Posted on 09/07/2011 7:13:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
When the Republican presidential hopefuls gather to debate Wednesday night in Simi Valley, one thing seems certain: Lavish tribute will be paid to Ronald Reagan.
That is fitting: The event is being held at Reagan's presidential library and burial ground, high on a bluff overlooking the Santa Susana Mountains.
It's also smart politics. Reagan has become a sainted figure within the GOP who, not incidentally, is the most successful and popular of the party's modern presidents.
But the Reagan reverie will doubtless overlook much of the Reagan reality.
As president, the conservative icon approved several tax increases to deal with a soaring budget deficit, repeatedly boosted the nation's debt limit, signed into law a bill granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and, despite his anti-Washington rhetoric, oversaw an increase in the size and spending of the federal government. Before that, as California governor, he enacted what at the time was the largest state tax increase in American history. He also signed into law one of the nation's most permissive abortion bills; any Republican who tried that today would be cast out of the party.
The fact that Reagan often took the actions grudgingly speaks to what, by modern Republican standards, may be one of the greatest heresies of all: At bottom, Reagan was a pragmatist, willing, when necessary, to cut a deal and compromise.
"He had a strong set of core values and operated off of those," said Stuart Spencer, a GOP strategist who stood by Reagan's side for virtually his entire political career, starting with his first run for governor. "But when push came to shove, he did various things he didn't like doing, because he knew it was in the best interests of the state or country at the time."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The latimes meets my standards at the bottom of my bird cage [I do not buy it my neighbor donates it ]
What a bunch of bull. So they are saying we would have gone with Bush?
John F. Kennedy would not meet today’s Democrat Party standards.
No way.
Anytime the LA Times lectures on what Ronald Reagan was all about, you can tune out.
It is similar to listening to liberals about the 2nd Amendment.
John Kennedy wouldn’t be acceptable to democrats.
And George McGovern couldn’t meet the standards of today’s Democratic Party.
The LA Times wasa a far different newspaper in the 1950s and 1960s as was its parent, the Chicago Tribune.
left hit piece.
In today's Lamestream GOP controlled soley by Rockefellwer establishment Liberals JFK would be called a Right Wing Extremist. Additionally he would be labeled so by the Lamestream media who would also declare him unelectable. All the good party loyal sheep would bleat in agreement.
“He also signed into law one of the nation’s most permissive abortion bills; any Republican who tried that today would be cast out of the party.”
Reagan also later regretted that decision and became staunchly pro-life.
http://www.amazon.com/Abortion-Conscience-Nation-Ronald-Reagan/dp/0840741162
Call it an “inconvenient truth” to the author of this article.
No they would never vote for a bomber pilot.
“No they would never vote for a bomber pilot.”
In addition, I believe McGovern opposed the so called “Employee Free Choice Act” which would’ve eliminated the right to a secret ballot by employees on whether they wished to unionize or not. That alone puts him on Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s hit list.
The better headline is: A real and unbiased newspaper doesn’t meet anyone’s standard in the mainstream press anymore.
Al Sharpton just said the exact same thing on nbc. Amazing how the hive mind of the MSM works.
Isnt it great that the LA times is looking out for the core values of the Conservative wing of the republican party... Gee that is sooo like them. They care deeply for love and fairness of all political parties... /s
I’m old enough to remember a time when there was a meaningful difference between the Democratic Party and the Communist Party, and when you could find at least twenty percent of Democrat politicians were not America haters.
That time is long gone.
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