esrosedotblog

TEARS

OK. I said I would keep quiet but enough is enough. Before we shed too many crocodile tears for Reagan who has been 'gone' for over a decade anyway, let's remember that he made one of his first speeches on the national stage in Philadelphia MI (that is not PA) and took a stand for state's rights. Philadelphia MI was the site of one of the last lynchings; three human beings, Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney. The connection was not lost on black people who still cannot recall his memory without a good deal of righteous anger and bitterness.

Let's also remember Larry Speakes, Reagan's press secretary who laughed and mocked the reporter who asked why the administration had not addressed the AIDS epidemic in anyway.

transcript of a press conference by Larry Speakes, presidential spokesman, on October 15, 1982. It speaks for itself:
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What's AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It's known as "gay plague." (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
Q: No, I don't.
MR. SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question.
Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President ...
MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)
Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester.
Q: Does the President, does anyone in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?
MR. SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any ...
Q: Nobody knows?
MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.
Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping ...
MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no - (laughter) - no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is.
Q: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what?
MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that.
Q: Didn't say that?
MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter.)
Q: Because I love you Larry, that's why (Laughter.)
MR. SPEAKES: Oh I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)
Q: Oh, I retract that.
MR. SPEAKES: I hope so.
Q: It's too late.

TIP OF THE HAT TO ANDREW SULLIVAN WHO FOUND THIS

Let's also remember the nuns and all the peasants in Nicaragua who got in the way of Oliver North's thugs. Or the funny business with Iran. Or for that matter the porky Ed Meese' 'crusade' against pornography.

Finally, Reagan was the template for the southern strategy and the cozying up with the religious right. Our fearless leader is the monster child of Reaganism which puported to have a good heart. The heart has turned to ice. It is called compassionate conservatism.

I only hope that junior tries to put on the reagan mantle. It will drag him down. Not only will he be red-flagging those people still in doubt about his compassion but he will also alienate the Reagan true-believers who think that Ron was really a nice guy and had this optimistic leader thing going and there is no comparison between juniors ham handedness and Ron's finesse. More of the Nancy trouble lies in wait. They blew it with the stem cell thing. It is a range war.