Posted on 10/24/2005 5:44:36 AM PDT by Molly Pitcher
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- Sometimes, the only thing a president can do is hang onto history -- the promise of that day when he has his library and all his critics have transformed into admirers who gloss over his many stumbles only to stand in awe of his accomplishments, when the naysayers and nitpickers cannot be heard, as the ears before him hear only an uplifting soundtrack of Aaron Copland.
President Bush clearly was dreaming of that day as he stood at the grand opening of the Reagan Library Air Force One Pavilion, with wife Laura and Nancy Reagan by his side. He beheld the faces of a sea of survivors of the Reagan administration.
Former California Gov. Pete Wilson, once vilified, is now how held up as an example for GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Reagan's former attorney general, Ed Meese, endured a spate of scandals that would humble Bush guru Karl Rove. Former Reagan speechwriter Ken Khachigian weathered many brutal political campaigns.
Time allows the survivors to put it all behind them -- Iran-Contra, the god-awful Beirut-barracks bombing that left 241 American servicemembers dead, a massive deficit, ketchup as a vegetable. Today, the world remembers the Westminster speech in which he laid out his belief that freedom would triumph over communism, the Normandy speech and the day an American president uttered the words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
Today, Republicans hear the words Ronald Wilson Reagan and they smile. No wonder, then, that Bush used the occasion of this ceremony to jump on the Gipper's bandwagon. Conservatives (rightly) are angry that Bush allowed the federal government to balloon and (foolishly) miffed that he chose a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court who wasn't a member of their club.
The left, of course, is hitting Bush for the deficit, as well. And from all sides, there is the constant carping on Iraq -- from those who want more troops, a withdrawal date -- and who barely give a nod to a successful voter-approval of the Iraqi constitution.
And so Bush reminded the people before him about how his term will look if America succeeds in Iraq. U.S. Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., picked up the theme, when he said after the Bush speech that both presidents had the "spirit to take on an -ism" -- communism and terrorism.
Having been belittled for calling terrorists the "evildoers," Bush reminded the audience how Reagan defeated "the evil empire." And Dubya didn't need to remind this crowd of the ridicule Reagan endured for using that term.
Nancy Reagan made an unwitting connection when she recalled her final flight with Reagan on Air Force One as they left the White House in 1989. "As the champagne was poured and glasses were raised, someone shouted: 'Mission accomplished, Mr. President. Mission accomplished.'"
Former state Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, remembered the days when he was a "flunky junior nobody" in the Reagan administration. "The first Gorbachev summit," he noted, "ended in 'failure' because Reagan wouldn't give away the store." But it wasn't failure.
It was an episode in a campaign won, Bush noted, because of Reagan's "resolve." While Bush is different in many ways -- Reagan was supremely confident in himself and secure in his skin; for all his bluster, Bush is less self-assured -- they both shared a vision of what this world could be.
And so as political heat blasted this administration, amid stories of a petty feud with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and as serious legal problems threaten top White House aides, Bush had reason to dream of the day when the rancor is past -- the day when a president's children are no longer the stuff of negative stories, his work habits no longer the stuff of derision and his speech no longer fodder for late-night talk shows.
How America sees Bush depends completely on what happens in Iraq and the war on terrorism. While the outcome is uncertain, the goal, to Bush, is clear.
Dennis Revell, the widower of Maureen Reagan, mused: "History is seldom an instantaneous pat on the back. That time will come for this president, as well."
You really don't want to pay attention to the fact that Government's take on GDP fell during the Reagan years, do you?
As for shelters - curious, I thought we were mostly in favour of simplified taxes, with lower rates and limited, if no deductions. It's not Reagan's fault the S&L's, a foolish notion created by the Democrats, were too stupid to adjust.
Ivan
The National Review was prominent in that effort.........
Yes, my people felt their "appreciation" on July 7th. I don't regard Islam as a religion of peace, any more than Reagan considered Communism an ideology of peace. Reagan took Communism head on and said he deliberately wanted to frighten the hell out of the Soviets. President Bush is bending over backwards to say, "Nothing personal, old chaps" to their Islamic successors.
Ivan
Sure, I'll concede that. It would have fell even further had Reagan not raised taxes.
By the way, President Reagan freed many times more people from Communism, than President Bush freed, yet when push comes to shove, you want to bash Reagan to make Bush look good by comparison.
You're a propagandist, pure and simple, and not a very good one. It's your misfortune that you offended those who still hold true Reagan's memory. Or perhaps, rather than a misfortune, a symptom of your derangement and / or stupidity.
Ivan
I guess that's why your country and mine are killing every terrorist we can find in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thank you - so Reagan did hold true to his principles, government's role in the economic life of the nation did roll back. Compare and contrast to the increases in the Department of Education, Medicare, et al, from Bush - increases in defence spending were defensible, this is not - and to suggest that it shows an even greater adherence to conservative principle than Reagan is insane.
Ivan
And that is exactly what is occurring. The lengths they go to imply this President is somehow like Reagan, or is better than Reagan. Just disgusting.
Lots of people with no class.
Strawman. Bush should be twisting the Saudi's arms out of their sockets till they defund the Wahabbists for a start, and stop coddling the Muslim community. Reagan was hard on Communists en masse. Bush is selectively hard on Islamists when he should be breaking all their necks before they break ours.
Ivan
Pointing out facts is bashing?
They are different presidents. Reagan disabled communism. Bush is trying (along with Blair) to disable Wahhabism.
No President is perfect, and Reagan was not, just as Bush is not. Bush has failed to control spending. He has also neglected border control, as did Reagan, who actually granted a wholesale amnesty.
Bush has appointed much better judges to the appellate and federal courts. The jury is still out on his SC picks, while Reagan batted .300 (one great judge, two clunkers) in his SC appointments.
This forum has turned into a "bash Bush" fest over the last three weeks. He has three years left, yet some of you are already declaring him DOA, forgetting what Iran-Contra did to the Reagan presidency.
Let's just keep things in perspective.
I didn't say that. There were more government workers in larger bureaucracies at the end of Reagan's two terms than at the beginning.
In that, he and Bush will have failed to do what they promised to do.
You believe we should begin harrassing an entire community of largely innocent people for the actions of a few?
RR cut the top tax bracket in 1981 from 77% to 28%. He cut corporate taxes significantly as well and he eliminated layers of bureaucracy and red tape throughout his two terms.
RR launched his own revolution that is still felt today.
RR did not have a Republican Congress to help him achieve the budget cuts that he sought. And he had to rebuild the military in all aspects.
RR's spirit along with the spirit of Pope John Paul II rallied the world to conquer communism.
But sinkspur we hear you that George Bush is not getting enough credit. Our expectations are too high and we are easily disappointed. But the report card on George Bush from the Conservatives is coming due and he would be wise to review it and try harder.
It would help if George Bush would focus on one domestic issue. Start planning a campaign for the Spring when people are in a tizzy with tax complexity and frustration. Go after those Senators including Republicans that spent two years on the Tax Reform Commission and came up with well gee we should limit the mortgage deduction.
How about George Bush standing in front of the cameras and saying "I've listened to Senator Mack and Senator Breaux and all I can say is what a waste of time! I am going to ask them to reconvene this commission on a fast track and in three months time get me a bill for a fair tax and one for a repeal of the 16th Amendment!"
Now wouldn't that rally Conservatives? You bet it would. And have it all culminate on April 15th.
But I fear George Bush is too much like his father, to much of a 'prude', keep everything calm. don't rock the boat, maintain the status quo, appease your domestic foes and so on.
I recall reading that some were implying or suggesting close comparisons of Bush to Reagan after Reagan died...
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Again, sadly for America, Bush is no Reagan. An understatement. As we have witnessed by Bush's actions and lack thereof.
That's debatable. There haven't been too many pro-American demonstrations in Iraq or Afghanistan since we arrived. My guess is that many in both places are glad to be rid of Saddam or the Taliban, but still aren't too keen on us.
Of course, at the very least, you need to subtract from that 50,000,000 all the Moslems in both places doing their best to kill Americans.
Are you one of those "all Muslims are terrorists" knuckle-draggers?
Don't lump all Muslims into the same mold. It's tantamount to lumping in all the crazy white guys into the same mold as the rest of us sane folks like you and I. Not all Muslims are insane and wacked out.
So what if Bush is coddling the Muslim community. It's not the insane, Islamofascist sect he's coddling. I'm sure you can see this.
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