Reagan Ronald - Ronald Reagan: 100 Years: Official Centennial Edition from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation

Contents

Were he here to celebrate his 100th birthday, Ronald Reagan might be a little embarrassed by all the fuss for what he would likely refer to as the sixty-first anniversary of my thirty-ninth birthday. Its a pretty safe bet, however, that he would enjoy the partiesnot because they were about him, but because he and Nancy would be with family and friends. And he would definitely have a big piece of chocolate cake.

No doubt he would be excited about, and impressed by, how much our country and the world have changed since his arrival on the scene a century ago. William Howard Taft was president in 1911 when his thirteenth successor was born in a small apartment above a bank in Tampico, Illinois. Back then there were no such things as the Internet, flat screen televisions, penicillin, electric cars, or space travel, to cite just a few examples.

Over time things always change, of course, but much of what is differentand betterabout America and the world today is because of Ronald Reagan. His years in the White House changed the course of history forever. The Reagan presidency restored Americas strength and position in the world, enabling freedom to triumph, eventually resulting in the collapse of the Soviet Union. At home, a sick economy was made well, unleashing Americas entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and leading to some of the most important and transforming discoveries and inventions in the history of mankind.

Ronald Reagan would probably not be as surprised at how much things have changed as one might think. Thats because he had an abiding faith in the American people, and believed there was nothing they could not do. To him, there were no limits.

If, somehow, he could be asked what he thought of the mind-boggling advances made during the past 100 years, chances are he would say, Well, what did you expect? After all, were Americans.

In celebrating the centennial of Ronald Reagans birth, we remember an extraordinary man who touched our hearts. A man whose natural optimism gave us hope. Whose strong principles and devotion to the cause of freedom gave us confidence. Whose smooth, reassuring voice gave us courage. And whose unwavering belief in the American dream made us believe in ourselves.

He is missed, but his spirit lives on through the foundation he established to continue his legacy, and through the millions of people around the globe who liveand will livein freedom.

The pictures and words in this book tell Ronald Reagans uniquely American story. He was the embodiment of what is possible here. It never ceased to amaze him that a boy from such humble beginnings could achieve such great dreams. Yet even when he was at the very pinnacle of power, he never forgot who he was and from where he had come. Thats probably what we liked best and miss most about him.

Howard Baker... told me on the steps of the capitol, at the time of the inaugural, Mr. President, I want you to know I will be with you through thick. And I said, What about thin? and he said, Welcome to Washington.Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagans political career began in the same year1966that I was first elected to the United States Senate from Tennessee. He became governor of California and launched a political movement that fourteen years later would catapult him to Washington and the White House as the fortieth president of the United States.

Years later, our paths crossed again on the political landscape. In 1976, when he challenged President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination, my wife, Joy, and I invited the Reagans to be our guests at our home in Huntsville, Tennessee. It was a social visit and a night of Southern hospitality. He was campaigning in my home state, and I was a supporter of President Ford. The media had fun with the overnight stay, trying to sort out how the Ford operatives would react to my invitation to the Reagans to spend a night in the hills of east Tennessee.

I competed against him in 1980 for the right to carry the Republican banner in the presidential election. He won, and I did not. Within a few months, I found myself standing with him as the majority leader in the U.S. Senate, committing to carry the agenda that he laid out for the country.

I had a notion that another person should be sitting in the Oval Officeme. In announcing my bid for the presidency in 1979, I said that for America to regain its greatness, the country needs a president who can unite the people, chart a new course, and launch a new generation of confidence. It turned out that these words and phrases reflected the character and the essence of Ronald Reagan.

From his first days in office in 1981, I found that Ronald Reagan had a central core of convictions that focused his attention, his direction, and his leadership. Washington may expect a president to be mired down in details, but for President Reagan, that was not why he ran for the countrys highest office or what he expected to achieve as its chief executive. He was comfortable with who he was and what he wanted to accomplish.

With a new Republican majority in the United States Senate, President Reagan laid out an agenda to move the country ahead. An early vote on budget reconciliation that led to the Reagan economic revolution stands out as the defining test for his new Republican majority and his direction for America. What I may have at one point termed a riverboat gamble turned out to be the right course. The cornerstone of Reagans economic policy was curbing government spending coupled with tax reductions.

When he was elected president, the country was saddled with double-digit interest rates, high inflation, and unemployment. In dozens of White House meetings and sessions held in the Capitol with bipartisan congressional leaders, President Reagan laid out his approach and listened to differing points of view with an open mind. In crafting legislative solutions, President Reagan realized that if 80 percent could be achieved on the first pass, take it. The other 20 percent could be picked up later.

The most remarkable thing about him was his constant ability to surprise. This is how, as a consummate Washington insider, I remember Ronald Reagan. His first term as president put the nations economy back on track and restored the respect for America across the world. As the leader in the U.S. Senate for his first term in office, I found him to be a reliable partner.

He stood tall for the things that he believed in and did not hesitate in the face of opposition to remain steadfast to his core convictions. He reached outside of Washington and touched the core of America to build his coalition for change.

In 1987, our paths crossed once more.

I recall vividly his request that I return to service, but as his chief of staffnot exactly how I imagined serving in the White House. But the president asked, and I accepted. I have never known how you turn down the president of the United States.

From the first days as his chief of staff, there was no doubt that Ronald Reagan had things he wanted to accomplish. A crucial budget agreement was reached, and a significant arms-reduction treaty was signed that marked a redefining of the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Although he was no longer in office when the Berlin Wallthat iconic symbol of oppressionfell, his address to thousands of Germans at the Brandenburg Gate set in motion the tearing down of that concrete barrier, which scarred a country and separated families.

I got to know Ronald Reagan in a different way while serving as his chief of staff. He was a true patriot and considered it an honor to serve the American people. In his eyes, you could see the awe that a child from humble beginnings in the small town of Tampico, Illinois, could achieve the highest office in the country. He was a special man, with heartfelt compassion. He was an optimist who loved this country, its people, and the right for every man, woman, and child to be free.