Ronald Reagan Talk

The Funny Side of our 40th President

Ronald Reagan was known for his sense of humor. This was apparent even after the assassination attempt in which he remarked that “I hope you are all Republicans”. After waking up from surgery, the President was also witty enough to ask who was minding the store. A few other funny remarks have been recorded over the years, many of which are still humorous even today. Here are a few of the more famous Reagan quotes taken by darnfunnyonline for you to enjoy:

On Clint Eastwood running for mayor of Carmel, California: “”What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who’s played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?”

After a media storm surrounding the fact that he was not awakened for five hours after a national emergency:”I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency — even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting.”

Reagan also took some lighthearted jabs at Congress during his time in the Oval office:

”I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.”

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

"Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end, and no sense of responsibility at the other."

Reagan also used humor to show voters how he might be a better candidate for President of the United States. During his 1980 campaign, he remarked: "Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."

Movie Review-The Reagans

An interesting movie that depicts the life of Ronald and Nancy Reagan is “The Reagans”. This move stars James Brolin and Judy Davis, both of whom were nominated for a Golden Globe award for their roles. The film was produced in 2003 and is a rather long movie with a run time of around 180 minutes.

The film begins in 1949 with the meeting of Nancy and Ronald on the set of a Hollywood production. At the time, Ronald Reagan is the president of the Screen Actor’s Guild and Nancy has a strong desire to meet him. The movie tells how they fell in love and what their lives were like shortly after they were married.

Also covered in great detail is Ronald Regan’s run for governor of California and his eight years in office there. Once he is elected to office, the movie primarily revolves around the Regan’s political life, but does also show strained relationships with their children. After leaving office, Ronald Reagan unsuccessfully runs for President of the United States two times, finally being elected on his third attempt in 1980.

The movie also shows the assassination attempt in 1981, his strained relationship with Secretary of State Alexander Haig, and the Iran-Contra Affair. It ends with his leaving office in early 1989. Surprisingly, the production mentions his Vice-President “George” although he is never shown. The film is historically accurate and tends to show a side of both the President and First Lady that much of the public was unable to see during their years in the White House.

The USS Ronald Reagan

The USS Ronald Reagan was the first ship ever designed for the United States Navy in honor of a still-living person. The ship was built by Northrop Grumman of Newport News, Virginia. It is flight deck certified and as such carries over 90 different aircraft to include helicopters and other fixed wing units.

Nancy Reagan christened the ship on March 4, 2001. In attendance at the christening ceremony was then-president George W. Bush and the CEO of the shipbuilder. The date of this christening was significant because it was Mr. and Mrs. Reagan’s 49^th anniversary. Nancy was later on hand for the ship’s commissioning ceremony which officially put the watercraft into service. She gave the official order to “man the ship and bring her to life”. Unfortunately, her husband was unable to attend either of these two ceremonies due to failing health.

The ship is nicknamed “the Gipper” and contains an interesting seal that commemorates our 40^th President. The seal has a red border and blue inner ring inside. Inside the blue ring are the words “USS Ronald Reagan” along with four gold stars. These stars represent liberty, economic opportunity, national pride, and democracy, which are four values that Ronald Reagan held dear during his administration.

Her maiden deployment happened in 2006 when the USS Ronald Reagan was called into action in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and later Operation Enduring Freedom. Since the initial deployment, she has been called into action on several different occasions. She is currently docked in Puget Sound until late 2012.

Faith of the 40th President

Many often wonder about the faith and spirituality of our nation’s 40^th President. It seems that Ronald Wilson Reagan did indeed come from a Christian home and showed many characteristics of the Christian faith. Some of these facts are included in a book written by Paul Kengor titled “God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life”.

Ronald Reagan was baptized in the Disciples of Christ church in Dixon, Illinois when he was only 11 years old. When he was 15 years old, he became a Sunday School teacher there. He later attended Eureka College which was a Christian school. While attending Eureka, he still drove home to Dixon on Sunday to teach the Sunday School class he was entrusted with. The trip was approximately 2 hours either way.

Author Paul Kengor claims he has reviewed hundreds of documents written by Reagan during his Presidential years and found numerous references to God in them. He also interviewed a number of people close to him during his White House years who stated that Reagan often prayed before cabinet meetings. He often ended many of his speeches with “God Bless America”.

Ronald Reagan did not attend church often while he was President of the United States. This was partly due to the assassination attempt that occurred early in his first term in office. It seems that Reagan was concerned not only about the need for enhanced security, but the fact that worshippers could be focused on his attendance there rather than listening to the preacher.

Interesting Facts about the Reagan Assassination Attempt

Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley while leaving a Washington, D.C. hotel on March 30, 1981. Also wounded in the attack was White House Press Secretary James Brady, Washington, D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy. The attack was an apparent attempt by Hinckley to win the affections of actress Jodie Foster.

What’s not often talked about is the connection between then-Vice President George Bush and the Hinckley family. It seems that John Hinckley’s parents had previously given a great deal of money to the Bush campaign in an effort to make him the Republican nominee instead of Reagan. The Hinckley family was heavily involved in the oil business. Even so, the Vice President claimed he had not personally met the family.

The son of the Vice President was also scheduled to have dinner with Hinckley’s brother the day after the shooting. Neil Bush claimed he did not personally know the Hinckley family, but that his brother was to be the date of an invited guest. John Hinckley also had spent time in Lubbock, Texas at the same time as George Bush, Jr.; however, “W” also claimed he had never met John Hinckley.

Hinckley was tried in 1982 for the assassination of President Reagan and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. This prompted a change in many state laws as well as the Model Penal Code. Hinckley spent several years in a mental institution in Washington, D.C., but has since been released to the custody of his parents.

Nancy Unauthorized

If you’d like to find out a little bit more about Nancy Reagan, a good book to read is “Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography”. This book is written by Kitty Kelley, a well-known author who has written numerous other biographies. In order to complete this project, Kelley performed over four years of research and conducted over 1,000 individual interviews with people close to the Reagan family.

The reason why the book is titled “The Unauthorized Biography” is clear for those who decide to read it. Kelley portrays Mrs. Reagan as a power-hungry individual who was very controlling of her husband and family. It also gives intimate details about how Nancy Reagan helped her husband make key decisions while he was in the White House, even going as far as to fire some of his staff members when they disagreed with her.

According to some book reviews, the biography is quite gossipy; perhaps even being hostile at times toward Mrs. Reagan. It covers Nancy’s life from her Hollywood years through the Reagan presidency. The book suggests she aggressively pursued her husband’s affections before she married him in 1952. Mrs. Reagan also had a strained relationship with family members, many of whom were interviewed as part of Kelley’s research.

Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography, is no longer being printed; however, you can still purchase copies on Amazon. They are available in hardcover and paperback form; audio cassettes are also available for the hard-of-hearing. If you’re lucky, you can also pick up a copy of this book at your local public library.

Preserving History

Visiting the Ronald Reagan Memorial Library is both fun and educational

The Ronald Reagan Memorial Library is located in Simi Valley, California. This library is situated on over 100 acres that partly overlook the Pacific Ocean. The National Archives and Record Administration oversees the library and is dedicated to preserving the history of Reagan’s life and presidency. In all, there are thousands of pages of written records, photographs, and film clips that tell the story of his administration including his written diaries.

Step aboard the actual Air Force One plane that carried Reagan and six other presidents during their tenure. You can also view a replica of the Oval Office and the Berlin Wall. At the visitor’s center you can watch a movie about the life of the 40^th president and then enjoy a peaceful stroll through the gardens surrounding the museum. Ronald Reagan was buried at the library after his death in 2004, and his grave can also be visited.

Special events are held from time to time including a President’s Day celebration and a sweetheart dinner on Valentine’s Day. Group tours are available, so it is an ideal place for a school or church outing. The library courtyard can be reserved for special events, and catering is also available.

The library is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily; however, it is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The price of admission is $9.00 for children 11-17, $15.00 for adults 18-61, and $12.00 for senior citizens age 62 and older. Children ages 10 and under are admitted free of charge. Reservations are not required, but they are nonetheless recommended for large groups.

The Life and Career of Jane Wyman

Ronald Reagan has the distinction of being the only American president who was ever divorced. His first wife was actress and singer Jane Wyman. Starring in a number of Hollywood productions, she had quite a lucrative career in her own right.

Wyman was born as Sarah Jane Mayfield in St. Joseph, Missouri on January 5, 1917. She was partly reared by family friends and also went by the name Sarah Jane Fulks. Another one of her pseudonyms was that of Jane Durrell. After signing a contract with Warner Brothers pictures in 1936, she finally became known as Jane Wyman.

She appeared in a number of films during the 1930’s and would eventually star with her future husband in two productions: Brother Rat and Brother Rat and a Baby. After starring with Ronald Reagan in these two movies, she married him in 1940.

About a year after their marriage, she gave birth to their daughter Maureen. In 1945, the couple adopted a son, Michael. In 1947, she bore a daughter named Christine who died the next day. The couple divorced in 1949.

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, Wyman received several Oscar nominations. She eventually won an Oscar for her role in the movie Johnny Belinda in 1948. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s she did very little acting, but her career was revived during the 1980’s. At that time, she starred in the television drama “Falcon Crest” as winery owner Angela Channing. She passed away at her home near Rancho Mirage, California on September 10, 2007 when she was 90 years old.

Reagan on the Air

Shortly after graduating from college, Ronald Reagan took a job as a sportscaster for an Iowa radio station. This job no doubt helped him in his first movie role as radio announcer Andy McCaine in the 1937 film Love is on the Air. The story revolves around an announcer in a small town radio station who tries to do the right thing but ends up getting involved in more than he bargained for.

This movie also stars Eddie Acuff and June Travis and is the story of a radio announcer who exposes public corruption. In this capacity, McCaine is supposed to be a crime reporter, but he ends up uncovering criminal activity among local officials. In fact, E.E. Nichols, one of the leading sponsors of the radio program was in cahoots with a mobster named Nicey Ferguson. This connection is revealed by McCaine during one of his broadcasts. The radio’s sponsors are livid after the corruption is exposed, but McCaine continues to broadcast his findings.

After some time, the radio announcer is taken off the crime beat and given a weekly children’s story hour. This demotion does not deter the journalist, who nonetheless uses the opportunity to expose a murder case. Love is on the Air is a relatively short film at just over an hour from start to finish. It was originally produced on film, but today is available on DVD or VHS. Memorabilia from the original movie is highly sought after by collectors of Hollywood nostalgia and political keepsakes alike.

Get to Know "The Gipper"

The 40^th President of the United States was not only the first to be divorced, but the oldest to take office as well. Before becoming the nation’s chief executive, Reagan was a well-known actor and former President of the Screen Actor’s Guild. He became governor of California in 1966 and served two terms in that position. Here are a few interesting tidbits you may not have known about “the Gripper”.

Ronald Reagan was a commissioned officer in the United States Army. In 1944, he authorized the discharge of actor Clark Gable, who was then a Major, from military service.

During the Second World War, Ronald Reagan was involved in making training films for the U.S. Army.

The former President was a Republican candidate for President as well as for Governor of California, yet he did not officially choose this political party until 1962.

Ronald Reagan was the first American president to beat what is known as the “zero factor”. Beginning in 1840, every chief executive elected in a year ending with zero later died while in office.

Before becoming an actor or holding public office, Ronald Reagan worked as a lifeguard, stand-up comic, and sportscaster.

While governor of California, he granted a full pardon to singer Merle Haggard.

The Secret Service granted him the code name of “rawhide”.

Reagan was known for poor eyesight and for this reason he was never allowed to pilot a plane during World War II. He was the first president to ever wear contact lenses.