Obama makes nice with Nancy Reagan

[Old Coot]

Source: Boston.com

President Obama kissed and made up with Nancy Reagan today at a White House event to create a commission to celebrate the centennial of her husband Ronald's birth.

The 11-person panel will plan and carry out activities to mark the 100th anniversary, in 2011, of the late president's birth -- a commemoration that could include a postage stamp, a $1 coin, or a joint session of Congress.

<snip>

"I want to thank our special guest here today, Nancy Reagan, our former first lady, who redefined that role in her time at the White House -- and who has, in the many years since, taken on a new role, as an advocate on behalf of treatments that hold the promise of improving and saving lives," Obama said. "And I should just add, she has been extraordinarily gracious to both me and Michelle during our transition here and I'm thankful for that.

"There are few who are not moved by the love that Ms. Reagan felt for her husband -- and fewer still who are not inspired by how this love led her to take up the twin causes of stem cell research and Alzheimer's research. In saying a long goodbye, Nancy Reagan became a voice on behalf of millions of families experiencing the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimer's disease."

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligen...

[Booster]

1. Can you imagine how Bush would have handled this?

[MadMaddie]

2. He wouldn't have acknowledged her!

[Booster]

3. Exactly. He would have made a mockery of the whole affair.

[Bobbieo]

4. Our president has real class!!!

[Honeycombe8]

20. The Bushes and Reagans didn't much care for each other, is what I understand

from documentaries on teh families that I've seen.

[MADem]

5. Cheney abandoned her, blind and crippled, many feet from her husband's casket on a slippery floor.

She needed an arm to lean on. He left her there to hang on to the casket. Ronnie, the son, was livid.

[L0oniX]

6. One right does not undo all the wrongs from the Reagans. She is a witch.

[Hekate]

7. She was not elected. eom

[No Elephants]

23. Apparently, her astrologer was elected, by proxy.

[obliviously]

8. Our president is a gentleman

You are rude You could learn from President Obama. Show some respect for a former First Lady.It doesn't matter what party her husband belonged to.I am glad my mother taught me some manners.

[L0oniX]

11. Sorry ...I am not into worshiping witches or anyone. Go watch some more American Idol.

Maybe if you had been disowned like Patty was you might not think so highly of the Reagan's. Tell me ...would your manors cause you to disown your own children too? Maybe be you approve of using that kind of power on your own ...and that is truly disgusting .

[obliviously]

12. Have another try at that sentence your meaning is unclear.

"Maybe be you approve of using that kind of power on your own"

[L0oniX]

19. I'm done wasting my time with Reagan Democrates. You can join the others in my...

ignore dungeon.

[leftynyc]

21. Worshipping equal showing some respect?

Maybe in your teeny tiny world.

[L0oniX]

22. My respect is not handed out so easily as yours apparently is in your micro world.

[Darth_Kitten]

27. Why disparage witches?

What bad have witches done to anybody?

[Baby Snooks]

13. She was one of the two Dowager Empresses...

She was one of the two Dowager Empresses. Jane Wyman was the other. Ronald Reagan liked tough women for some reason. They reportedly loathed each other until he died. Then suddenly like all Dowager Empresses do they decided to protect the dynasty. And so when Jane Wyman died, the long awaited biography to finally dish the dirt from the first marriage to the first Dowager Empress suddenly wasn't there. And the other one of course will leave the biography that leaves the dynasty intact. All her dirt already dished, all that remains is the final script of Nancy Reagan. No doubt to be written by Hollywood's best screenwriters. The dynasty, after all, was more Hollywood than Washington. And in Hollywood there are no bigger bitches, and certainly no wickeder witches, than dowager empresses.

But Jane Wyman had her moments. When asked after he was elected president if she regretted having divorced him considering she would now be first lady, she replied not at all. She was still making more money than he was. And with that comment, she dismissed the presidency of Ronald Reagan before it began. Which is what all of us should have done.

But he promised us hope and change. Gives you a sense of deja vu, doesn't it?

And of course Nancy Reagan adores Barack Obama. He supports stem cell research. But more importantly she still wants Ronnie on Mt. Rushmore.

Although there may be some hope for us after all. Rumor is Jane Wyman did write a biography. She just didn't want it published until after Nancy had died. She was, after all, the real Dowager Empress. At least in Hollywood. Where it mattered most.

[rpannier]

14. It's called being classy

When you meet with the wife of a former president you show her respect by being cordial and pleasant.

[L0oniX]

18. Did I say something about Obama? Try again.

[devilgrrl]

17. Barbara Bush has her beat by a country mile in the Witch department...

[JI7]

9. check out the videos of it, it was a nice moment

i bet Nancy voted for Obama.

[sandnsea]

15. I bet she voted for McCain -- but

it was still one of the sweetest moments I've seen in a while. The way she looked at him, if she didn't vote for him last time, she will next time!

[No Elephants]

24. She said she voted for McCain bc they had been friends for years. She hated him, though.

She voted for McCain bc she votes Republican bc Ronnie was a Republican.

[Infinite Hope]

10. Do we do this for every president's 100th birthday??? n/t

[SpartanDem]

16. Yes

last year there were events celebrating LBJ centennial. This year there are events for Lincoln's bicentennial

http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/

[No Elephants]

25. I don't think that's correct. I don't think the USA organized either the LBJ or the

Lincoln events. The LBJ centennial events seem to have been organized by a group of organizations affiliated with LBJ and his family and fans. I could not find any indication that the Lincoln Bicentennial commission was appointed by the USA or that any of the events were initiated by the USA. However, if I am wrong about lincoln it really doesn't matter. (See my other post on Lincoln and Washington.)

Some random person or organization initiating and organization a centennial or bicentennial celebration is very different from the USA's doing it. I cannot remember a single instance in all my life when a sitting President and a surviving family member chatted about how to honor the President.

Now, it's likely to become a "thing." More public resources down a black hole.

[No Elephants]

26. I don't think "we" do it. Fans of the President may, but not the US. That seems

to have been the case with LBJ. I did not check on Lincoln, but Washington and Lincoln have always been in a different class from the others. When I was very young, each of them had his own holiday. Later, it became one holiday, abd was dubbed President's Day.