Posted on 07/28/2004 5:41:03 AM PDT by Area Freeper
BOSTON - Much to the dismay of the Bush campaign, Nancy Reagan has just said no to appearing at the Republican National Convention next month. GOP strategists had hoped the former First Lady and Hollywood actress would make a cameo appearance onstage after a video tribute to her late husband, particularly after her Bush-bashing son, Ron, agreed to speak at the Democratic convention last night.
In an impassioned defense of stem-cell research, Ron Reagan toned down his rhetoric but still delivered one unmistakable shot that all but invited Americans to vote against President Bush.
"In a few months, we will face a choice," Reagan told delegates in an otherwise apolitical speech with mannerisms and rhetorical flourishes that brought to mind his famous father. "We can choose between the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology."
GOP sources, meanwhile, confirmed his mother will not be at their Aug. 30-Sept. 2 convention - and some speculated her son might be behind the snub.
"I do not expect her at our convention but she knows she is welcome," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie told reporters here yesterday.
"If all of you might just keep in mind for a moment the year that Mrs. Reagan has had and be a little understanding of that, I think that would be appreciated by the public and, I suspect, by Mrs. Reagan," Gillespie added.
Republican officials refrained from publicly criticizing Nancy Reagan for the no-show. Privately, however, some were upset as well as disappointed by the decision, which has been known to the White House for some time.
"I don't think she could have missed the symbolic significance of her son going to their convention and her not going to ours," a senior GOP official told the Daily News.
Friends of the 83-year-old former First Lady said she is understandably still grieving for her husband, who died June 5 after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"My guess is that she reached the point of emotional exhaustion in dealing with the old man's final goodbye," a prominent California Republican source told the Daily News. "But I was a little surprised she's not going to be there."
A downcast senior GOP official confirmed Nancy Reagan had never committed to appearing at the convention, but was nevertheless dubious of the official explanation.
"The 'not feeling up to it' line is bull----," the official said. "Something happened in the last month, and whatever it was was real."
Aides to the former President did not return calls seeking comment. In recent years, Nancy Reagan has curtailed her public schedule, but last week greeted the new aircraft carrier named for her husband when it arrived at its San Diego homeport.
Long before her husband's death, Bush-Cheney and GOP campaign strategists were eager to have her appear at the convention, even though her support for expanding stem-cell medical research using fetal tissue implicitly criticizes Bush's more restrictive approach.
stem cell research is a major issue in people minds
Nonsense, ka-ka, blither/blather, phooey blahblahblah. Nancy is still mourning the death of her husband. End of story.
Nancy is an old lady racked with grief. Would she REALLY sacrifice babies so that her husband could have been saved from Alzheimer's?
Ron is still a teenager rebelling against his dad. Grow up, boy!
Nancy Reagan is a self-centered occultist weirdo.
Ron Reagan Jr. is a simpering, whimpering fairy.
The fact that Reagan could love both these jokers as much as he did proves that his heart was great and giving enough to also defend the unborn.
The tragedy of Ronald Reagan is that his vile family is striving to undo his legacy.
Nancy Reagan is still in mourning and I can't blame her for not wanting to get into the political fray this year. As far as I know she still supports President Bush though and I don't think her lack of appearance at the GOP convention will hurt Bush that much. I do hope Michael Reagan has an opportunity to speak in rememberance of his father though. As for Ron Reagan, he is just a spoiled brat, who clearly has never really grown up.
But Bush was going to gain so many votes by pandering to liberals and signing the Stem Cell Research legislation that angered so many of those pesky, embarassing, ultra-conservatives Rove told to get out of the "New Big Tent".
Gee, talk about your liberal ingrates.
Ron should stick with what he knows best. Judging poodles.
Maybe in some people's minds, but not most.
YES
Boloney. If the private sector wants to do stem cell research, they can...just not with federal monies. If it's so promising, why aren't they doing it? A cure for any disease is worth untold gazillions.
Or, is this like the fetal tissue research claims from 10 years ago...THAT went no where fast with no breakthroughs.
Leave her alone. She doesn't need the likes of MM bashing her and Reagan right now.
The CONSERVATIVE, PATRIOT movement moves on, with or without them.
It isn't wrapped around anyone person, either.
Don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out, is all I can say.
Let's move forward. We can win without them anyway.
Nancy Reagan is a self-centered occultist weirdo.
Ronald Reagan Jr. is a simpering, whimpering fairy.
The fact that President reagan was great-souled enough to love and care for these two jokers proves that he was great-souled enough to defend the unborn from murder.
The tragedy of President Reagan is that his nearest and dearest, out of their lust for self-promotion, are trying to destroy his legacy.
Last evening I watched a replay of the 1980 Reagan acceptance speech on the history channel.....
What a contrast to see the pictures of the young George and Laura Bush sitting proudly behind George H.W. and then see a camera shot of smirky Ron Reagan on the other side of the dias. I suspect there is considerable jealousy going on there .... George W grows into the President of the US and Ron becomes....what....a has been Tutu dancer throwing bombs at the Republicans on MSNBC and touting junk science at their convention.
By the way - Laura looked great in 1980, also !!!
Oh, fine. I'll say it.
It strikes me as ungrateful and small of Nancy not even as much as to film a brief thank you, at very least, to the party which loved and loves her husband, and which poured out its heart to her in her grief.
Instead, by her silence, and given her son's treachery, she de fact enables those who most hated and hate her husband and everything he stood for.
Given Nancy's failure, Michael Reagan should speak.
Dan
Ron Reagan has had his one and only fifteen minutes of fame. Nancy Reagan has had her day! The truth is both these folks don't matter one iota to the outcome of this year's Presidential election. After the election, Ron Reagan will disappear into the black hole of obscurity. He played his card and now he is of no use whatsoever to the Democrat Party or MSNBC.
Deep down, Nancy never really supported her husband's conservative ideas, even openly opposing some of them.
Stem cell research is not even on the radar screen of most votors. The few that do have strong feeling one way or the other are still not likely to change their vote because of it. The issues that will shift votes this year will be Terrorism, War in Iraq, and the economy. This just isn't a "social issue" election year. No major social issue is really on the radar screen, How much talking have you heard either candidate do about gun control, abortion etc. The only social issue I can think of that is even remotely on the radar screen is gay marriage and that heavily favors Bush.
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