watching politics, its that nothing is a "done deal".
We won't know about Nancy Reagan til the RNC convention takes place.
And I certainly won't besmirch Mrs Reagan based on a column from a reporter that refers to her as a "former actress".
Think about it......
That's not really the point. The point is, that, like Senator Kerry, I believe human life begins at conception, and I'd rather not have my tax dollars used to finance experiments on individuals who are unable to give consent.
BTW, welcome to FR.
The media is trying to make it look like they were desperately trying to get her to attend to counteract Ron P Reagan's demcon appearance. The Republicans did no such thing. When asked, Gillespie said she's welcome to attend. He said she's a GWB supporter and reminded the reporters (who are worse than dense) of the kind of year the woman has had.
End of non-story. It isn't the Republicans who are trying to fan the flames between family members.
Ironic huh? The ones he actually sires turn against his legacy, but the one he adopted is his biggest backer. Who'd have thunk?
Isn't Nancy Reagan a bit old to speak at a national party convention? She looks quite frail, and has not spoken in public in over a year.
I agree, give him the podium and he'll put a charge into folks.
Wish I could join you!
Wish I could join you!
I always wondered why he didn't nominate more conservative folks on the bench.......
He could do it in a very classy way, too. "Let me tell you about the things on which I agree with my father."
Then he could go on to talk about freedom, spending, taxes, and the sanctity of life, even touching on stem cell research.
Without ever mentioning his mewling, pathetic little brother's name.
Dan
I agree with you.
They certainly are......and would no matter what Bush decided.
But, I do agree that Bush could do more to respond to the Dem junk science on stem cells.
But this is new ethical ground we are treading on. And we simply cannot be cavalier about proceeding into areas of ethical uncertainty just because of the potential promise it may hold. I am sure that your friend would agree that harmful medical reserach performed on 1 month old infants or convicwould not be worth engaging in, even if doing so would potentially cure ALS. Well, I admit this is not the same thing: but it illustrates that we all place ethical limits on the kinds of research that society should do. In fact, some of the very people who fight for embryonic stem cell research would fight against animal testing for medicines. We would all even be against such research, I suspect, on convicted violent felons. It is not a matter of "choice" in any of these cases because there are other lives involved who do not consent. So we as a society must actively decide.
Society has settled those two debates, but the debate on embryonic stem cell research is new and incomplete. Embryonic stem cell research, particularly combined with cloning, is simply too ethically questionable at this point for the government to encourage its use without society first engaging in the public debate about its ethics. Adult stem cell research, on the other hand, is holding great promise and is completely free of such ethical issues. President Bush is doing nothing to stand in the way of this research (and really, he is doing little to stand in the way of embryonic stem cell research either). I do agree that it would be good both politically and possibly medically if he were to come out strongly in support for adult stem cell research, and explain to the public why it has greater promise and fewer strings attached.
Unfortunately, that is what it has become: a political issue. I hope you realize this when listening to the proponents of embryonic research of all kinds---they are not likely to give all the facts if some do not bolster their case.
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