Dubya Does 'Reagan'

Townhall ^ | 10/23/2005 | Debra Saunders

[Molly Pitcher]

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- Sometimes, the only thing a president can do is hang onto history -- the promise of that day when he has his library and all his critics have transformed into admirers who gloss over his many stumbles only to stand in awe of his accomplishments, when the naysayers and nitpickers cannot be heard, as the ears before him hear only an uplifting soundtrack of Aaron Copland.

President Bush clearly was dreaming of that day as he stood at the grand opening of the Reagan Library Air Force One Pavilion, with wife Laura and Nancy Reagan by his side. He beheld the faces of a sea of survivors of the Reagan administration.

Former California Gov. Pete Wilson, once vilified, is now how held up as an example for GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Reagan's former attorney general, Ed Meese, endured a spate of scandals that would humble Bush guru Karl Rove. Former Reagan speechwriter Ken Khachigian weathered many brutal political campaigns.

Time allows the survivors to put it all behind them -- Iran-Contra, the god-awful Beirut-barracks bombing that left 241 American servicemembers dead, a massive deficit, ketchup as a vegetable. Today, the world remembers the Westminster speech in which he laid out his belief that freedom would triumph over communism, the Normandy speech and the day an American president uttered the words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Today, Republicans hear the words Ronald Wilson Reagan and they smile. No wonder, then, that Bush used the occasion of this ceremony to jump on the Gipper's bandwagon. Conservatives (rightly) are angry that Bush allowed the federal government to balloon and (foolishly) miffed that he chose a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court who wasn't a member of their club.

The left, of course, is hitting Bush for the deficit, as well. And from all sides, there is the constant carping on Iraq -- from those who want more troops, a withdrawal date -- and who barely give a nod to a successful voter-approval of the Iraqi constitution.

And so Bush reminded the people before him about how his term will look if America succeeds in Iraq. U.S. Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., picked up the theme, when he said after the Bush speech that both presidents had the "spirit to take on an -ism" -- communism and terrorism.

Having been belittled for calling terrorists the "evildoers," Bush reminded the audience how Reagan defeated "the evil empire." And Dubya didn't need to remind this crowd of the ridicule Reagan endured for using that term.

Nancy Reagan made an unwitting connection when she recalled her final flight with Reagan on Air Force One as they left the White House in 1989. "As the champagne was poured and glasses were raised, someone shouted: 'Mission accomplished, Mr. President. Mission accomplished.'"

Former state Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, remembered the days when he was a "flunky junior nobody" in the Reagan administration. "The first Gorbachev summit," he noted, "ended in 'failure' because Reagan wouldn't give away the store." But it wasn't failure.

It was an episode in a campaign won, Bush noted, because of Reagan's "resolve." While Bush is different in many ways -- Reagan was supremely confident in himself and secure in his skin; for all his bluster, Bush is less self-assured -- they both shared a vision of what this world could be.

And so as political heat blasted this administration, amid stories of a petty feud with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and as serious legal problems threaten top White House aides, Bush had reason to dream of the day when the rancor is past -- the day when a president's children are no longer the stuff of negative stories, his work habits no longer the stuff of derision and his speech no longer fodder for late-night talk shows.

How America sees Bush depends completely on what happens in Iraq and the war on terrorism. While the outcome is uncertain, the goal, to Bush, is clear.

Dennis Revell, the widower of Maureen Reagan, mused: "History is seldom an instantaneous pat on the back. That time will come for this president, as well."

[SONbrad]

And what about his Supreme Court nominees???

Yet you won't see them bash him the way they are bashing GWB.

Hypocrites.

[raybbr]

And that's the greatest success any of us can have: being who God created us to be.

Did God create Bush to; be a president who won't uphold immigration laws; cave in to every spending bill; spend more money than any other president in history; allow special interests to write the medicaid prescription bill; allow Ted Kennedy, of all people, to write the education bill?

If that's who Bush is why didn't we know about this before the election.

Also, where is Bush's leadership regarding making the tax cuts permanent? Nowhere. In fact, his administration has just created a commision to reform the tax structure and that's a total joke.

[randog]

Comparing a RINO to Reagan is an insult to the Gipper's memory.

Well put.

[jos65]

Short,very short memories!

[kevkrom]

The only joke here is how some many of Bush's ankle biter critics and their ilk were also bashing Reagan during his time in office.

So true... the fact is that Reagan himself was never the "Reagan" that GWB is compared to.

[jpl]

Today, Republicans hear the words Ronald Wilson Reagan and they smile.

President Reagan ALWAYS made me smile. Mr. Bush increasingly just makes me shake my head in bewilderment.

[Honcho]

I kinda doubt GWB wants to be Ronald Reagan ... Dubya is his own man, very obviously comfortable in his own skin, knows his own mind, and knows where he's going and how to get there. I for one don't want him to be Ronald Reagan. I want him to be who God created him to be: George W. Bush. And that's the greatest success any of us can have: being who God created us to be.


I think your taking my comments a little too literally.

[sinkspur]

Too bad he doesn't have the principles or convictions.

You mean like never raising taxes? Reagan raised taxes.

You mean like never cowing to terrorists? Reagan cut and ran when Marines were killed in Lebanon?

You mean like actually cutting government? Government grew more under Reagan than at any time since FDR.

You mean in actually like DOING SOMETHING about abortion? Reagan never signed one piece of abortion legislation; Bush signed PBA ban.

You mean like in appointing strict constructionists to the Supreme Court? Reagan appointed O'Connor and Kennedy.

Yeah. Bush is no Reagan. He's much more principled than Reagan was.

[borkrules]

This piece is a very good corrective.

We are all subject, to a certain extent, to engage in hero worship.

I'll plead guilty to that when it comes to President Reagan.

But history and intellectual honesty should force us all to remember that, like President Bush right now, Reagan also stumbled and yes, even his supporters at the time winced on occasion.

Bush and his team should remember that as they endure the usual second term disasters, even if some of them are self-inflicted, as I believe the Miers nomination was.

And no one on this forum needs to crap on Mr. Reagan to make that point, as some knucklehead does up thread.

[safisoft]

He has Reagan's resolve. Too bad he doesn't have the principles or convictions.

Unprincipled "resolve" is called stubbornness.
Unprincipled "loyalty" is called cronyism.
Unprincipled "retribution" is called vindictiveness

When a man is unprincipled even seeming virtues are flaws.

When a man is principled even seeming flaws can reveal ever greater character development.

Sadly, it seems the greatest difference between Reagan and Bush is the word principled.

[sheik yerbouty]

Sadly, he is not..

[devane617]

Mr President, You ain't no RR and never will be!

[borkrules]

Its posts like your last that really cement people's opinion of you as a Bush toadie. I mean really man, you'll go that far to "defend" Bush? Trash Reagan to make "your" guy look better?

[safisoft]

Yeah. Bush is no Reagan. He's much more principled than Reagan was.

President Bush would not know principle if it reached up and bit him.

No modern President has had as much political power (even FDR) - and done so little with it. Even the W.O.T. has become a joke when Bin Laden is a terrorist to Bush, but the PLO/Hamas get a pass.

[sinkspur]

Also, where is Bush's leadership regarding making the tax cuts permanent? Nowhere.

Baloney. Bush was pushing making these cuts permanent all summer!

You obviously weren't paying attention.

[Thorin]

>>>>>>You mean like never cowing to terrorists? Reagan cut and ran when Marines were killed in Lebanon?

Reagan rightly realized that we had no vital national interest at stake in Lebanon, and left. Reagan's mistake wasn't in leaving Lebanon, it was going in in the first instance.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was a truly great President, as shown by the fact that the problems he was elected to solve (the Soviet threat, double-digit inflation) are so thoroughly solved that people barely remember them. It's a shame that we haven't had anyone even approaching his stature in the White House since then.

[sinkspur]

Its posts like your last that really cement people's opinion of you as a Bush toadie. I mean really man, you'll go that far to "defend" Bush? Trash Reagan to make "your" guy look better?

Since you can't respond to the points made (they are all true!), you trash me.

A paucity of argument leads to ad hominems.

[sinkspur]

It's a shame that we haven't had anyone even approaching his stature in the White House since then.

Reagan was nearly disabled by Iran-Contra. Trading arms with Iran for hostages. Perhaps you forgot that.

You blow off Lebanon as if it was nothing. bin Laden always cites the Marine barracks as the first example of America not having the stomach for a fight with terrorists. Clinton followed with Mogadishu and Khobar Towers.

[sinkspur]

No modern President has had as much political power (even FDR) - and done so little with it.

Yeah. Freeing 50 million Muslims in two countries is really nothing.

[MadIvan]

Don't you effing dare to take down the Great Man in defending Bush. Don't you effing dare, you sick twisted bastard.

You mean like never cowing to terrorists? Reagan cut and ran when Marines were killed in Lebanon?

He also pounded Libya into submission. Try again.

You mean like actually cutting government? Government grew more under Reagan than at any time since FDR.

Garbage. Read and weep.

You mean in actually like DOING SOMETHING about abortion? Reagan never signed one piece of abortion legislation; Bush signed PBA ban.

Bush ever try to change the culture by saying something like this? Reagan tried to put in Supreme Court Justices to overturn Roe versus Wade; don't forget also he had the handicap of a Democrat Congress.

You mean like in appointing strict constructionists to the Supreme Court? Reagan appointed O'Connor and Kennedy.

They lied to him. Next?

Yeah. Bush is no Reagan. He's much more principled than Reagan was.

Bullshit. Absolute, total unmitigated bullshit. Reagan had loads of principles - including, "In our present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem". He managed to cut taxes and roll back the role of the state to do so. He said the USSR was the Evil Empire and beat them into the ground. Compare and contrast this to President Bush who hasn't vetoed a single spending bill, and keeps on calling Islam a "religion of peace."

You sycophants have degenerated into sheer mindless bastardy by daring to tear down Reagan to build your boy up.

Ivan