What major causes have former Republican Presidents trumpeted?

[Bandit]

Clinton is a huge leader in the fight against AIDS and Carter is huge in fighting homelessness and human rights abuse. What cause has Bush 1 or Reagan worked toward? I know Betty Ford has fought substance abuse but what has her husband done? They are so loud about their compassion and caring, what have they done?

[CO Liberal]

1. Ford Has Played Golf and Fallen Down A Lot

That pretty much sume things up...

:-)

[Parche]

2. past republican presidents

"Well Nancy, I dont remember"

G Bush Sr helps out the golf course greens charity

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Furthering the cause of fattened accounts of country clubs

and large coporate interests.

[TO Kid]

4. Abolition of slavery

The party was founded by abolitionists in 1854.

[Bandit]

5. Yes that is well known history but what has it to do with the question?

Lincoln would most definitely considered a Progressive/Pragmatist in today's world to borrow a phrase from Cuomo. He would be the exact opposite of today's GOP. I'm sure if he had lived he also would have done great deeds after his term as president. What great deeds have any past Republican Presidents done?

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. Increasing their personal fortunes.

n/t

[DifferentStrokes]

7. Nixon's cancer fighting bill

Got this month's special cancer issue of Energy Times at the health food store. It mentioned Nixon's war on cancer.

Some history and recent updates here:

http://www.nixonfoundation.org/nrc/020227bSenateBill.shtml

Senate Bill Would Renew RN's 'War on Cancer'
Bob Dole backs Feinstein bid for new funds
February 27, 2002

http://access.wa.gov/leg/2004/Feb/n2004120_1362.aspx
Date: February 20, 2004
House passes Nixon bill aimed at disclosure for cancer patients

OLYMPIA -- Legislation prompted by a cancer researcher's letter to Woodinville resident Darla Eastman has been passed by the House of Representatives and sent to the state Senate. Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland, is the prime sponsor of House Bill 2404, which would require that cancer patients like Eastman be notified when data about them is entered into the state's cancer registry. It passed 96-0 last week.

[Bandit]

9. Nixon was an enigma

He also initiated Affirmative Action and ended the draft. Nixon was a crook but he did a lot of good things as well.

[Buck Rabbit]

14. Dick changed his name to Toby? I would have changed my last name too. n/t

[tjwash]

8. Well just off the top of my head...

Reagan did ignore AIDS because it was a "gay only" disease. They could have possibly eradicated it,before it spread further, if he would have ordered priority one research, and prevention on it. His wife Nancy on the other hand, caused the prison population to explode by trying to throw every minority who gets caught smoking a joint in prison (however, if you are a fat blowhard who likes to snack on pharmaceuticals, your just fine). Oh and of course there was that "star wars" debacle, that twenty years later STILL ain't got a chance in hell of working.

At least Nixon pulled the troops out of Vietnam...

[DifferentStrokes]

11. Just by himself, Reagan inspired an interest in Alzheimer's

well before he left office. He ended up giving Nancy a real project. Finally, she could devote her time to something productive.

The late Maureen Reagan was another member of the family who contributed a great deal.

Personally? Reagan didn't do anything except go publically gaga.

One hopes we'll be more selective about candidates eventually. George is not a promising beginning for getting off on the right foot.

[Massacure]

10. Reagan spent billions of dollars

On his Star Wars toys.

Some would argue that it also bankrupted the U.S.S.R. I was four years old when the U.S.S.R. collapsed, so I won't argue.

[seabeyond]

12. a fundie mouthed to me about hienz

told her i dont really care what others say about her. all the money and time she has given to children and her foundation, puts her way above the bushies. all these years i have heard of no charities, except themselves

[LTR]

13. Dole shilled for Viagra

Well...he ran for president.

As for the former presidents:

Truman - Quiet retirement in Missouri
Eisenhower - Quiet retirement in Valley Forge, PA
Kennedy - N/A
LBJ - Fell ill, died a few years after leaving office
Nixon - Creepy elder statesman
Ford - Played golf, served on corporate boards
Carter - What didn't he do? Peacemaker, Habitat for Humanity, etc.
Reagan - Stared at the ceiling, crapping his diapers
Bush I - Puts on his black helmet, plots domination of the universe
Clinton - Philanthropy, including 9/11 and AIDS victims
Bush II - Staring at the ceiling, crapping his diapers

[maggrwaggr]

15. Reagan was for tax cuts and increased military spending

which of course meant higher defecits.

He also invaded Grenada.

Bush Sr. was a war president. Anybody remember Panama? Trumped out bullshit charges of Panamanian soldiers shooting at Americans I recall, so we could invade.

Then he lured Saddam into invading Kuwait so we had a handy excuse to destroy his tank army, which was the 5th largest in the world at the time.

Didn't know the price of milk, but he could sure invade countries.

I honestly can't remember a damn thing that George Bush Sr. stood for.

[Radical Activist]

16. Herbert Hoover

Helped organize food relief for Europe after the war and did a lot of other good things after he left office.

[LTR]

17. A bad president, but one of the best ex-presidents

Hoover was an intelligent guy regarding many issues, but was in way over his head as president.

Or perhaps he was the fall guy for the downward slide of Coolidge's economic policies? After all, there had to be a reason Coolidge opted not to run, and I don't recall him being a big Hoover fan either.

Hoover languished in obscurity from the end of his presidency until the late 40's, when Harry Truman sought him out and asked him to overlook relief in Europe as part of the Marshall Plan. Hoover was nearly in tears when Truman asked him, since he was pretty much unloved following his term.

Hoover was very effective in this role until his death in the mid 60's.