Free Republic

lthough the internet tells me that Richard Darman, the éminence grise of the “deep state” during the Reagan-Bush years, died in 2008, apparently he is alive and working in the Trump White House.* Or at least his ghost is haunting the White House mess. As I have said repeatedly here in past, Trump is no Ronald Reagan, yet I can’t help but notice that many of the very same complaints made now about Trump were made about Reagan, especially his supposed lack of focus, uninformed views, or irrelevant interjections in meetings. Most of which turned out to be wrong. Several...

Richard G. Darman, who marshaled a deep, prickly intelligence to guide policy and deal making in four Republican administrations, including negotiating the reversal of the first President George Bush’s campaign pledge not to raise taxes, died Friday. He was 64 and lived in McLean, Va. His death was announced by James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state and a friend of Mr. Darman. Mr. Darman had been fighting acute myelogenous leukemia, his son Jonathan said. In addition to serving President George Bush in the cabinet-level post of director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mr. Darman worked...