Quotes from Ronald Reagan (vanity)

me

[ozarkgirl]

I did not come across a specific quote. I just googled it and found this speech entitled “Time to recapture our destiny”. http://www.rightwingnews.com/speeches/destiny.php

But that’s all googling brings up is the entire speech.

[AmericaUnited]

Reagan was a man of principle...always.

You must not be familiar with him approving an abortion law as Governor of Californian in 1966...

[nicmarlo]

I have already posted information concerning that. I am quite familiar with it; he was my governor at the time.

[calcowgirl]

October 11, 1979, Letter to Mr. Robert L. Mauro...

And he was saying the same thing, 12 years earlier. Reagan was never pro-abortion; he signed the California law believing it was to protect the life of the mother. Here are some more Reagan quotes, included in a prior post of mine:

About six months ago, I searched old LA Times articles from the 1960s about the legislation Reagan signed. Below are my notes, and some quotes. (somewhat plagiarized--so credit to LAT)

In 1967, a democrat state lawmaker (Beilenson) pushed to liberalize the laws for just three reasons: to allow abortion in the case of rape, incest, or where the baby might be deformed. ...

Governor Ronald Reagan's first response was "Here's an emotional problem that has so many facets of consideration. It is not only spiritual, but also legal... when does life begin? What right does the unborn life have? What legal right? I'm not prepared to answer now."

In subsequent statements, Reagan took great exception to the portion of the law addressing the possibilty of deformity. "I am satisfied in my own mind we can morally and logically justify liberalized abortions to protect the health of a mother. I cannot justify the taking of an unborn life simply on the supposition that the baby may be born less than a perfect human being... [this kind of thing] wouldn't be much different from what Hitler tried to do."

The deformity provision was dropped shortly thereafter. The final statute permitted abortions in the case of forcible rape, incest, statutory rape if the victim was under 15 years old or if there was a "substantial risk" that continued pregnancy would "gravely impair" the "physical or mental health" of the mother.

He may have been schnookered by loopholes but I think it is hogwash to try to paint him as willingly endorsing abortion on demand. Historical facts do not support that.

[nicmarlo]

Here is an Abstract of the law:

The California Therapeutic Abortion Act of 1967 is submitted to the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, Abortion. An abortion may be performed by a licensed physician, in an accredited hospital, where the abortion is approved in advance by a committee of the medical staff (at least 2 for pregnancies of less than 13 weeks gestation and at least 3 for pregnancies of more than 13 weeks gestation) and where there is substantial risk to the physical and mental health of the mother with continued pregnancy, or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The procedures are outlined for approval of abortion on grounds of rape or incest and involve determining probable cause. Performing and soliciting or submitting to abortion outside of these regulations is subject to imprisonment.

In no event, however, could a termination of pregnancy be approved after the 20th week of pregnancy.

[nicmarlo]

Did you see this thread, btw?

Adamantly pro-choice? Ronald Reagan and abortion in 1967

Lawmakers tried to amend the bill in 1970, and Governor Reagan refused: "Who might they be doing away with? Another Lincoln, or Beethoven, an Einstein or an Edison? Who shall play God?"

That was Ronald Reagan when the Therapeutic Abortion Act became law. That was the Ronald Reagan whom Mitt Romney cavalierly calls "adamantly pro-choice." He was not the prescient and decisive crusader for life for which our romantic imaginings might long, but he was with certainty not pro-choice.

[xmission]

One I listened to someone was trying to turn off his mic, the crowd starts booing and he says “I paid for this mic” and the crowd starts cheering. He was governor then but I’m curious about the circumstances.

President Reagan paid for a debate in Nashua NH (a town about 15 miles from me) in the primary. Google "primary nashua Reagan" and you'll find what you are looking for.

[ozarkgirl]

Thank you!

[Beowulf]

10. "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." —Remarks at a business conference, Los Angeles, March 2, 1977

9. "You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans." —The Observer, March 29, 1981

8. “Thomas Jefferson once said, "We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying." —Circa 1988

7. "I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting." —Said often during his presidency, 1981-1989

6. "How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin." —Remarks in Arlington, Virginia, September 25, 1987

5. "The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." —Remarks to the White House Conference on Small Business, August 15, 1986

4. “I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.” —Said often during his presidency, 1981-1989

3. "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." —Farewell Address to the Nation, The White House, January 11, 1989

2. "I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born." —The New York Times, September 22, 1980

1. "There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." — First Inaugural Address, January 21, 1981

[calcowgirl]

No, I hadn’t see that one. Bookmarked. Thanks.

[nicmarlo]

yw!

[Hildy]

Nobody said a word about abortion on demand. But to plead that he didn’t know about the loopholes is just kinda .... odd.

[calcowgirl]

Nobody said a word about abortion on demand.

Isn't that what "pro-choice" is?

But to plead that he didn’t know about the loopholes is just kinda .... odd.

I don't think it's odd, at all. Reagan quite publicly addressed his thoughts on the issue. On the proposal to allow abortion in the case of deformity, he was quite clear (comparing it to Hitler). Given his conclusion, do you really think he supported abortion for the multitude of reasons people do it today (too young/not ready, interferes with college or career, not married, etc.)? His words say just the opposite.

[calcowgirl]

" We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle
just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the
same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party
over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all."

-- Ronald Reagan, 1965

[nicmarlo]

I don't think it's odd, at all. Reagan quite publicly addressed his thoughts on the issue. On the proposal to allow abortion in the case of deformity, he was quite clear (comparing it to Hitler).

I think he made it quite clear that he attempted to "out think" the lawyers. But, as one article indicated, he wasn't prescient...and if anyone were, we likely wouldn't need a Supreme Court to make determinations on all the various loopholes talented snake lawyers are so able to find.