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He was an American Cincinnatus. God knows we need another, yesterday.

A true conservartive.

A long- overdue Profile in Countermoonbattery, for an American hero.

God Bless America, and may God forever bless Mr. Reagan. A true hero for all the world.

One of the greatest men in history.

He fought virtually alone against communism, nuclear holocaust (as it was called at the time), left wing stupidity and insipid treason, and even at most times against his own weak-willed cabinet.

His decency, courage and confidence, intelligence, moral compass and sense of humor kept him going.

And he never faltered.

When Alzheimer's disease finally conquered him, and Nancy held him up, American liberals and the MSM were there to pounce - nibbling away at a better man; at one of the best men ever to fight for freedom against ignorance and tyranny.

I only wish I had been old enough at the time to have been more politically active in support of this remarkable individual.

Well said, Fiberal.

"Here's my strategy on the Cold War:
We win, they lose."

- Ronald Reagan

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

- Ronald Reagan

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."

- Ronald Reagan

"Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."

- Ronald Reagan

"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."

- Ronald Reagan

"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."

- Ronald Reagan

"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

- Ronald Reagan

"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

- Ronald Reagan

"I've laid down the law, though, to everyone from now on about anything that happens: no matter what time it is, wake me, even if it's in the middle of a Cabinet meeting."

- Ronald Reagan

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

- Ronald Reagan

"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."

- Ronald Reagan

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."

- Ronald Reagan

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

- Ronald Reagan

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

- Ronald Reagan

"Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, Democrats believe every day is April 15th.

- Ronald Reagan

Communists are those who read the works of Marx and Lenin; Anti- Communists are those who understand the works of Marx and Lenin.

- Ronald Reagan

Well done Mary, Jay and JohnJ. Fiberal, well said. I watched this video with my 4 year old son. Of course he said "Daddy, who is that man? Is that your grandpa?" Too sweet. I can't wait to teach him more about this wonderful American.

It saddens me deeply to watch footage of this truly great President, and then to turn on the news and see who is trying to do his job now

Thank you SO much for that tribute, Mary Hunter (and Fiberal). Ronnie's 2nd term was my 1st ever presidential election, and not only was I proud to have voted for him, I also volunteered for his campaign.

Twenty years later (five years ago), I watched every minute of his state funeral on TV.

And I still miss that guy.

"Daddy, who is that man?"

"Son, he was a great American. Your daddy only wishes to be a small fraction as great a one."

Jay, You have already met your goal, your are a dad. A dad that is teaching your son the history and the glory of the USA. You understand, and soon enough, he will as well. GOD bless America.

Thanks, Tong. I'm doing my best, to raise my sons to be good men, and good Americans. I would gladly shoulder their burdens in their place. I've had my time. I only ask that any such burdens come before I'm too old to bear them effectively.

You are raising critical thinkers, what more can America ask of a Dad?

It's funny how leftists forget, and don't teach the new crop of moonbats, that even Democrats liked Reagan, hence the need for coining the phrase Reagan/Democrat.

Since Reagan's death, the far wacko left has increased the volume in their irrational criticism of Reagan.

At first I thought that this was an attempt to diminish a President who actually accomplished great things, to bring him down to the level of Democratic Presidents who never really had any accomplishments of lasting worth at all, save for JFK.

Now I realize, that they hold a grudge against Reagan for this very thing. For bringing down the Berlin wall and facilitating the fall of Soviet Communism.

But it's not because they wanted a Democratic President to claim credit for things things. Rather, it's because they didn't want to see the Berlin wall come down, or to see Soviet Communism fail.

Essentially, Reagan ushered in the defeat of the moonbat's political cousins, and that is an unforgivable sin to them.

Getting it WRONG!

Retoric will never change the fact that one man stood for freedom and stared down the USSR, and he made the commies blink. He was beyond heroic, he was inspiring.

Thanks again, Tong, I'm doing my best, and my boys are with us.

J, actually, JFK didn't accomplish squat. Part of that was the he had a Republican Congress, so he couldn't enact whatever legislation he would have liked. Then in June 1961 he went to Vienna to meet with Khruschev, who was sufficiently underwhelmed by JFK's obvious inexperience to green light construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 (Truman, who was still alive then, to have bulldozers to knock it down), and then to place missles in Cuba.

At that juncture JFK, aided by a mole in the Soviet government, manned up and forced the Soviets to back down. Then he went to Dallas to improve his shaky chances of re-election, got smoked, and that was that.

All in all, not much of a record.

A patriot. A gentleman. A legend. Best president in history. Obame is not even a cockroach compared to this man.

Jay B, yep. Soetoro is a skidmark on the underpants of history.

Back when REAGAN was president GORBECHEV was the big star to stupid liberals in hollyweird and the left-wing news media

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

I am unable to say anything more powerful than that.

*sigh* How we need him now.

"Because we remained strong, the Soviets came back to the table."

If only we were strong now.

One thing that amazed me about Reagan's ending of the Cold War is that he pulled it off without any wars with the Soviets or their satellites around that time, even little ones. The Russians simply said, "We're broke. We can't keep this game up any longer. We give up."

I have heard some people assert that while Reagan was the main actor in all this, some credit also belongs to Lady Margaret Thatcher, PM of the UK, and also to Pope John Paul II. Reasonable minds can agree or disagree.

Some also want to give some credit to Mikhail Gorbechev, but I would do so only insofar as I believe that glasnost and perestroika hastened the inevitable. I doubt that Gorby actually meant to cause the USSR to implode and put himself out of a job, and it seems just as unlikely that he planned on being overthrown by that 8-man coup that took power briefly there at the end. He didn't seem to realize that any sort of "openness" really wasn't compatible with communism and wound up unwittingly undermining the Soviet economy from the inside, just as Reagan was putting pressure on it from outside. I don't mean to take credit away from Reagan, but the last couple of Soviet premiers didn't really seem all that bright. They played right into Reagan's hands.

I have a question for everyone on this thread, a historical hypothetical. If Reagan had been elected president, say in 1960 instead of 1980, and all other things being equal, would the Cold War have ended 20 years earlier than it actually did? Let's say Reagan had squared off against Khurschev, Brezhev, or even Stalin, instead of Gorbechev. (Those leaders strike me as "harder" communists than Gorby was.) Would it all have turned out the same way as it actually did? Why or why not?

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see Reagan and Obama in a one on one debate?

No contest.

He's EVERY AMERICAN'S Grandpa.
Were the next ones to be broke and lose the wall.
Because Hussiensoeteroland is waiting impatiently.
Ronnie,,,, W,,,, Anybody????????????
2010/2012/2013

Truly Great

"My fellow Americans. I'm pleased to announce that I've signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes."

"It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?"

"I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself."

"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."

"Well, I learned a lot....I went down to (Latin America) to find out from them and (learn) their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries"

"I don't know. I've never played a governor." -asked by a reporter in 1966 what kind of governor he would be

"Facts are stupid things." -at the 1988 Republican National Convention, attempting to quote John Adams, who said, "Facts are stubborn things"

"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."

"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk."

"Approximately 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources."

"We are trying to get unemployment to go up, and I think we're going to succeed."

"What we have found in this country, and maybe we're more aware of it now, is one problem that we've had, even in the best of times, and that is the people who are sleeping on the grates, the homeless who are homeless, you might say, by choice."

"How are you, Mr. Mayor? I'm glad to meet you. How are things in your city?" -greeting Samual Pierce, his secretary of Housing and Urban Development, during a White House reception for mayors

"My name is Ronald Reagan. What's yours?" -introducing himself after delivering a prep school commencement address. The individual responded, "I'm your son, Mike," to which Reagan replied, "Oh, I didn't recognize you."

"Politics is just like show business. You have a hell of an opening, you coast for awhile, you have a hell of a closing."

"What does an actor know about politics?" -criticizing Ed Asner for opposing American foreign policy

"What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who's played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?" -on Clint Eastwood's bid to become mayor of Carmel

"How can a president not be an actor?" -when asked "How could an actor become president?'

"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."

"Approximately 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources."

I don't know about the numbers, but Reagan was right that an appreciable amount of smog comes from...trees. Citrus and pine trees, in particular, release considerable quantities of isoprenoids (unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as citronella and pinene – no prizes for guessing which compound comes from which tree), which is one factor in the distinctive aromas of these trees. Isoprenoids undergo photooxidation to form oxetanes and hydroperoxides (IIRC), ultimately resulting in a fine mist (aerosol) of hydrophilic compounds that act as nucleation sites for condensation of fog, and in turn catch other particulate matter. The result: smog.

This is why on still days you see a haze over orange and lemon groves, and over pine trees. So yes, trees do contribute to smog.

"What we have found in this country, and maybe we're more aware of it now, is one problem that we've had, even in the best of times, and that is the people who are sleeping on the grates, the homeless who are homeless, you might say, by choice."

Also absolutely true, although leftists refuse to believe it, despite proof positive before their eyes. Look at liberal icon SF – programs for homelessness up the wazoo, with a city budget deficit to prove it, and yet chock-a-block with homeless. Why?

Because most of the homeless are mentally ill, and would rather live on the streets, despite the crime, disease, and squalor, than put up with the regimentation of a city shelter (no alcohol, no drugs, no fighting, etc.) So, yes, in essence, they do choose to be homeless.

And before we get a rant about heartless conservatives turfing out the mentally ill, let me point out that the reason the mentally ill are running around loose has nothing to do with conservatives or saving money. The Supreme Court in 1975 essentially implemented as the law of the land a California law – pushed by liberals, natch – that made involuntary commitment very difficult (requiring proof that someone is an imminent threat to himself or others). As a consequence, there was no longer a legal basis for holding most patients in mental hospitals, so the nuts were turned loose, and many hospitals were closed because they were no longer needed.

That's why there are so many homeless people running around loose. Nothing to do with poverty.