( Recent History:)Reagan's Liberal Legacy

Washington Monthly ^ | January/February 2003 | Joshua Green

[sinkspur]

How people attempt to compare a President who has created the largest expansion in Medicare history to a guy- during a time of fully Republican control- to a guy who wanted to scale back the entitlement state but couldn't due to a partisanly divided Congress- is beyond me.

When did Reagan even attempt to scale back the entitlement state? Did he just talk about it, or did he actually begin the effort in any of the six years he had a Republican Senate?

[sinkspur]

Just about everything he did, good or bad (mostly good) was defined by the Cold War, which is how it should have been. Something the Bush cheerleaders/Reagan attackers leave out.

Just about everything Bush has done, good or bad (mostly good) has been defined by the War on Terror, which is how it should be. Something the Bush attackers leave out.

[jeremiah]

I know the tone of this will sound conspiratorial, but wasn't most of his backing away from his ideas of cutting, after he was nearly assassinated? He had to rely on Wobbly Sr for a lot I am sure, and coming close to death will change anyones outlook and fervor.

[Coldwater Creek]

Baloney!!!!!!!

[Coldwater Creek]

I will NWVER forgive Reagan for Lebanon. We might not be in the mess in the Middle East today if he had done the right thing.

[sinkspur]

Reagan's tax increases were defined by the Cold War?

[Coldwater Creek]

Howard Baker, another Tenn. political failure.

[Moonman62]

That's just one example of how many of Reagan's attempted government scalebacks were torpedoed by his political opponents, who had massively more control back then than Bush's opponents have now.

Reagan had to turn this country around from the dark, defeatist days of Carter. People forget how bad Carter was, mainly because of the great job Reagan did. Reagan also had to overcome the freash memory of Watergate and a Democrat dynasty in Congress dating back to FDR.

[Coldwater Creek]

Facts are facts.!!!!!!

[sinkspur]

I will NWVER forgive Reagan for Lebanon. We might not be in the mess in the Middle East today if he had done the right thing.

Osama bin Laden has gone back to our fecklessness in Lebanon as a sign that America will not stand up in a fight with terrorists, and Clinton continued the backing-down with Somalia and his failure to get bin Laden in three opportunities.

[Coldwater Creek]

But, Reagan did not have a clue as to where he was the last two years of his term.

He couldn't help himself, but I remember wondering just who was running the country. Then I discovered it was Nancy.

[Moonman62]

Just about everything Bush has done, good or bad (mostly good) has been defined by the War on Terror,

GWB came to office with a plan to bring a "new tone to Washington." In other words, unify incumbent Republicans and Democrats with new government programs and spending. His "no veto" strategy dates back to his days as governor, long before the WOT. No president who sways whichever way Congress wants to go will be remembered as great.

[Coldwater Creek]

If you are referring to the huge crowds, I would bet the farm that there will be just and many or more at Clinton's funeral.

I would go just to spit on his casket.

[OldFriend]

Been telling it and telling it. Usually people just ignore me. There are a few freepers with the courage to speak the truth.

The Hannity's and Levin's are shamelessly bashing the President and declaring themselves Reagan conservatives.

That kind of intellectual dishonesty is inexcusable, yet they get away with it, day in and day out.

[OldFriend]

1986 Tax Reform, signed by Reagan, and if memory serves was pretty much written by Bill Bradley.

[OldFriend]

I hear you!

[Moonman62]

Not just the crowds, but the things that were said, and how our entire national attention was focused on him for a week.

Bernie Shaw of CNN said it best, "We obviously missed something while he was in office."