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   Ronald Reagan Dies at 93

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Topic: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93 (Read 164 times)

lakelady
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Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« on: Jun 5^th, 2004, 7:39pm »

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Former President Ronald Reagan Dies at 93

2 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Ronald Reagan (news - web sites), the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was "morning again in America," died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites). He was 93.

Reagan's body was expected to be taken to his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. His funeral was expected to be at the National Cathedral, an event likely to draw world leaders. The body was to be returned to California for a sunset burial at his library.

The family had turned to making funeral arrangements, a friend of the family said.

In Paris, White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said President Bush (news - web sites) was notified of Reagan's death in Paris at about 4:10 p.m., EDT, by White House chief of staff Andy Card, who learned of the death from Fred Ryan, Reagan's former California chief of staff.

The United States flag over the White House was lowered to half staff within an hour.

The White House was told his health had taken a turn for the worse in the last several days.

The president planned to participate in D-Day ceremonies in Normandy on Sunday and then fly back to the United States for an international economic summit in Georgia.

She said it was not known at this point whether Bush would change his travel plans because of Reagan's death.

Five years after leaving office, the nation's 40th president told the world in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's, an incurable illness that destroys brain cells. He said he had begun "the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life."

Reagan lived longer than any U.S. president, spending his last decade in the shrouded seclusion wrought by his disease, tended by his wife, Nancy, whom he called Mommy, and the select few closest to him. Now, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton (news - web sites) are the surviving ex-presidents.

Although fiercely protective of Reagan's privacy, the former first lady let people know his mental condition had deteriorated terribly. Last month, she said: "Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him."

Reagan's oldest daughter, Maureen, from his first marriage, died in August 2001 at age 60 from cancer. Three other children survive: Michael, from his first marriage, and Patti Davis and Ron from his second.

Over two terms, from 1981 to 1989, Reagan reshaped the Republican Party in his conservative image, fixed his eye on the demise of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communism and tripled the national debt to $3 trillion in his single-minded competition with the other superpower.

Taking office at age 69, Reagan had already lived a career outside Washington, one that spanned work as a radio sports announcer, an actor, a television performer, a spokesman for the General Electric Co., and a two-term governor of California.

At the time of his retirement, his very name suggested a populist brand of conservative politics that still inspires the Republican Party.

He declared at the outset, "Government is not the solution, it's the problem," although reducing that government proved harder to do in reality than in his rhetoric.

Even so, he challenged the status quo on welfare and other programs that had put government on a growth spurt ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal strengthened the federal presence in the lives of average Americans.

In foreign affairs, he built the arsenals of war while seeking and achieving arms control agreements with the Soviet Union.

In his second term, Reagan was dogged by revelations that he authorized secret arms sales to Iran while seeking Iranian aid to gain release of American hostages held in Lebanon. Some of the money was used to aid rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua.

Despite the ensuing investigations, he left office in 1989 with the highest popularity rating of any retiring president in the history of modern-day public opinion polls.

That reflected, in part, his uncommon ability as a communicator and his way of connecting with ordinary Americans, even as his policies infuriated the left and as his simple verities made him the butt of jokes. "Morning again in America" became his re-election campaign mantra in 1984, but typified his appeal to patriotism through both terms.

At 69, Reagan was the oldest man ever elected president when he was chosen on Nov. 4, 1980, by an unexpectedly large margin over incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Near-tragedy struck on his 70th day as president. On March 30, 1981, Reagan was leaving a Washington hotel after addressing labor leaders when a young drifter, John Hinckley, fired six shots at him. A bullet lodged an inch from Reagan's heart, but he recovered.

Four years later he was re-elected by an even greater margin, carrying 49 of the 50 states in defeating Democrat Walter F. Mondale, Carter's vice president.

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azure
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #1 on: Jun 5^th, 2004, 8:02pm »

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I am glad he can finally rest peacefully now

Bless him and his family

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AoM
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #2 on: Jun 5^th, 2004, 8:32pm »

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God bless him. May he finally be at peace

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Bumper
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #3 on: Jun 5^th, 2004, 10:51pm »

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All Presidents have their fans and their detractors. But time will show that he was a great President during a critical period in the history of the United States.

May he rest in peace.

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rcs_mum
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #4 on: Jun 6^th, 2004, 8:23am »

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God bless Nancy for the example of devoted love that she gave us! :angel:

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luci
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #5 on: Jun 6^th, 2004, 9:40am »

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We can be happpy for he and his family that he no longer
suffers from this horrible desease.

Ronald Reagan - One Great American Cool

« Last Edit: Jun 6^th, 2004, 9:40am by luci »

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sweetmisery
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #6 on: Jun 6^th, 2004, 1:27pm »

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I remember him being president when I was very young... And I hear his name a lot back then and ask a lot of questions on who he is, and if he is the President of the World...

Rest in Peace from the Philippines!

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Dixie
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #7 on: Jun 6^th, 2004, 9:30pm »

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I did not appreciate him when he was president as I was a teenager and self involved. It is only now, with age and some wisdom that I can appreciate his service to this country.

May he rest in peace, and may the loving bond he shared with his wife be an expamle for us all. Tongue

« Last Edit: Jun 6^th, 2004, 9:30pm by Dixie »

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Pau
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #8 on: Jun 6^th, 2004, 9:35pm »

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i haven't heard much of him during childhood except during world history classes... but I pray for the peace of his soul for his contributions to humanity....

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MsWings
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #9 on: Jun 14^th, 2004, 1:25pm »

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Ronnie is gone - and so is all the suffering he and his family felt for 10 long years. The memory of it all won't go away - I know. But no longer must they stand by knowing nothing can be done for him. Now he's where he should have been, long ago. He gave so many years of service to his Country - and did it well.

I was more than a little impressed at the magniture of various world dignataries who attended the memorial(s). It did my heart good seeing "Gorbie" there.

I watched everthing when President Reagon taken from Wash DC to Simi. Nansy Reagan was nothing short of spectacular - the way she held herself together. It was so obvious how exausted she was. When she "lost it" the last time at his casket - I did too. It's been a month since I had a good cry - it felt good.

I don't expect Mrs. Reagan to be long for this earth. I don't think she can go far without her "Ronnie".

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kelby
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Re: Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
« Reply #10 on: Jun 15^th, 2004, 10:53am »

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I totally agree summeridol. I found it amazing and really a testament to President Regans years in the White House that Gorbachov(sp) and PrimeMinister Thatcher were seated next to one another. How refreshing to see all of these former and present world leaders leaving their politics behind -leads me to ponder what good things the future might bring.

I understand that Mrs Reagan and President Reagan planned this years ago and that they had much imput in how the funeral 'week' went down- I wonder though if the family had any choice about the media being in the faces at such intimate moments such as when Mrs Reagan was saying her final farewell to her husband when she broke down...I felt terrible for them all having to share their private moments with the world.

I hope that Mrs. Reagan will now have a chance to enjoy her twilight years and can do so without her partner. Somehow I doubt it, she looked so frail, and is now so heartbroken Cry

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