Posted on 08/07/2007 6:51:18 AM PDT by LS
Thank you very much. I can confidently say, you’ll love both books. While I’d like to think all my books are good, the fact is, Patriot’s History is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I re-read it myself and am amazed it came off my computer-—and Mike Allen’s.
Oh, how I loved Reagan...God, how I miss him!
Oh, and this: his kids, Ron and Patti, were nutso about SS protection. He had MANY entries recounting how they were raising hell about the "intrusion" on their privacy. Finally, he said, "let them go."
I agree-depressing for sure. I couldn't stand Taft, but I must confess I had tears in my eyes when I came back from Charleston SC trip and entered OH to come home..and was greeted with the "Welcome to Oh--Gov Strickand" sign. It makes me sick.
‘Oh, and this: his kids, Ron and Patti, were nutso about SS protection. He had MANY entries recounting how they were raising hell about the “intrusion” on their privacy. Finally, he said, “let them go.”’
Yep. I got the feeling they treated the USSS worse than the Clinton’s did.
spoiled children, in short. To be fair, Michael Reagan doesn’t come off too good either.
No, but this was before MR’s great epiphany where he came to love and appreciate his dad. I think Ron comes off OK except for the SS business. They had one big blowup over something, then he called regularly and came over for dinner.
Thanks. We need it here in Illinois (Moscow on the Michigan). George Ryan helped screw up the Republican Party here very nicely, thank you. But a lot of the blame has to go to the party itself for not combating it's failing image, and not recruiting strong candidates.
Illinois is a major uphill battle for sure, but I want to see and hear for myself what their plans are. I know both our state reps, and I've met Manzullo. I have no reason to be shy about things. Oh, boy.
New Hampshire Senator Lowell Weicker???
Great work. Makes me want to go out and read the book.
Haven’t read the Diaries yet, but certainly will.
I’m really happy to see in the review that Reagan slapped around his conservative detractors a bit, even if it was written at the time for his eyes only.
I was working in DC back then (1981-1983) and I distinctly remember Reagan being somewhat regularly taken to task for being too “squishy” by those self appointed watchdogs of “true conservatism”: Richard Viguerie (Publisher of Conservative Digest), John Lofton (Editor of Conservative Digest), Howie Phillips (Chairman of the Conservative Caucus) and Paul Weyrich, (Chairman of the Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress).
For the most part, these were good men and true believers, but they never seemed to give Reagan a break. It was ridiculous. Of course, I think their main cause for upset with Reagan is that he didn’t invite them over to the White House or to policy discussions very often.
Regardless, they trashed the greatest President of my lifetime way, way, too much, and way too gratuitously. Did Reagan have his faults and missteps? Of course. Should they have been pointed out when they affected policy/politics. Yes,...but they didn’t need to be beaten into the ground ad infinitum and mercilessly.
Sorry for the rant,...but I am happy to see that the Gipper unmasked his thoughts and feeling about individuals - who should have been his staunchest supporters and most natural allies, yet who beat up on him - in his diaries.
I think John Diggins talks about that in his new book on Reagan. I saw an interview with him on CSPAN. Reagan had the classic American belief that other people can't hate us, they just misunderstand us. Yet he combined that with an unrelenting pressure on the Soviets, speaking to them in a way that no one had, and being the first Cold War President to go an entire term with no summit with a Soviet leader. A strong and fascinating man.
I have not yet read John Diggins new book on Reagan but would like to do so.
Longsh, but bump for later reading.
No, but this was before MR’s great epiphany where he came to love and appreciate his dad. I think Ron comes off OK except for the SS business. They had one big blowup over something, then he called regularly and came over for dinner.
Yep, thats pretty much how I see it.
It was surprising just how quickly RR tired of Haig.
Yep.
No, you are exactly right. This was clear in his bio, “An American Life,” where he repeatedly complained about conservatives in California being an obstacle to progress there. Reagan had certain principles he absolutely would not budge on-—SDI, the Soviet oil pipeline, tax cuts-—but on other issues, it irritated him that either “right” or “left” would get in the way of some improvement.
One thing in "Crusader" that was mind-blowing (and I had seen this in "Reagan's War" by Schweizer, but kind of sloughed it off as, "well, perhaps, but who knows?"---now it's confirmed.: Kengor recounts the NSDD (National Security Decision Document) that arranged for the U.S. to "leak" technology to the Soviets that was deliberately flawed and screwed up. In one case, software for the pipeline passed all the tests, then failed under actual operation, causing a massive break in the line and setting back the pipeline almost a year.
Hmmm. Do you suppose some of that program still lingers, in the form of stuff "leaked" to N. Korea via China? (Failed missiles?)
On two or three occasions (one being the pipeline) EVERY SINGLE ONE of Reagan's cabinet came down on one side, and RR on the other, and he said, "We're doing it my way."
‘You get the sense in the diaries that Haig and Allen and Schulz were little children pushing their own agendas. ‘
Yep, and they are still doing it today, except they ride RR’s coattails, and don’t mention when he overrode them.
“On two or three occasions (one being the pipeline) EVERY SINGLE ONE of Reagan’s cabinet came down on one side, and RR on the other, and he said, “We’re doing it my way.””
Yep. Reminded me of Reagan’s comment after being briefed extensively on the Soviet Union and what the great minds were thinking “We win, they lose”.
Thrity years later, same crap, even some of the same names.
BTW, have you noticed how much more aggressive (better) John Boehner of OH has been since he’s (again) been in the minority? Weird.
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