COWBOY UP:

President Reagan (George Will, June 6, 2004, Townhall.com)

One measure of a leader's greatness is this: By the time he dies the dangers that summoned him to greatness have been so thoroughly defeated, in no small measure by what he did, it is difficult to recall the magnitude of those dangers, or of his achievements. So if you seek Ronald Reagan's monument, look around, and consider what you do not see.

The Iron Curtain that scarred a continent is gone, as is the Evil Empire responsible for it. The feeling of foreboding -- the sense of shrunken possibilities -- that afflicted Americans 20 years ago has been banished by a new birth of the American belief in perpetually expanding horizons.

In the uninterrupted flatness of the Midwest, where Reagan matured, the horizon beckons to those who would be travelers. He traveled far, had a grand time all the way, and his cheerfulness was contagious. It was said of Dwight Eisenhower -- another much-loved son of the prairie -- that his smile was his philosophy. That was true of Reagan, in this sense: He understood that when Americans have a happy stance toward life, confidence flows and good things happen. They raise families, crops, living standards and cultural values; they settle the land, make deserts bloom, destroy tyrannies. [...]

It also was said then that the presidency destroyed its occupants. But Reagan got to the office, looked around, said, ``This is fun. Let's saddle up and go for a ride.''

Mr. Reagan was elected to defeat inflation and the Soviet Union--neither exists any longer.
Reagan Is Remembered for His Leadership and Optimism: As the news of the former president's death spread, reaction and tributes cascaded forth from the mighty and the common alike. (JOHN M. BRODER, 6/06/04, NY Times)

Mr. Bush, who had just gone to bed when Mr. Card woke him to tell him the news, called Mrs. Reagan from Paris and expressed his condolences in a five-minute conversation, White House officials said. The president ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-staff.

"A great American life has come to an end," Mr. Bush told reporters several hours after being told of Mr. Reagan's death. "Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness, and won its love with his goodness. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility and the humor that comes with wisdom."

Mr. Bush planned to go ahead with his appearance on Sunday at the D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, White House aides said. He is scheduled to serve as host for leaders from the world's major economic powers this week on Sea Island, Ga.

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain called Mr. Reagan "one of my closest political and dearest personal friends" and "a truly great American hero."

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Mr. Reagan's optimism was infectious.

"He was the voice of America in good times and in grief," Mr. Kerry said in a statement. "When we lost the brave astronauts in the Challenger tragedy, he reminded us that nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. Now, his own journey has ended, a long and storied trip that spanned most of the American century and shaped one of the greatest victories of freedom."

In Santa Monica, Calif., Maye Ohnemus sat under an oak tree across from the Little Chapel of the Dawn funeral home, awaiting the hearse carrying Mr. Reagan's body.

"He came from a farm, he came from a poor family, salt of the earth," Mrs. Ohnemus said. "He came at a time when you needed to be proud, and he made you proud to be an American again."

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 6, 2004 9:24 AM