Don't you think there is quite a bit of hypocrisy in those who venerate the memory of Reagan (as I do), while overlooking many of the things I mention above, while quickly applying the RINO label to any other politician with whom they disagree (Perry, Pawlenty, etc)?
I don't speak for others, just myself. I'm a staunch conservative, not an absolutist. While I don't run around using the term rino lightly, there was no rino in Reagan. However, taking pot shots at the Reagan legacy in an effort to make certain politicos or candidates of today look better, is an outrage.
Reagan made thousands of decisions in an active political career that spanned decades. Predicting with any certainty what the end result of a decision is, is not always possible. If Reagan had vetoed the TAA of 1967, the legislature had the votes to override his veto. Reagan was reluctant to compromise but he did. The mass killing of the unborn was not Reagan's fault. California's liberal medical community is the party fully responsibility for the final outcome being abortion on demand.
Under Reagan federal income taxes never went up. After Reagan slashed federal income taxes 25% --- taking the top rate from 70% to 28%, the lowest levels since the 1920`s ---government revenue was hitting rock bottom. Reagan was faced with a revolt by liberal Democrats who controlled the purse strings in the House under Tip O'Neil. The GOP moderates who held a slim majority in the Senate offered no help. Instead of giving in to the Dems and raising federal income taxes, Reagan negotiated an increase to revenues through TEFRA (1981), the Highway Revenue Act of 1982 and later the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This kept conservative supply-side economic policies in place allowing the free market economy to continue its booming growth rate.
Yes, Reagan did agree to raising California incomes taxes as part of a policy to balance the budget. Reagan then used the line item veto 943 times to get a better handle on budget matters. With strict adherence to tight fiscal policy, Reagan was able to balance the budget and build annual surpluses. Reagan returned those surpluses to Cal taxpayers in the form of annual tax rebate checks on 4 occasions, totally over $5,000,000,000!
Reagan didn't support open borders. Reagan said: "A nation without borders is not a nation." Reagan did sign into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which included severe penalties for employers who hired illegals --- up to a $1,000,000 fine --- improved border enforcement and a legalization provision for 300K illegals. Later that figure went to 900K. Final figures totaled 2.7 million.
If that law had been enforced and not gutted by Ted Kennedy and the Senate Democrat majority, the IRCA of 1986 would have been successful and today we wouldn't be talking about massive problems associated with illegal immigration across our borders.
Look, you can't have it both ways. No one is overlooking anything. You just need to look at the rest of the story and not rely on cheap rhetoric that ignores the factual truth and historic record.