by Curt Smith
Next, Ronald Reagan was beloved because of what he believed. He believed in America—so he made it his shining city on a hill. He believed in freedom—so he acted on behalf of its values and ideals. He believed in tomorrow—so the Great Communicator became the Great Liberator.
He talked of winning one for the Gipper and as president, through his relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev—with us today—the Gipper and, yes, Mikhail Gorbachev won one for peace around the world.
If Ronald Reagan created a better world for many millions, it was because of the world someone else created for him.
Nancy was there for him always. Her love for him provided much of his strength, and their love together transformed all of us as we’ve seen again here in the last few days.
One of the many memories we all have of both of them is the comfort they provided during our national tragedies.
Whether it was the families of the crew of the Challenger shuttle or the USS Stark or the marines killed in Beirut, we will never forget those images of the president and First Lady embracing them and embracing us during times of sorrow.
So, Nancy, I want to say this to you: Today, America embraces you. We open up our arms. We seek to comfort you, to tell you of our admiration for your courage and your selfless caring.
And to the Reagan kids—it’s okay for me to say that at eighty—Michael, Ron, Patti, today all of our sympathy, all of our condolences to you all, and remember, too, your sister Maureen is home safe now with your father.
As his vice president for eight years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life. I learned kindness; we all did. I also learned courage; the nation did.
Who can forget the horrible day in March 1981, [when] he looked at the doctors in the emergency room and said, “I hope you’re all Republicans”?
And then I learned decency; the whole world did. Days after being shot, weak from wounds, he spilled water from a sink, and entering the hospital room aides saw him on his hands and knees wiping water from the floor. He worried that his nurse would get in trouble.
The Good Book says humility goes before honor, and our friend had both. Who could not cherish such a man?
Perhaps as important as anything, I learned a lot about humor, about laughter. And, oh, how President Reagan loved a good story.
When asked, “How did your visit go with Bishop Tutu?” he replied, “So-so.”
It was typical. It was wonderful.
In leaving the White House, the very last day, he left in the yard outside the Oval Office door a little sign for the squirrels. He loved to feed those squirrels. And he left this sign that said, “Beware of the dog,” to no avail, because our dog Millie came in and beat the heck out of the squirrels.
Anyway, he also left me a note, at the top of which said, “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.”
Well, he certainly never let them get him down. He fought hard for his beliefs. He led from conviction, but never made an adversary into an enemy. He was never mean-spirited.
Reverend Billy Graham, who I refer to as the nation’s pastor, is now hospitalized and regrets that he can’t be here today. I asked him for a Bible passage that might be applicable. He suggested this from Psalm 37: “The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps He has made firm. Though he stumble, he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
Then, this, too, from 37: “There is a future for the man of peace.”
God bless you, Ronald Wilson Reagan, and the nation you loved and led so well.
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INDEX
Gallery images are labeled figs. 1–31.
abortion, 187
Abrams, Elliott, 237
Agee, James, 139
Agnew, Spiro, 31, 34, 41, 216, 282
AIDS, 218
Ailes, Roger, 104, 105–7, 112, 124, 126, 278
aircraft crash of George H. W. Bush, fig. 2, 4–5
Aitken, Jonathan, 166
Albright, Madeleine, 254
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, 261
Allen, Mel, 175
All Right Magazine, 110
All the Best, George Bush (Bush), 264, 269, 284–86
Al-Qaeda, 270
Alsop, Joseph, 175
Alsop, Stewart, 74
Ambrose, Stephen, 16, 19
American Enterprise, 43
Americans for Tax Reform, 261
Americare, 271
Anderson, John, 26, 55, 76, 78–80
Anderson, Sherwood, 97
Andover, Phillips Academy at, fig. 1, 2–4
The Andy Griffith Show, 15, 208–10
Apple, R. W., 200
Argentina, 165
Aristide, Jean-Bertrand, 260
Armed Forces Salute to George H. W. Bush, 243–44
arms control, 100–101, 102–3, 162, 237, 241, 293
arms-for-hostages scandal, 101–3, 105–6, 224, 237
Army-Navy football games, 18, 130–31, 238–39
Association of the United States Army (AUSA), 255
Atwater, Lee, 66, 67, 93, 103, 104, 105, 112– 13, 125, 169–70
Avenger plane, xiv, 4
axis of evil, 270
The Babe Ruth Story (Ruth and Consodine), fig. 3, 7
Bachman, John, 265, 266
Baker, Howard, 54–55, 65
Baker, James A., III: as chief of staff to Ronald Reagan, 81, 82, 87, 133
George H. W. Bush and, 93, 124, 125, 141, 160, 218, 222, 252–53
George W. Bush’s election and, 268–69
as secretary of state, 296
Baker, Russell, 162
Bandy, Lee, 67
Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, 271
Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, 180, 271
Barbara Bush Library, 271
Baruch, Bernard, 140
baseball, 7, 48, 81–82, 139–40, 175–76, 177–79, 235, 283
baseball cards, 179, 235
Battle of Midway anniversary, 207
Bavier, Frances, 209
Becker, Jean, 11, 249
Beckwith, David, 86
Begala, Paul, 180
Behind the Scenes (Deaver), 77
Bennett, William, 141
Bentsen, Lloyd, 31–32, 117, 123, 127
Bergen, Candice, 204–5
Berlin Wall, 98, 144, 252, 262
Berra, Yogi, 76, 77, 112, 139–40, 280
Bessmertnykh, Alexander, 100
The Best Years of Our Lives, 195
Bible, 148, 187, 266, 307
bin Laden, Osama, 270
Black, Conrad, 29
Black, Earl, 128
Blaik, Red, 130
Blessey, Stephanie, 143
Blue Hill ME, 247
Boston Red Sox, 48, 110
Boutros-Ghali, Boutros, 232
Boyd, Brendan C., 176
Bradlee, Ben, 34
Brady, Jim, 58, 63
Brady, Nicholas, 93, 150, 235, 254
Brady plan, 235
Breen, Jon, 71, 72
Brezhnev, Leonid, 29, 42
Brinkley, David, 233
Briscoe, Frank, 22
broccoli, Bush references to, 148
Broder, David, 181
Brokaw, Tom, 112, 175, 190
Brown, H. Rap, 25
Brown, Murphy, 204–5
Brown, Pat, 27
Brown, Warren, 90
Brown Brothers Harriman, 8
Bryan, William Jennings, 280
Buchanan, Pat: at 1992 GOP Convention, 195–96, 214, 216, 229
culture war speech of, 214
on John Connally, 60–61
1992 presidential campaigning and, 187, 193, 198, 199, 200, 201
Richard Nixon and, 282
Buckley, John, 123
Buckley, William F., 99–100
budget, federal, 87–88, 149–52, 155, 163–64, 221
budget deficit, 88, 149–51, 163–64, 221
Burke, Edmund, 162
Busby, Horace, 63, 69, 126, 133
Bush, Barbara Pierce, fig. 11, fig. 26, fig. 30
accolades and honors of, 271
C. Fred’s Story and, 95–96
character and personality of, 94–95, 180–81, 271–72
charity and other work of, 94–95, 180–81, 255
Christmas at the White House and, 234
criticism of, 272–73
death of Robin Bush and, 8–9, 46
early life and marriage of, 6–7
Geraldine Ferraro and, 89
G. H. W. Bush on, 230, 255
G. W. Bush and, 82, 104, 260, 267, 269
popularity of, 149, 255
Bush, Dorothy (daughter), 7, 231–32
Bush, Dorothy Walker, fig. 4, 1–2, 231–32, 269
Bush, George H. W.: acceptance speeches of, 118–20, 121, 215, 241
accolades and honors of, 5, 110, 168, 175, 243–44, 255–57, 258, 273, 274–75
as ambassador to China, 47–48
as ambassador to the United Nations, fig. 6, 32–33, 55
birth, childhood, and education of, fig. 1, 1–3, 5–6, 7
in business and academia, fig. 5, 8, 9–10, 50
character and personality of, xi–xiv, xv, 11, 174–75, 187–88, 205, 208, 249–50, 279, 284–87
as CIA director, 48–50, 55
as Congressman, 22–23, 24
on fairness, 46
and faith, 208, 266
as GOP Chairman of Harris County, 8, 19–20, 22
grandchildren of, xiii, 234, 279
health of, 11, 173, 276
knighthood of, xiii, 110
on leadership, 239
leaving the presidency, 232–33, 234–44, 245
marriage of, 6–7
as naval aviator, 4–5, 6
postpresidential activities of, 250–51, 254–55
as RNC chairman, 33–36, 46–47
Senate candidacies of, 22, 31–32
as vice president, fig. 8, 75–76, 80–81, 82–83, 85–86, 88–89, 103
vice-presidential candidacies of, 76–80, 89–90, 92
in World War II, 3–5, 6–7
Bush, George Walker: on Barbara Bush, 96, 182
baseball and, 248
birth of, 7
character and personality of, 248
G. H. W. Bush and, 268, 269
governor elections of, 260–61, 265
as president, 270, 284
presidential campaign and election of, 265–69
war in Iraq and, 161
Bush, John Ellis “Jeb,” 7, 180, 254, 260–61, 268
Bush, Laura, 254, 273
Bush, Marvin Pierce, 6, 7, 254
Bush, Neil Mallon, 7, 94, 272
Bush, Pauline Robinson “Robin,” 7, 8–9
Bush, Prescott Sheldon, fig. 4, 1–2, 8, 31, 94, 220
Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, 272
Bush-Overbey Oil Development Company, 9
Bush v. Gore, 269
cabinet, George H.W. Bush selection and naming of presidential, 132, 133, 141
Caledonia NY, 13–15, 26
California, USS, 189, 301, 302
Cambodia, 28
Cannon, Lou, 101
CARE dinner, 256
&n
bsp; Carson, Johnny, 233
Carter, Jimmy: post-presidency of, fig. 28, 182, 252, 262, 277
as president, 26, 42, 50–51, 57, 58, 61, 64, 65, 85, 278–79, 283
reelection attempt by, 76, 77, 79–80
Carvey, Dana, 162, 233
Carville, James, 180
Casey, Bob, 179
CBS Evening News, 105–8
CBS/New York Times polls, 213, 215–16
CBS Radio, 107, 246
CBS Reports, 63
CBS Television, 53, 57, 63, 76, 105–8, 122, 204–5, 268
Cecil, Richard, 159, 295
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 34, 48–49, 240
C. Fred’s Story (Bush), 95–96
Chancellor, John, 33
Cheney, Dick, 141, 243, 252, 267
Chicago Cubs broadcasting of Ronald Reagan, 283
Chiles, Lawton, 260–61
China, 32–33, 38, 94, 148, 153, 274, 293
Christian, George, 62, 64, 67, 133
Christian Broadcasting Network, 108
Christmas at the White House, fig. 26, 233–34
Christmas with the First Ladies (Burke), 234
Chronicle of Higher Education, 44
Churchill, Winston, 58, 154, 162, 165, 168, 198, 215, 229, 230, 282
Cicconi, Jim, 17
Clark, Wesley, 231
Clarridge, Duane, 237
Clifford, Clark, 103, 131, 280, 281
Clinton, Bill: G. H. W. Bush and, 11, 260, 273–74
G. H. W. Bush presidential library and, fig. 28, 262
post-presidency of, 252
as president, 253, 256, 267, 279, 283–84
1992 presidential election and, fig. 27, 192, 195–96, 201–2, 206, 211–13, 216, 219–23, 225–28
Clinton, Hillary Rodham, 202
CNN, 158
CNN/USA Today polls, 220, 221, 222, 227
Cohen, Richard, 16, 105
Cold War, 142, 144, 183, 199, 259, 300
Commager, Henry Steele, 95
Communism, 13, 55, 84, 90, 100, 183
compassionate conservatism, 268
Conger, Clement, 38
Congress, George H. W. Bush addressing joint session of, fig. 19, 162
Connally, John, fig. 7
childhood of, 59
G. H. W. Bush and, 32
presidential candidacy of, 55, 56–59, 60–69
quotes of, 13, 24
Richard Nixon and, 41
Connor, Durell, 189, 301
conventions, political party: 1968, 25, 27
1980, 76, 78
1984, 88–89
1988, 103, 117– 21, 198
1992, 195–96, 211, 212, 213–15
Cooper, James Fenimore, 40
