GIPPER COULD DEFUSE A TIME BOMB WITH HIS HUMOR

New York Post ^ | 6/07/04 | STEVE DUNLEAVY

[kattracks]

June 7, 2004 -- LET me paraphrase the philosophers: "Death is no tragedy — except for those who haven't lived." President Ronald Wilson Reagan, despite the torment of his last decade, lived more lives than an entire small town. And he lived them with grace and unbelievable humor.

He was a serial joke-teller who at age 69 made a country feel younger by his strength and by his effusive smile.

Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett remembers his first stormy weeks in Reagan's administration.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, and all sorts of politicians were demanding his head. The president walked into a Cabinet meeting with a huge file on the uproar.

[Neanderthal]

In one of the many meetings the president had with Post editors and reporters, I cracked up the first time I heard his Murphy joke. It was about two Irish guys in a bar who, despite the fact they were born in the same village and knew the same people, marveled that they'd never met.

"When the owner of the bar asked the bartender how business was the previous night, the bartender replied: 'Pretty quiet — except for the crazy Murphy twins.' "

I don't get it.

[jimtorr]

Henny Youngman used to tell jokes like this all night long. It's all in the delivery. You have to be there.

[Mackey]

I heard a different version:

A man walks into a bar, looks around, then heads straight to a booth in the corner where there sits the only other customer in the bar. "May I buy you a drink?" he asks.

"Of course! Sit yerself down!" the man answers. They order and begin drinking.

The first man says, "I couldn't help noticin' your accent...where are ye from?"

"Ireland," the other customer replies.

"Well, bless my soul! I'm from Ireland too! Let's drink to that!" And they both drink.

Then the man asks, "Where in Ireland, if I might ask?"

"Dublin," the other man responds.

"Begorrah!" the first man exclaims. "I'm from Dublin meself! Let's drink to that!" And they both drink.

"Now you've got me curiousity up," the first man says. "Where did you go to school?"

"St. Mary's," the second man said. "I graduated in '62."

"That's incredible! I graduated from St. Mary's in '62 as well! Let's drink to that!" And they both drink.

Another customer walks into the bar, heads to the counter and asks the bartender, "What's up, Bob?"

"Not much," the bartender replies. "Just the Murphy twins getting drunk again."