Excerpts from Reagan's diaries

May 24, 2007 7:51 PM

Excerpts from and pictures of Ronald Reagan's diaries while president, with a brief intro from historian Douglas Brinkley.
posted by ibmcginty (15 comments total)

*searches for best snippets to superimpose on pictures of cats*
posted by grobstein at 8:19 PM on May 24, 2007

Fascinating. I never liked Reagan's policies much, but these diaries have the same qualities he did: He views situations very simply -- more to the simple than the simplistic (see Bush, G.W.) -- and warmly. He had a way of ironing out even agonizing problems in his head so they could be looked at and talked through.

There's little aggression in his descriptions of events, little of the belligerence of radio-talk-show Republicans. He seems at times foolish but not necessarily a fool. Interesting.
posted by argybarg at 8:45 PM on May 24, 2007

grobstein give mexican bad idea
posted by mexican at 9:11 PM on May 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I wish Reagan was still alive so I could once again have ahead of me the unparalleled pleasure of learning of his death.
posted by serazin at 9:12 PM on May 24, 2007 [5 favorites]

Man, the guy who danced on Reagan's grave has some reading to do.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:20 PM on May 24, 2007

Man, you know what? FUCK REAGAN.

That is all.
posted by John of Michigan at 9:29 PM on May 24, 2007 [2 favorites]

I read 'Douglas Brinkley' as 'John Hinkley'.

That made the whole thing much funnier.
posted by id at 10:16 PM on May 24, 2007

This is the man who mined Managua Harbour. This is the man who funded the bloodthirsty murdering Contras. This is the man who started to tear down the rule of law, see the results today! This is the man who declared ketchup a vegetable -- in his administration, malnutrition reappeared as a force in America after 50 years.

/me spits. A terrible shame he was never brought to account for his crimes.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:31 PM on May 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

Still, I smiled at the prospect of Prince Charles being served tea with the bag in it. Probably the closest he ever came to slumming it, and it was with the Commander in Chief. (May 1st, 1981)
posted by imperium at 1:15 AM on May 25, 2007

The Soviets shot down a Korean Airliner with 269 passengers—53 of them Americans including Congressman Larry McDonald. We were due to return to Wash. [from his Santa Barbara Ranch] on Labor day but realized we couldn't wait so we left on Fri. It was heartbreaking—I had really looked forward to those last 3 days.

I hate it when tragedy spoils my long weekend.
posted by gfrobe at 1:54 AM on May 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Shows how presidential holidays have progressed, doesn't it?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:33 AM on May 25, 2007

Pope Guilty writes 'Man, the guy who danced on Reagan's grave has some reading to do.'

I've always planned to shit on Thatcher's grave the moment she's in one, but I get bored so easily in queues.
posted by jack_mo at 4:41 AM on May 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Perhaps you could beat the rush. Do it today.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:33 AM on May 25, 2007

Ketchup is obviously not a vegetable; ketchup is a fruit.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:57 AM on May 25, 2007

L.A. Times excerpts. Nancy Reagan = "Mommie."
posted by kirkaracha at 7:07 AM on May 25, 2007