Did Ron Jr. just slam Bush?

[wndycty]

He did not use his faith for political advantage! Talking about his father. . .obviously a slam at Bush.

I expect him and Patty to show up at Kerry headquarters by mid July.

I am sure Nancy approved of it advance and I am sure Michael is steamed.

I am just glad he is done flying on Air Force One.

[Nimble_Idea]

1. YES, PURE B SLAP!!

hahah

[Momof1]

2. YES, YES, YES

THANK YOU

[Rick Myers]

YES!!!

And his gaze hardened as he said it...

Thank you, Ron, Jr...

[0007]

56. Got some vivid details. Like facial expression, tone of voice.

What was the slam?

[Catshrink]

3. That's how I took it... very subtle, but definitely a slam.

Jr. got "whooshed!"

[Leilani]

13. I did not see the subtlety..

I think he hit him with a sledge hammer!

[kymar57]

95. Agree

There was no doubt in my mind who he was talking about

[Manix]

4. ...what did he say?

[QC]

8. And where did he say it?

That would be nice to know.

[Toot]

19. He said it when it was his turnto speak at the memorial in CA.

[merh]

51. Finally a Eulogy that was honest

from a son's perspective and as an American.

[delhurgo]

10. That "Reagan never wore his religion on his

sleeve like other politicians, and never used it as a mandate". Or something like that.

[alvis]

5. Sounds like it to me.

Paraphrasing here: He said he sees his faith as a responsibility, not as a mandate.

[PartyPooper]

29. Exactly. He said unlike *some* politicians who wear their religion

on their sleeves...his father did not. After he was shot...he looked to serve as a responsibility and NOT a mandate (from God).

O8)

[alvis]

41. That's it.

Thanks! Ron Reagan Jr. put that really well. Caught me off guard.

:toast:

[RummyTheDummy]

6. Holy cow!

My mouth hit the floor. Gotta love that guy. His life must have been a bitch.

[Catt03]

34. or maybe he acquired some peace

with both his parents as we tend to do as we get older....

[Amaya]

7. Smack down

indeed

[hlthe2b]

9. He sure as hell did... Subtle only to those not listening for it...

or too much in denial to hear it... Good for you Ron!

[wndycty]

11. I was hoping for that

:kick:

[Cush]

12. what did I miss?

[RummyTheDummy]

17. Ron Reagan just bitch slapped Shrubya on national televison

He said his father was religous, but never wore it on his own sleave to gain political advantage.

Stunning stuff and painfully poignant. I bet they're pissed back in DC.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

14. what happened? Where?

?

[Reverend_Smitty]

15. I loved the "Mandate from God part!!!"

eom!

[tandot]

21. Yup. That was a clear shot...

Being a president is NOT a mandate from God.

Bush just got slapped big time

[eaprez]

16. He Didn't just Slam Him

....he blew him right out of the water!
He's a patriot!

[dflprincess]

18. And, before that he got a subtler dig in

Paraphrasing: "My father believed strength should be used with restraint."

WOO WOO Ron, Jr.

[RummyTheDummy]

28. I missed that

Ron Jr. is courageous

[Lisa]

20. less derivative than saying "and you, Bush, are no Ronald Reagan"

And ultimately more effective?

Way to go, Ron Jr.!

[fairfaxvadem]

22. Ron Jr is cool...

Whether he was filling in on Press and Buchanan or doing his gig at the Dog Shows on Animal Planet, I've come to like him alot.

I think it's safe to say that Ron Jr knows Real from BS growing up in that household.

I guess we should give some credit to Nancy and Ron Sr that their two kids have minds of their own. Who'da thunk???

Even the Bushes can't say that I'm sure...

(I don't quite know what to day about Michael Reagan though. Is he a lost soul?)

[Fenris]

27. He's not Ronald Reagan's "real" son

He's adopted. And he was adopted by Reagan and Jane Wyman.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

35. Yes he is (Ron and Nancy's son). Michael is the adopted one.

eom

[TahitiNut]

66. Yup. Michael Reagan was adopted by Ronnie and Jane ...

... after he was born in April 1945 ... probably from a Nazi baby-mill?

[calimary]

110. Well, yes, he IS Reagan's real son. He's RR's real, adopted son.

But that's real, nonetheless. I think it's a matter of terminology here, as an adoptee, myself. You're every bit their real child. You're just not their BIOLOGICAL child. Michael Reagan was adopted by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife Jane Wyman. Their marriage also produced Maureen Reagan, who's been dead for a little while now.

Interesting that you can see, however, where the thread of hereditary eloquence went. The only speeches that really made any difference were Ron Junior's and Patty's. Michael's was nice, and sweet, but a little heavy on the religioso stuff.

I LOVED Ron Junior's speech. A speech that he would NOT have made, in so public and momentous a forum as that, at his father's gravesite no less, out of respect for his mother, if he thought for an instant that she wouldn't have approved. He's a thoughtful man. He would NEVER EVER EVER EVER have done anything in a situation like that to dishonor her. It's implicit in what he did - that she approved. He may, in fact, have spoken FOR her.

[KittyWampus]

43. Adopted Kids Are Most Certainly "Real"

just pointing that out.

[chimpy the poopthrower]

49. not to pick a fight, Fenris...

...but that's at least the second time you've made that remark. Adopted children are not second-class to biological children.

[Yupster]

81. But he really kind of was

What an odd place he had.

Adopted and then his adoptive parents divorced.

Dad visits, the other two kids don't even know he exists till they're 12.

Then he's at the funeral of his adopted dad, and he's trying to comfort not his mom, not even his adopted mom, but an adopted step-mom who he never lived with.

I felt bad for him. He sure seemed to be oddly placed, always behind Ron and Patti.

I have heard him speak on adoption, and he is truly grateful that his young birth mom put him up for adoption and gave him the life he has had.

His career and politics seems like a reaching out to the adopted father who left him. I just keep thinking how sad it would be to be adopted into a family and then have that new family break up too.

[0007]

60. .....and your point is?

[Enraged_Ape]

64. Hey. Fenris, read a book, get a clue

Michael Reagan is the adopted one, and though he is a fucking dumbshit, he is the Reagans' real son.

Ron and Patti Davis are the biological children of Ron and Nancy.

[Blue_Roses]

79. No he's the real deal

it's Micheal--kiss ass- who is adopted

[Manix]

23. ..probably went over the chimp's head, someone will have to explain it to

him that he got nailed!

[nomaco-10]

24. Ron Jr. has always been his own man.....

and has quite often departed from his conservative upbringing, much to the consternation of his bewildered parents. He does it with much class and eloquence, so much so that even the right wing doesn't even know they've been slammed in the process. But, then again the right wing has always been a little slow on the uptake.

Kudos to Ron Jr., honoring his father with class all the while getting a bitch slap in for the left. He's a good guy and always has been.

[Marymarg]

25. He said

that although Reagan was religious, he did not wear his religion on his sleeve for political advantage. Ron Jr. added that his father never thought of his as a mandate and something to the effect that there was a profound diffence (emphasis) between those two kinds of thinking.

It was definitely a statement made to send a message about Bush.

[Raster]

26. I commented several days ago that I was waitin' for Ron Jr. ...

...to cut loose!!!

He, his mom and sister do not care for the BFEE at all and resent:

(1) The way the bushes treated his parents, ESPECIALLY his mother
(2) The way the bushes used his father's memory for their personal gain.

[RummyTheDummy]

31. I tend to agree

I think Nancy gave it the green light.

[Reverend_Smitty]

40. Well she's been pissed at shrub

since he stopped the stem cell research funding. There is no love lost there. I could totally see Nancy okaying this.

[Athletic Grrl]

94. Dont' let Nancy fool you.

She's still a Republican to the core. She just hates the Bushes. She didn't much care for Raisa Gorbachev either, if memory serves. And like the Bushies, the venom went both ways. She even had problems with her kids until Ronnie got sick. She's not a paragon of virtue here, but even so, I felt for her. Keenly.

I hope Nancy has it in her to fight for stem cell research. Maybe with this to occupy her, she won't shrivel up and follow the Great Gipper in the Sky.

[rocktivity]

111. Nancy was jealous of Raisa Gorbachev

because the press found her to be the more gregarious and charming of the first ladies.



From http://www.ishipress.com/raisa.htm
Raisa Maksimovna Gorbachev, who broke Kremlin tradition by sharing the spotlight with her husband, the former Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev, and did so with bold self-assurance and flair, died...in Munster, Germany on September 20, 1999. She was 67. The cause was leukemia...

...Raisa Gorbachev...emerged as a First Lady who had her own mind (and) style...(H)er gold lamé sandals with chain straps (were) a far cry from the dowdy shoes worn by other Kremlin wives...(T)he French press labeled her clothes "elegant, but not chic."

Visiting the United States for the first time in 1987, she irked Nancy Reagan with lectures on subjects ranging from architecture to socialism, reportedly prompting the American President's wife to quip, "Who does that dame think she is?"

:headbang:
rocknation

[Walt Starr]

30. ROFLMPAO!!!

The Freepers sorta kinda KNOW Ron took a swipe at W, but they can't quite figure out how it was a swip!!!!

[Mizmoon]

36. I love their thread

"He MUST have meant Clinton!"

Woof!

[wndycty]

44. They did not say that?

:kick:

[RummyTheDummy]

48. Next week they'll be blaming it all on Clinton

Something like he dressed up in a Ninja outfit, snuck in and cut Ronnie's air tube.

[alvis]

55. Just took a trip over there

A couple of them think it was a slam at Carter...:crazy:

[name not needed]

32. colllllld bloooooooded!

:)

[wndycty]

38. If he had said something about being Rick James. . .

. . .I would have cracked up, however that is worthy of John Stewart "oh snap!"

[Manix]

33. ..did his wingnut half-brother Michael squirm?

[RummyTheDummy]

37. Probably not as much as Karl Rove did back in DC

If I were you Karl, I'd think twice about those new ads whoring Reagan's image.

On second thought, go for it.

[AlCzervik]

42. did Michael speak?

[RummyTheDummy]

45. Yep.

Schmuck (as Reagan called him --affectionately) got his long awaited moment in the sun.

[nomaco-10]

50. Michael is a real neocon....

full fledged, and has always scraped his kness to Ron and Nancy for some kind of affirmation, he never got it. Perhaps that's why he turned out to be such a turd.

The perfect love affair between Ron and Nancy and the relationship they had with their children will always be at odds. Things in the reagan family were not all that hunky dorry as their handlers would have you believe. Could it be that they were not perfect after all?!!!
Holy horrors, a family that professed to be perfect and the shining example of "family values" might have some inner turmoil. Fancy that.

[slutticus]

90. Did you hear when Micheal was giving his Eulogy?

He was talking about how his Dad and all the children would be re-united again "in Heaven"....but he left Ron out...didn't mention his name.

What a prick. Even if Ron doesn't believe in it...it's still a rude thing to do.

[janx]

108. He left Patty out, too.

He only mentioned himself and Maureen, in heaven with their father, dancing with angels or some darned thing.

Good grief. That was terrible. By contrast (from what I have read), Ron stepped aside to make room for Michael to console Nancy--a true brother.

Now I ask you: who is the gentleman here?

More importantly, I am struck by the way that the Reagan family exemplies the dysfunctional family that is the American people right now. They have it going on in their little family! And as horrible as things are now, tensions must be running awfully high. Michael Reagan has one of those far-right talk shows, for instance, and recently Ron Reagan has begun to speak out about the horrors of the Bush administration. Most people do these things as a way to make money, but the Reagans have a lot more at stake than that, and they don't need the money. I think they are genuine in their beliefs. We're not talking about a Rush Limbaugh or an Ann Coulter here; the Reagans are serious.

That must be hideous. But at the same time, Ronald Reagan initiated it by bringing religion into politics, or at the very least by encouraging fundamentalists to convert from southern democrats to republicans, etc. From there, from then, the whole thing got more out of control than even he realized, probably. That was his Big Mistake. And it has cost this country a lot. Michael is taking the bait. (It's much easier that way.) From what I can tell, Nancy, Ron, and Patty realize the mistake and are trying to correct it.

God bless them for trying. I hope it works.

[JI7]

39. Reagan was always more of a right winger on economic issues

that's why he was so anti soviet union. but notice he never did much to end abortion rights. and as governor of california he pushed through on of the most pro choice bills in the country and even supported gay rights then. so his not doing anything about aids or homeless or other things which hurt a lot of people had more to do with him being opposed to government helping people rather than thinking it was a sin or anti god or whatever crap religious right wingers believe.

i'm not excusing his lack of help for people who needed it. but we need to recognize why bush is more dangerous than reagan ever was. bush thinks he was sent by god which is what osama bin laden believes also.

[merh]

46. as a responsibility, NOT A MANDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been waiting all week for this. Thank you Ron Jr.

[tandot]

47. LMAO: FREEPER: Did Ronnie Jr. Just slam Bush?

And those idiots think Ron was talking about Clinton. HILARIOUS. link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1152164/posts
To: Dudoight
No, he slammed Clinton, who used religion as a prop.

2 posted on 06/11/2004 7:31:26 PM PDT by theDentist (I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!)
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies >

[Raster]

52. how fucking dumb are these idiots???

sorry, rhetorical question.

YES, YOU MORAN, HE JUST SLAMMED gee-dubya, and HARD!

On Edit: Clinton NEVER entered into the equation.

[0007]

63. Morans

Do these freepers look bright?

[dflprincess]

57. Someone with access to their site PLEASE

go over there and explain it to them.

[Mizmoon]

61. Now they're comparing Ron Jr.

with Michael Moore.

I don't give them a hard time on their site. It's their place to rant n rave. I just mock their rants over here on our site.

[AgadorSparticus]

83. holy god. how effing stupid can those freepers be??

clinton used religion as a prop....i'm still shocked by the absurdity of it. :eyes::eyes::eyes:

[Kukesa]

98. Do you guys make this up?

I've only been a DUer since March so I'm kinda new, however, are these Freepers for REAL? I mean are they REAL people?

Every time I link to one of their sites, I read their posts and sit here and shake my head. Nobody really feels that way . . . do they?

Is there something I've missed?

Are these real people or are you just playing an ugly joke on us newbies?

[tandot]

103. just go to Freerepublic.com every now and then and check them out

especially threads about people they hate...Kerry, Michael Moore, Clinton, even McCain.

If it wouldn't be so scary it would be hilarious. A website filled with hate, ignorance, threats, and all in the name of God.

[ibegurpard]

53. Good for him.

I hope Nancy approved. If so, my estimation of her will have increased exponentially.

[Skittles]

54. YES INDEED

the best moment of this monstrosity.

[Manix]

58. ...HAHA..."didn't close his eyes during prayer...an athiest" What dorks!!

[MoonRiver]

67. Freepers have their own tests to determine one's Christian orthodoxy.

Voting Democrat and keeping eyes open during a prayer are sure signs of the devil. Don't ya know. :crazy:

[kymar57]

112. closed eyes

But when the Big Dawg closed his during prayer he was "asleep":wtf:

[Leilani]

59. I think Ron just fired a missle at the Bush campaign!!!

I think he was saying, not to use his Dad to get reelected, the way he uses religion!

[dflprincess]

62. Another Freeper comment on Ron's remark

"Ron Reagan is an atheist. I noticed he kept his eyes open during at least one prayer I saw. So did Tom Daschle for that matter a few weeks back."

Keeping your eyes open when you pray means you're an atheist? I never heard that before.

[alvis]

70. Silly reasoning to be sure.

But he is listed in the Celebrity Atheist list.

http://www.celebatheists.com/entries/atheist_30.html#0

[MrsMatt]

75. That struck me as

something one would encounter in absurdist theatre.

My other favorite line:

"I think Michael is just a very kind, loving, christian human being. He was comforting Ronnie Jr., I think."

[Lex]

77. A five year old child's reasoning

it sounds like.

If you don't close your eyes during prayer, you don't believe in God?

Simpletons over there at FReep-ville.

[slutticus]

89. I think he is an athiest...

...I saw an interview where he explained how he told his dad. He said something to the effect of "I don't believe in it, I don't buy it, and I'm not going (to church)"

Good for him!!!

He said his father accepted it. I was surprised by that.

[Zero Gravitas]

65. Sorry I missed that

Just tuned in. Sounds like a total slam on the Naked Emperor.

I must say that watching this "private" funeral I feel very bad for poor old Nancy. I never liked her when she was First Lady (and of course I was never a fan of St. Ron & his Administrations policies) but I do really feel bad for her right now, poor lady.

[tandot]

69. I was crying when I saw the last part...her hanging on to the coffin

it looked like she hung on for so long, she didn't know how to let go.

No matter how you feel about Reagan and his policies, that could have been any of us...saying good-bye for the last time...

[Zero Gravitas]

73. I was too

:cry:

I detested the Reagan Administration, but on a human level I really have a lot of sympathy for Nancy right now.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

109. Me, too. I lost it when she started to hug the coffin and the kids came

over to console her. I didn't think I would. It wasn't about policy. I thought about when the time comes when my parents go, should they go before me. Just hit home I guess.

[slutticus]

92. It made me sick...

..how the cameras were zoomed in on her the whole time while she was at the coffin. I had to change it. I know it was a public ceremony.....but jeez....have some class.

[judgegina]

68. I couldn't believe my ears!

Excellent.

[TankLV]

71. Of course, it's still a lie. Ronnie USHERED IN the use of religion for

political reasons.

They NEVER went to church, divorced - yet they were ragasmed as being a "religions" "family values" family.

I remember the hypocracy well.

[ibegurpard]

72. Of course it is

But there is no more effective tool to deflate the hopes of those who would try to use this as a tool for their own gain than a family member.

[newsguyatl]

74. yes, it was truly wonderful to behold

he had the most touching eulogy, only made better by his slam at bush... and oddly enough, that glare he gave after he said it, seemed to be when he felt his most fervent.

i really like ron, and had a feeling he might do something like this. he's a man of his passions, much like his father.

lucky for us, he's a liberal.

[UTUSN]

76. Yessssss, Ron Junior!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[PartyPooper]

78. Kick for Ron!

:kick:

[wndycty]

84. Kick

:kick:

[Yupster]

80. He sure did

who would have thought that the politics injected into the ceremony would be anti-Bush?

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

82. The perfect eulogy

Kudos, Ron.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

85. Thumbs up for Ron Reagan Jr.

He deserves admiration

[wndycty]

86. Absolutely

:kick:

[dxbiker]

87. There is no Ron Jr.

Ronald Wilson Reagan died last week

his Son Ronald Prescott Reagan did the Eulogy

OK

[wndycty]

88. Wow. . .

. . .sorry to have upset you. Welcome to the DU. BTW just an FYI both Reuters and the AP refer to him as Jr. Now you can worry about the technical details but he was widely referred to as Ron Reagan Jr. Welcome to the DU my friend.


Ron Reagan Jr., leans over to kiss his mother Nancy Reagan's hand as he turns to her after making his speech at the burial service for his father, former United States President Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley California June 11, 2004. Stepson Michael Reagan is at left. Reagan died June 5, aged 93 from complications from Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites). REUTERS/Andrew Winning


Maureen Reagan kisses her father President Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) while Nancy Reagan claps during a campaign rally in Redondo Beach, Calif., for Maureen's run for Congress in 1992 in this April 30, 1992 file photo. The President's son, Ron Jr., is partially obscured behind his father. It is reported that Reagan died on Saturday, June 5, 2004 at 93. (AP Photo/Craig Fuji)

[bobbieinok]

93. WHERE'S MAUREEN??? WHO WAS HER MOTHER???

[Serial Mom]

99. Maureen died of cancer in 2001 n/t

[Serial Mom]

91. This isn't first time either!!!!

First time I heard about Ron Jr slamming the current misadminsitration was back in 2003

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/14/ron_reagan/index.html

Reagan blasts Bush
"My father crapped bigger ones than George Bush," says the former president's son, in a flame-throwing conversation about the war and the Bush administration's efforts to lay claim to the Reagan legacy.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By David Talbot
April 14, 2003 | The Bush inner circle would like to think of George W.'s presidency as more of an extension of Ronald Reagan's than of his one-term father's. Reagan himself, who has long suffered from Alzheimer's disease, is unable to comment on those who lay claim to his political legacy. But his son, Ron Jr., is -- and he's not pleased with the association.

"The Bush people have no right to speak for my father, particularly because of the position he's in now," he said during a recent interview with Salon. "Yes, some of the current policies are an extension of the '80s. But the overall thrust of this administration is not my father's -- these people are overly reaching, overly aggressive, overly secretive, and just plain corrupt. I don't trust these people."

<snip>

But Reagan has strong feelings about Bush's policies, including the war in Iraq, which he ardently opposes. "Nine-11 gave the Bush people carte blanche to carry out their extreme agenda -- and they didn't hesitate for a moment to use it. I mean, by 9/12 Rumsfeld was saying, 'Let's hit Iraq.' They've used the war on terror to justify everything from tax cuts to Alaska oil drilling."

I think if he speaks up more now that his dad is gone, it could help get dubya OUT OF OFFICE

[Athletic Grrl]

96. Go Ron, go!

My jaw hit the floor when I heard that. That's one vote that won't be cast for Shrubbie.

[Chomskyite]

97. If I were one of the Reagan survivors . . .

. . . I would have taken particular offense at Laura Bush being trotted out early last week to say there would be no loosening of stem cell research restrictions.

Very inappropriate timing for political posturing on the Bushies' part and cowardly in that they used ditzy Laura, who likely has little idea what stem cells even are.

[Whalersfan1]

100. Could of been slammin'.......

anyone.

People see what they want to see. Republicans probably thought he was talking about Clinton or Jessie Jackson.

[slutticus]

101. I think the issue here is context....

...why would Ron, an obvious foe of BushCo, have any interest in taking shots at Clinton or Jessie Jackson? That wouldn't make any sense.

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wndycty]

104. If my uncle had . . .

. . .tits he would be my aunt. Don't forget Ron Jr. is the same guy who said that his father craps bigger ones than W. It was a slam at Bush. I am sure the fine folks over at the Free Republic think he is a loser. . .but over here he is a hero. By the way welcome to the DU, we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship!

[slutticus]

105. I think he...

...wants to send a message to BushCo...that he will not stand by while they capitalize on his father's death for their campaign.

I can see it now...Ronald Reagan Jr. kicking Karl Rove directly in the nuts.

Nice.

[wndycty]

106. I hope "someone" delivers that message back to the misguided . . .

. . .Freepers. . .LOL

[goclark]

107. He is a winner

It would have been a bit impolite for him to say something bad about your President if the situation was reversed.

Since it was the Funeral of his own father, Ronald Reagan, he could say anything he wanted to about anyone he wanted to,including the Unpresident. Notice, he did not name names.

By the way, his mother, Princess Nancy, must have liked it because she gave him a big kiss after his eulogy ( see picture above.)

In addition to that, I believe that she was fully aware of what Ron was going to say. He could have spoken at the Service in Washington. But, Princess Nancy waited until they returned home to California before she let Ron "Tell The Truth" about this sorry unpresident.
She knew what a reaction it was going to have and she staged it just like a movie.

Three Cheers for Ron...:toast: