Posted by
Playful Walrus on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 2:26:27 PM
Julian Cummings of Huntington Beach
demolishes Michael Kinsley's attack on President Reagan that ran on February 5.
Michael Kinsley portrays Ronald Reagan as a failed leader. Though every presidency has its challenges and shortcomings, Reagan left behind an impressive legacy of achievements: recovery from the economic malaise of the late 1970s, dramatic expansion of freedom in Eastern Europe, and a restoration of American confidence on the world stage.
Kinsley denies that Reagan ever championed large defense cuts, having apparently forgotten the historic nuclear arms reduction treaty negotiated with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Kinsley also states that bipartisanship and compromise were not Reagan themes, even though Reagan's most significant legislative accomplishments in the areas of income tax cuts, budget deficit reduction and immigration reform were achieved with the cooperation of then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill and a Democrat-controlled Congress.
About the only thing Kinsley got right was noting that President Obama is no Ronald Reagan.
But Mark Temple of Huntington Beach expressed support for Kinsley’s opinion piece.
All these modern-day Republicans who worship at his altar would find him completely unacceptable today because he raised taxes after his disastrous 1981 cuts that heavily favored the wealthy (sound familiar?); enlarged the federal government; tried to eliminate nuclear weapons (look at the Republicans' criticism of Obama's New START treaty); supported amnesty for illegal immigrants; and signed an abortion bill as governor of California.
Reagan had to deal with a liberal Democrat Congress, so of course there were things he did that were not the ideal of conservatives or limited-government proponents.
His tax cuts were not disastrous but of great benefit, and they "favored the wealthy" only in the sense that the wealthy were being so discriminated against with unequal taxation, they were paying outrageous rates. Thus, it was nearly impossible to cut taxes without the wealthy being "favored".
Reagan did not try to eliminate nuclear weapons. He was seeking a mutual reduction of stockpiles.
He signed a immigration reform bill as part of a "comprehensive" agreement was supposed to include improved border and immigration enforcement. We've learned our lesson. No amnesty talk until after we have effective enforcement.
And yes, he signed an abortion bill as Governor of California for therapeutic abortions, but later said it was a mistake.
If Reagan was as unconservative as Temple claims, Temple wouldn’t dislike him so much.