Its nice to see such reverrance from both camps over this. Class and respect are qualities that I rarely see in todays politics, and this dirps of both.

Good on them.

Posted by: HullBreach at June 8, 2004 09:04 AM

This “pause” will have other astounding effects as well: Kerry has stated that he will spend the rest of the week ‘on the hill’.

Isn’t this the LONGEST that he will actually ‘BE THERE’ since he was first elected?! Do you think he might ACTUALLY VOTE?!

Surely not…see once you vote, you can’t then change your mind afterward.

Posted by: American_Defender at June 8, 2004 09:47 AM

Nice sentiment and would be a “class act”, but the Kerry ads are still playing in Texas were I live.
So much for that idea.

Posted by: Kevin at June 8, 2004 11:48 AM

What about “on friday” do you not understand.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 12:30 PM

who needs to pause? kerry is leading 49-44 now!

Posted by: x at June 8, 2004 12:45 PM

Kerry said he was stopping political activity for a week out of respect for Reagan.

But I saw a Kerry ad on TV LAST NIGHT in Maryland. Reagan hasn’t even been buried yet.

Another flip-flop. And a graceless one at that.

Posted by: nikita demosthenes at June 8, 2004 01:21 PM

Those of you complaining about Kerry Ads still running need to read the article. It says clearly both campaigns will pull ads “on Friday.” By the way, here in Kansas Bush ads are still running as well. American Defender, couldn’t you have had the same grace as both the candidates and let the politicking be for the week?

Posted by: theronabb at June 8, 2004 01:42 PM

Sen. Kerry will be suspending “overtly political” campaigning in the coming days while the nation mourns Reagan.

Think before you talk Nikita, for once.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 01:44 PM

///Sen. Kerry will be suspending “overtly political” campaigning in the coming days while the nation mourns Reagan.///

As opposed to just “political campaigning”, I suppose.

I see.

Thanks for clearing that up, there, uh, Lakhim.

Hey, by the way, did you know that Kerry voted for the 87 billion before he voted against it?

Posted by: johnnymozart at June 8, 2004 01:57 PM

Yeah, I did. Maybe if you grew some brains you’d understand that statement too.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 02:33 PM

LOL.

Wow, even the most ignorant among are STILL elitists. :)

Posted by: johnnymozart at June 8, 2004 02:47 PM

Do yourself a favor and read this, if you can (paid registration required)http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=S%27%2988%2FRA%3F%21%23%40%22L%0A

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 03:53 PM

theronabb whined, ” American Defender, couldn’t you have had the same grace as both the candidates and let the politicking be for the week?”

A couple of points, besides the one on theronabb’s head:

1. The liberals did everything they could to bad mouth or impeach Ronald Reagan when, and even after he was in office. So don’t act like Mr. Niceguy now. It’s more important how you treated him when he was alive.

2. Sure Kerry will pull some ads on Friday or whenever. There’s plenty of free photo op for him to be had, surrounding the funeral. Again, why the nice guy now?

3. It’s funny how when EVERYONE, including the liberals that tried to trash his life, describes Ronald Reagan as such a perfect human being and president, if you left the name out, you’d think they were describing George W. Bush to a T.

4. Just as Ronald Reagan, George Bush is a class act that will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents any of us has lived through.

5. I hope there is more like Ronald Reagan and George Bush in our future.

6. My sympathy to the Reagans. I am glad they can see now how Americans really felt about Ronald Reagan and his wonderful wife, without the liberal hatred blurring the picture.

BTW, I thought Kansas got rid of all their wingnut liberals. I hope ‘theronabb’ doesn’t speak liberal too loudly when out in public. There’s a lot of good Americans there that might be within earshot.

If you live in Liberal, Kansas, would that make you a liberal.

Posted by: Jeff B at June 8, 2004 04:15 PM

No, Jeff, I think it would make you a farmer!!

Adn I agree that some of the folks expressing sorrow are just shameful smarm-meisters and have no conscience.

What I like though is how they are not getting away with it. Rush played a bunch of Kerry sound bites where he tried to trash Reagan during the primaries and contrasted that to his nice words now.

It seems that even more than the lack of class many of us on the right are sick of the liberal hypocrasy.

What’s also funny is how the left considers both Reagan and W to be “amiable Dunces” while America clearly reached a different conclusion about Reagan and Bush is doing what needs to be done, not what the focus groups tell him. Amiable dunce indeed.

Let’s see how long people wait in line to pay their respects to Carter or Clinton. Guranteed it won’t be no ten hours. For clinton their will be two lines: the regular people and the scorned lovers.

One description of the traffic to the Simi Valley library mention the last scene in Field of Dreams, just car headlights for as far as the eye could see.

The man struck a chord in many of us and the small minded, sour, bitter people who find the need to speak ill of him now do nothing to tarnish Reagan’s reputation and much to damage they ownselves (foools)

Posted by: skip at June 8, 2004 04:53 PM

So, do we have your blessing to call Reagan the worst president of all time then, who should have been impeached from office?

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 05:12 PM

you thoughts and deeds are your responsibility there Lakhim, so go ahead, show us your lack of class, once again.

Posted by: skip at June 8, 2004 05:14 PM

Lack of class? We are the ones who are restraining from attacking him in respect to his family.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 05:15 PM

*out of respect for

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 05:16 PM

“One description of the traffic to the Simi Valley library mention the last scene in Field of Dreams, just car headlights for as far as the eye could see.”

hey skip, i hate to burst your bubble, but the 118 freeway is like that every friday. nice try though.

Posted by: x at June 8, 2004 07:27 PM

X and Lakhim, yes you are just lakhim, ‘lakhim’. No matter how many times you tell yourselves in the mirror that you are right, it’s never gonna be so. Please continue to embarass yourselves, since no matter how hard I try, I could never do it as well as you. Thanks for allowing me a break.

Sincerely,

Jeff B

Posted by: Jeff B at June 8, 2004 08:27 PM

I take that to mean you have no rebuttle. Thanks.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 8, 2004 08:32 PM

x said, “hey skip, i hate to burst your bubble, but the 118 freeway is like that every friday. nice try though.”

I’ll be darned. The traffic comes to a stop every Friday all the way to the library. That is just amazing. What were the 2,ooo people per hour, waiting up to 12 hours to get in, doing at the library when Ronald wasn’t there? Studying liberalism?
Just goes to show how screwed up I am. I had no idea this was Friday. Hey, I can sleep in !

Nice try Mr. Wizard.

Posted by: Jeff B at June 8, 2004 09:02 PM

People in this thread: Keep it civil and respectful. If you can’t restrain your less-mature impulses, go somewhere else. Left or right.

Thanks.

Posted by: Alan at June 8, 2004 09:11 PM

The Left pretty much had to play nice now as events wound up bearing Reagan out. The Soviet Union collapsed under it’s own weight within months of him leaving office, Nicaraguans dumped the Sandinistas the very first chance they got and turned into a real country as a result, and the Laffer curve is no longer laughed at.

Really, what can they say?

:jackson

Posted by: jackson zed at June 8, 2004 09:17 PM

Alan, the lack of civility began with Lakhim (a raghat name if I ever heard one) and that uncivil MR X who frequents your site. Jeff B, just laugh at them for they do more harm to the liberal element than good. Ted Rall and Chris Hitchens are going to anger American’s against these people with lack of any class (and no religion mind you), so much that we will have Reagan neo-conservatism gaining ground again. Thank God we have these ranting thoughtless idiots railing against America, so everyone can see what they hate most about the leftists among us.

Posted by: dickD at June 8, 2004 10:05 PM

Yes it is shocking that the Bush would politicize death by incorporating Reagans death into his reelection website for partisan purposes.

Posted by: Loofa at June 8, 2004 11:47 PM

oh my god, i can’t stop laughing. someone calling me uncivil and using “raghat” in the same sentence. hahahahaha… thanks for the nightly laugh… dick.

Posted by: x at June 9, 2004 12:34 AM

Raghat? I’ll have you know that I’m more american then you buddy boy (Fifth Generation English/Italian/German immigrant).

Posted by: Lakhim at June 9, 2004 10:35 AM

I found the following speech very insightful.
—-
I am going to talk of controversial things. I make no apology for this.

It’s time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, “We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self government.”

This idea? that government was beholden to the people, that it had no other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man’s age-old dream-the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, “The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.”

The Founding Fathers knew a government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.

Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, “What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power.” But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.

Yet any time you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we’re denounced as being opposed to their humanitarian goals. It seems impossible to legitimately debate their solutions with the assumption that all of us share the desire to help the less fortunate. They tell us we’re always “against,” never “for” anything.

We are for a provision that destitution should not follow unemployment by reason of old age, and to that end we have accepted Social Security as a step toward meeting the problem. However, we are against those entrusted with this program when they practice deception regarding its fiscal shortcomings, when they charge that any criticism of the program means that we want to end payments….

We are for aiding our allies by sharing our material blessings with nations which share our fundamental beliefs, but we are against doling out money government to government, creating bureaucracy, if not socialism, all over the world.

We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward I restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him…. But we can not have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure….

Have we the courage and the will to face up to the immorality and discrimination of the progressive tax, and demand a return to traditional proportionate taxation? . . . Today in our country the tax collector’s share is 37 cents of -very dollar earned. Freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp.

Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor’s fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can’t socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he’ll eat you last.

If all of this seems like a great deal of trouble, think what’s at stake. We are faced with the most evil enemy mankind has known in his long climb from the swamp to the stars. There can be no security anywhere in the free world if there is no fiscal and economic stability within the United States. Those who ask us to trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state are architects of a policy of accommodation.

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong. There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. Winston Churchill said that “the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits-not animals.” And he said, “There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty.”

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

—-
Ronald Reagan:
A Time for Choosing Speech, 1964

Posted by: Dream at June 9, 2004 01:11 PM

Having decided that he didnt like the democratically elected government of a country, Reagan funded terrorist groups who proceded to murder civilians, despite explicit laws passed by congress making such funding illegal.
Reagan illegally sold US weapons to the Islamic Theocracy of Iran to secure the release of US hostages. He then directed that the profits from those sales be funelled to the afforementioned terrorists so they could kill more civilians.
Reagan then lied about it to the American people:

“In spite of the wildly speculative and false stories of arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments, we did not — repeat did not — trade weapons or anything else for hostages nor will we.”

Later he took full responsability for it… in a maner some might later call Clintonesque
“A few months ago, I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not.”

Yes the Reagan legacy- a legacy of blood, crimes, and lies.

Posted by: Loofa at June 9, 2004 03:02 PM

Yes, the Reagan legacy, the one that will be remembered for ending the Cold War, whether you like it not.

Keep shrieking.

Someone will listen.

Someday.

Maybe.

By the way, great post, Dream. Words we should all remember.

Posted by: johnnymozart at June 9, 2004 04:25 PM

The one you believe will be remembered for ending the cold war.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 9, 2004 06:34 PM

No campaigning?

Just what was John Kerry doing “paying his respects” in California but taking a photo opportunity.

Hacked me off. Ordinary people spent up to 12 hours or more standing in lines and Kerry waltzes in and gets whisked to the head of the line.

If Kerry really wanted to pay his respects, he should have stood in line like everyone else!!!

Posted by: Belle at June 10, 2004 12:51 AM

No campaigning?

Just what was John Kerry doing “paying his respects” in California but taking a photo opportunity.

Hacked me off. Ordinary people spent up to 12 hours or more standing in lines and Kerry waltzes in and gets whisked to the head of the line.

If Kerry really wanted to pay his respects, he should have stood in line like everyone else!!!

Posted by: Belle at June 10, 2004 12:51 AM

Re: Kerry “paying his respects” in California - Belle has it right. If it weren’t for the seriousness of the occasion, his phony appearance at the Reagan Library would be comical. Does the man have no shame?

Posted by: Jim at June 10, 2004 06:21 AM

Do you have any shame? The man was paying his respects to a dead president, and has things to do. You don’t think that President Bush would be wisked to the head of the line too?

Posted by: Lakhim at June 10, 2004 08:23 AM

Loofa, Old Democrat - Thank you for taking a break from partisanship during the Reagan funeral.

Posted by: popd at June 10, 2004 09:07 AM

It should be noted that the Sandinistas were voted out of office by big numbers in an internationally sanctioned election.

Posted by: popd at June 10, 2004 09:16 AM

The fact that they left office shows that the funding of the Contras was unnesessary.

Posted by: Lakhim at June 10, 2004 09:21 AM

Lakhim asks:
“Do you have any shame? The man was paying his respects to a dead president, and has things to do.”

My response:
Other people have important things to do too. Why is John Kerry any more important than anyone else?

It would not have bothered me if John Kerry had paid his respects in D.C. where one expects public officials to be whisked to the head of the line but he did it in California where he would stand out in the crowd. That’s what irritates me. I don’t believe John Kerry was paying his respects. I think it was a photo op to stand out in the crowd. In D.C., he would have been lost in the crowd of dignitaries.

Posted by: Belle at June 10, 2004 09:26 AM

Kerry earned a reputation for invoking the DYKWIA whenever it suited him.

Early in the campaign there were stories about moving the fire hydrant in front of his house in Boston and redirecting a river out west for one of his summer homes and cutting in lines at ski resorts etc, etc.

He should have known that this would get the backlash it got. Hell, even Rush mentioned it yesterday.

he’s an elitist and a phony no wonder he’s a democrat!

Posted by: skip at June 10, 2004 10:24 AM

Because he is going to win California. Because the people in California, and especially the others in line, wanted him to. Because he can put aside partisan, small-minded backbiting and show respect/forgiveness.

Because he would have been booed if he tried it too. Because Karl and Dick wouldn’t let him. Because he was in Georgia, kissing French a$$ and trying to make conversation with grown-ups. Because he authorized a blatant political statement on his re-election website. Because he can’t even show his face on his own website. Because he’s a user and doesn’t mind if the person he’s using is dead. Because he’s an elitist and a phony, no wonder he’s a ReThugLicken.

No mysteries here.

Posted by: BestButtons at June 10, 2004 12:55 PM

Well BB, some people might be able to put aside partisan small minded backbiting, but you clearly can’t.

And thank you for your prediction: You win Skip’s much coveted Nostradamus for a day award. here’s your pointed hat, which should fit your pointed head quite well.

Posted by: skip at June 10, 2004 02:06 PM

skip
re: partisan, small-minded backbiting…didn’t intend to put it aside…didn’t say I would…read the anti-Kerry posts and thought that fair/balanced would be appreciated by the True Believers. Your firm grasp of the obvious is heartening. Good to know that der Fuhrer has such deep support. Besides I’m not running for President against aWol and now-departed-Reagan. I’m a snippy partisan who thinks that Boy George should get his comeuppance.

You don’t think that Kerry wins CA in a walk? What prediction do you have a quarrel with? I suppose that it’s okay for you to fantasize about granting a much coveted award. Although I suspect that you just came up with that off the top of your head.

Posted by: BB at June 10, 2004 07:36 PM

Lakhim,
Asked if I had no shame for protesting John Kerry cutting the line in California to “pay his respects.” when people had been standing in line for 12 hours.

It just goes to show what a hypocrite John Kerry is.
Drudge has a link on his site which reminds us that in 1988 John Kerry gave a speech saying that the Reagan years were “moral darkness” and went on to say that it was an administration of lawbreakers.

Belle who doesn’t waffle

Posted by: Belle at June 11, 2004 01:22 PM

Lakhim,
Asked if I had no shame for protesting John Kerry cutting the line in California to “pay his respects.” when people had been standing in line for 12 hours.

It just goes to show what a hypocrite John Kerry is.
Drudge has a link on his site which reminds us that in 1988 John Kerry gave a speech saying that the Reagan years were “moral darkness” and went on to say that it was an administration of lawbreakers.

Belle who doesn’t waffle

Posted by: Belle at June 11, 2004 01:22 PM

Yeah, Belle-
Let me remind you who else ‘cut the line’ on the Reagan viewing:

Senator Bill Frist,
Sheik Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar,
Mikhail Gorbachev
And George W. Bush
Probably- other members of congress…

So- its apparently okay to cut the line if your a Republican politician, or the guest of one… Nice waffle there Belle.

Posted by: Loofa at June 11, 2004 03:15 PM

Belle- heres some ‘moral darkness’ for ya, since youve fogotten…

Having decided that he didnt like the democratically elected government of a country, Reagan funded terrorist groups who proceded to murder civilians, despite explicit laws passed by congress making such funding illegal.
Reagan illegally sold US weapons to the Islamic Theocracy of Iran to secure the release of US hostages. He then directed that the profits from those sales be funelled to the afforementioned terrorists so they could kill more civilians.
Reagan then lied about it to the American people:

“In spite of the wildly speculative and false stories of arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments, we did not — repeat did not — trade weapons or anything else for hostages nor will we.”

Later he took full responsability for it… in a maner some might later call Clintonesque
“A few months ago, I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not.”

Yes the Reagan legacy- a legacy of blood, crimes, and lies.

Posted by: Loofa at June 11, 2004 03:16 PM

Oh and since we’re talking about people using Reagans death for political purposes- we might notice that the georgewbush.com (his official election site) has now been transformed into a Reagan memorial site.

Posted by: Loofa at June 11, 2004 03:19 PM

Gosh, Loofa, it must be really hard for you this week..all that hatred and denial, and no one listening.

My heart bleeds for you.

Anyway, for those who don’t want to believe that Reagan was in fact pivotal in those events, listen to it from the horse’s mouths. Lots of links at this particular site, especially the one from Lech Walesa.

http://www.vodkapundit.com/archives/005973.php#005973

I am under no illusion that even this will convince the Loofas of the world; no, h/she will find some excuse to explain it all away, but those who are really interested in knowing can listen to who those people credit for their new lives.

God Bless You, Mr. President.

Posted by: johnnymozart at June 13, 2004 11:47 AM