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Reagan Library Dedication 11/4/91 [OA 6038] [2]
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Reagan Library Dedication 11/4/91 [OA 6038] [2]
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2
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00 pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 - 10:00a.m.
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
PORTER
BRADY
ROGICH
BROMLEY
SMITH
MCBRIDE
CARD
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
comments are attached
Thanks,
- MASTER
EL
CLOSE Elizabeth HOLD Luttig
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
01 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 1991
10:00 A.M.
the date
RROGB elected
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today.' " //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament.") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
No
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
This could
was funny on purpose
)) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
be insulting
and a prophet in his time. / /
to President
Ford
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party."
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
who (Porter)
NO
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
W-H-O Radio (BT) (Smon)
yes PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
Yes
doctors and (Simon) nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans." // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
other
stories?
,(Portu)
LBT)
NO
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
instead (OCA)
Yes tribunes of intellectual fashion endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
whom (Porter)
yes Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. " / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
herein (Porter)
No
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
No
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
tion IN (Ported
yes Inaugural Day of: 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill." //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
yes
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which (Porte) cut inflation, which helped create the
cod (Porter)
Yes
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
No
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
21
9
1r
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11. ) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
yes legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
what is it today? lets NOL Call attention to this figure if we doie like today's Numbers, (OCA)
today 's nurs we Selho Ue 1981's
5
restaring
4r
divinely (Porter) blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
No
a hores-horse's
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback
back
(ported
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
Yes
(Parta)
This leads me to how finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper." "
Our (OCA)
NO ^The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
is Simply unacceptable. (POLTE)
NO finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
that (OCA)
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
NO among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy+
They whered in the age of Democracy COCA)
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
NO
well. (Porter)
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President every fiber of my
No
is right (Ported
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher n Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
NO
( (I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
eN
NO
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now +
Ronald Reagan
/
"There he goes again. )) // A was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
that the White
yes thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
Draft Four
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to be with
you on the eleventh anniversary of your election as President. //
Our dear friend Nancy Reagan. My special greetings to your
fellow Californians -- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also
President and Mrs. Ford. / Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet.
Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?")) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today." //
( (Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament. ")) //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a long-time
friend. //
2
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership. " //
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the great Presidents of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. / /
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ((People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party. "
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be cruel, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
3
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " //
Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned -- like a
sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-PEE-
koe] / Eureka College / WHO Radio, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan
came from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally.
/ Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could
stay his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked
at the doctors in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're all
Republicans." // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made all
of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not cherish such a man? /
As President, Ronald Reagan was unmoved by the vagaries of
intellectual fashion. He treasured values which are always in
fashion. / I speak of family and civility and generosity and
4
kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the Mount. // Once,
asked whom he most admired in history, he answered, "The Man from
Galilee. " / Mr. President, your faith in what is true, and good,
helped renew our faith in the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inauguration Day in 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn
gave way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill. " //
To those who spoke of limits, President Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 16 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, cut inflation, and helped create the longest
peacetime boom in American history. // He knew, too, that our
judiciary should interpret, not legislate. So he appointed
judges who believe in social justice, not social engineering. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
5
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
is her legacy. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged America's
children to "Just say no." / To America's future, she supplied a
lyric "yes.' " //
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback ---
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: Mr.
President, we'll get you on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
Finally, Ronald Reagan was a global prophet. // Some men
reflect their times. This man transformed his times. / He often
talked of "winning one for the Gipper. " The Gipper helped win
one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he rebuilt our
military and pioneered the Strategic Defense Initiative. His
vision paid off for every American in the sea and sands of the
Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human brotherhood. So he
6
transcended East and West to engage in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too."
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest
or
X
the hills of Nicaragua. Travel anywhere where those once
enslaved now are free. They will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a
founding father of the New World Order. //
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ) ) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
7
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
thank God that you were in that White House. You loved America -
- knew America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
91 OCT 28 A8:38
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00 pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 10:00a.m.
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE N/C C
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
>
PORTER
BRADY
ROGICH good N/C
BROMLEY
SMITH
N/L
MCBRIDE
CARD
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY N/C
HOLIDAY N/C
REMARKS:
Please forwar a your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
CLOSE HOLD
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
31 1 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today." //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament.") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party."
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans." // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. II / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inaugural Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill." //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11. ) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how, finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper." "
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. / /
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ") ) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
91 OCT 28 P2:33
October 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR TONY SNOW
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
COMMUNICATIONS AND DIRECTOR OF SPEECHWRITING
FROM:
GENE C. SCHAERR GCS/cmus
ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Presidential remarks: Reagan Library -- Santa
Barbara, CA
Counsel's office has reviewed the matter, and has no legal
objection. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this
matter.
CC: PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
7894
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
91 OCT 28 P I : 57
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00 pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 - 10:00a.m.
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
PORTER
BRADY
ROGICH
BROMLEY
SMITH
CARD
MCBRIDE
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
>
GRAY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
October 28, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR TONY SNOW
The NSC staff has reviewed the draft presidential remarks and concurs as
amended.
HOLD
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Brent
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
CC: Phillip D. Brady
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
31 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today. " //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament. ") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party."
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans." // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. / /
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. " / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inaugural Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill. " //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11. ) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how, finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper."
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ")) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
91 OCT 28 A10: 42
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
SUBJECT:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 - 10:00a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
>
PORTER
BRADY
ROGICH
BROMLEY
SMITH
CARD
MCBRIDE
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
>
GRAY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forwar a your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
off
CLOSE HOLD
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
01 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford.
/
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen.
11
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
((Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today. " //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament. ") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party."
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. If // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans. " // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. / / Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. " / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inaugural Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill. " //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11. ) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes. " // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how, finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper. "
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
( (I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ") ) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00 pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 - 10:00a.m.
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
PORTER
>
BRADY
ROGICH
BROMLEY
SMITH
MCBRIDE
CARD
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
>
GRAY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE: Very good- a wonderful tribute to RR
CLOSE HOLD
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
BT for SR
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
31 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today." //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament.") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party. "
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
W-N-O
Radio?
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans. " // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
/othery
Any
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
stories?
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. II / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inaugural Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill. //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11.) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how, finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper." "
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. / /
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ")) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
white
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
Simon
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
Note: Nov. 4, 1980 RR +GB
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
elected
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today. " //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament.") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party. "
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
W-H-O
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
a
all
Republicans.' // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
From 1981-89, the only people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. " / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
Inaugural Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill." //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
16
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
21
9
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11.)) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California.) ) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how, finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper."
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. / Mr. President, every fiber of my
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. / /
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ")) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
white
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
91 OCT 28 P5: 58
October 27, 1991
MEMORANDUM FOR TONY SNOW
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Reagan Library-Santa
Barbara, CA. November 4, 1991
The Reagan Library dedication should be a marvelous event
and these remarks are filled with rhetoric appropriate to the
occasion. I have noted several suggestions, mostly modest in
nature, that I hope will be helpful.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
CLOSE HOLD
Document No. 281493ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
10/25/91
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MONDAY, 10/28/91 3:00 pm
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN LIBRARY-SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991 - 10:00a.m.
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SUNUNU
MCCLURE
SCOWCROFT
PETERSMEYER
DARMAN
>
PORTER
BRADY
ROGICH
BROMLEY
SMITH
MCBRIDE
CARD
>
SNOW
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Tony Snow, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 3:00 p.m., MONDAY OCTOBER 28, with a copy to this
office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
CLOSE HOLD
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Grossman)
October 25, 1991
31 OCT 25 P5: 39
Draft Three
GIPPER
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: REAGAN
LIBRARY
SANTA BARBARA, CA.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991
10:00 A.M.
President and Mrs. Reagan. Barbara and I are delighted to
be with you. My special greetings to your fellow Californians -
- President and Mrs. Nixon, and also President and Mrs. Ford. /
Senior members of the Reagan Cabinet. Ladies and gentlemen. //
Thank you, Mr. President, for that introduction. And to all
of you, for the privilege of helping to dedicate this library of
my predecessor and mentor -- the 40th President of the United
States. //
( (Yesterday, I mentioned to one of my grandkids that I was
going to the Reagan Library in California, and he said, "Isn't
that a long way to travel to return a book?") ) // I said: "I
would travel around the world to be in the Simi Valley today. " //
(Collectively, I'm glad to get four Presidents and First
Ladies together for a simple reason. I am today announcing the
first annual "Presidential mixed-doubles tennis tournament.") //
Individually, this morning is even more special to Barbara
and me. // Here are three former Presidents -- three former
First Ladies -- superb public servants // each a dear and long-
time friend. //
We begin with the 37th President of the United States,
Richard Nixon, and the woman we know, and love, as Pat. / Mr.
2
President, you helped achieve a generation of peace by being a
true architect of peace. // Here, too, are Betty Ford and
America's 38th President, Gerald Ford. / To a son of Michigan, I
say: "America is grateful for your leadership -- and your life. "
Today, we honor an American Life -- which is the title of
his autobiography. Yet his was more than that -- he is an
American Original. / He was born on February 6th -- but his
heart is pure 4th of July. / Let me put it simply: Ronald
Reagan is one of the greatest Americans of all time. //
( (With his disarming sense of humor, President Reagan was
something refreshingly different in Washington: A politician who
was funny on purpose. )) / He was also a visionary, a crusader,
and a prophet in his time. //
He was a political prophet -- leading the tide toward
conservatism. ( (People forget that he wasn't always a Republican,
he used to be Democrat. But a prominent Republican once took him
aside and said, "I see a day when you will switch to our party."
/ And sure enough, Abraham Lincoln was right. )) //
Next, Ronald Reagan was a Main Street prophet. He
WHO
understood that America is great because of what we are -- not
what we have. // Politics can be hard, uncivil. Unfailingly,
Ronald Reagan was strong and gentle. / He ennobled public
service. His career was a metaphor for decency. Always, he
embodied the American character: What he described in his second
Inaugural as "hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent,
and fair. " // Think of whistlestops which ring unsummoned --
3
like a sirensweet postcard from the past. Dixon / Tampico [Tam-
PEE-koe] / Eureka College / WHO, Des Moines. Ronald Reagan came
from the heart of America -- geographically, and culturally. /
Not even a bullet from the gun of a would-be assassin could stay
his spirit. On that terrible day in March 1981, he looked at the
doctors and nurses in the emergency room and said, "I hope you're
all Republicans." // Republicans or Democrats, his courage made
all of us proud -- proud to be Americans. //
For eight years, I was proud to be Ronald Reagan's Vice-
President. I saw a man who was thoughtful and sentimental /
sending money to strangers whose stories touched him / writing
letters on yellow legal paper. He then asked that they be
retyped -- because he wanted to make it easier for the recipients
to read. // Here is another instance of Ronald Reagan's
compassion -- again, I return to a decade ago. / One day, still
weak from gun-shot wounds, he spilled water from the sink. Soon
after, aides came into the room, and tried vainly to find him.
He wasn't in bed -- but in the bathroom / on his hands and knees
/ trying to wipe up the water so the nurse wouldn't get into
trouble. How could America not love such a hero? /
From 1981-89, the only I people who got into trouble were the
enemies of Middle America. Ronald Reagan repudiated these
tribunes of intellectual fashion -- endorsing values which are
always in fashion. / I speak of family and civility and
generosity and kindness -- values etched in the Sermon on the
WHOM
Mount. // Once, asked who he most admired in history, he
4
answered, "The Man from Galilee. II / Mr. President, your faith in
what is true, and good, helped renew our faith in the New
HERE IN
Jerusalem called the United States of America. //
This brings me, next, to how Ronald Reagan was also a
national prophet. He didn't merely make the world believe in
America. He made Americans believe in themselves. / I remember
non
Inaugura] Day of 1981 -- and how the clouds on a gloomy morn gave
way as President Reagan began his speech. // He turned the
winter of our discontent into a springtime of possibility. What
a harbinger of how, under him, America again became, yes, that
"shining city on a hill. " //
To those who spoke of limits, Ronald Reagan replied that
limits mock the American Dream. // He believed in returning
power to the people. So Ronald Reagan helped the private sector
create more than 19 million new jobs. // He sought to enlarge
opportunity, not government. / So Ronald Reagan lowered taxes
and spending, which cut inflation, which AND helped create the
longest peacetime boom in American history. //
(You've heard about the so-called Misery Index -- invented,
ironically, by those who created misery. When Ronald Reagan
entered office, the Misery Index -- the unemployment plus
inflation rates -- was 28. When he left office, it was 11.) ) //
Ronald Reagan knew, too, that our judiciary should interpret, not
legislate. So he appointed judges who believed in social
justice, not social engineering. // He knew that America was
5
RESTORING
divinely blessed -- so he urged, as I do, that voluntary prayer
be restored to our schools. //
EVER
How ironic that the oldest man to be elected President of
the United States would prove as young as the American spirit. /
((It's believed that the fountain of youth was born in Florida.
I think Ronald Reagan makes a good case for its existence in
California. )) // Here -- as in Washington -- he was aided by the
true love of his life. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan championed
the foster grandparents program, and heightened breast cancer
awareness. She refurbished the White House with the dignity that
was her legacy, and life. // To the scourge of drugs, she urged
America's children to "Just say no. " / To America's future, she
supplied a lyric "yes." // Won't you please stand and let us show
how we appreciate what you mean to the United States of America?
Nancy, you know more than anyone: This quintessential
A HORSE'S BACK
Westerner viewed horizons from the perspective of horseback --
and because of his vision, America rides tall in the saddle
again. // Not only did he bring optimism to the White House --
that optimism was contagious. Which is why I say: We'll get him
on Mt. Rushmore yet. //
This leads me to how finally, Ronald Reagan was a global
prophet. // Some men reflect their times. This man transformed
his times. / He often talked of "winning one for the Gipper."
The Gipper helped win one for the Holy Grail of freedom. //
Today, the world is safer because Ronald Reagan believed
that we who are free to live our dreams, have a duty to support
6
those who dream of living free. / He predicted that Communism
would land in the dust bin of history -- and history proved him
right. / He knew that when it comes to national defense,
IS SIMPUL UNACCEPTABLE.
finishing second means finishing last. So he pioneered the
Strategic Defense Initiative and helped make our military strong
and proud again -- and his vision paid off for every American in
the sea and sands of the Gulf. // Yet he believed, too, in human-
brotherhood. So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and
advanced the cause of peace among Nations. //
Mr. President, history will record the 1980s were not only
among America's finest hours. They became perhaps democracy's
finest era. / Our friend -- the Iron Lady -- as usual, said it
WELL.
best. I speak of Margaret Thatcher -- your fellow liegeman of
liberty. Recently, she spoke of how great leaders are summed up
in a sentence. Then Mrs. Thatcher added: "I will sum up the
achievements of President Reagan in a sentence, too. "
"Ronald Reagan, " she said, "won the Cold War without firing
a shot. He had a little help -- at least that's what he tells
me. But that imperishable achievement will be seen by history as
belonging primarily to him. " / Mr. President, every fiber of my
IS RIGHT.
being agrees with Margaret Thatcher/. Go to Gdansk or Budapest.
Travel anywhere where those once enslaved now are free. They
will tell you: Ronald Reagan is a founding father of the New
World Order. //
((I'm not saying these things about Ronald Reagan in case he
decides to run for President again in 1996. I say them because
7
they're true. / Each year he adds another chapter to the story
of an amazing American. Each year we say / all together, now /
"There he goes again. ")) // He was the Great Communicator, and
also the Great Liberator. From Normandy to Moscow -- from Berlin
to the Oval Office -- no leader since Churchill used words so
effectively to help freedom unchain our world. //
Let me close with a story, and a salute. Mr. President,
when your favorite President died in 1945, the New York Times
wrote, "Men will thank God on their knees, a hundred years from
now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. " // It
will not take 100 years -- millions do so today -- for us to
WHITE
thank God that you were in the House. You loved America -- knew
America. You blessed America as few men ever have. //
You were prophet, and President -- and I want to thank you
for your many kindnesses to Barbara and to me. / Now, it is my
distinct privilege and honor to introduce the Dutchman / the
beloved Gipper / my predecessor / my friend. The 40th President
of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
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