...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Thursday, June 10, 2004
      ( 9:31 AM )
 
Day 6

It's the 6th day of National Mourning for the guy who brought a new Morning Mourning to America. I actually watched some of the state funeral on CSPAN yesterday because it was actually very interesting to watch the Old Guard and the ceremony of it. But since tomorrow is the seventh day, I'm hoping that things will begin stepping back from the brink of complete insanity. Though W has decreed flags will fly half staff for 30 days, which means that on July 4, all the flags have to be half staff.

Fun Reagan Fact of the Day: Reagan, as we all know, didn't even acknowledge AIDS until 1987. His administration did nothing to get it out of the blood supply before it was too late, and, in fact - his press secretary regulary joked about AIDS in the early 80's. (thanks to Atrios for the link). Sample:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

PRESS BRIEFING BY
LARRY SPEAKES
December 11, 1984
The Briefing Room
12:03 p.m. EST

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
MR. SPEAKES: Lester's beginning to circle now. He's moving in front. (Laughter.) Go ahead.

Q: Since the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta (laughter) reports...

MR. SPEAKES:This is going to be an AIDS question.

Q: that an estimated

MR. SPEAKES:You were close.

Q: Well, look, could I ask the question, Larry?

MR. SPEAKES:You were close.

Q: An estimated 300,000 people have been exposed to AIDS, which can be transmitted through saliva. Will the President, as Commander-in-Chief, take steps to protect Armed Forces food and medical services from AIDS patients or those who run the risk of spreading AIDS in the same manner that they forbid typhoid fever people from being involved in the health or food services?

MR. SPEAKES:I don't know.

Q: Could you - Is the President concerned about this subject, Larry

MR. SPEAKES: I haven't heard him express...

Q: ...that seems to have evoked so much jocular

MR. SPEAKES: ...concern.

Q: reaction here? I - you know -

Q: It isn't only the jocks, Lester.

Q: Has he sworn off water faucets

Q: No, but, I mean, is he going to do anything, Larry?

MR. SPEAKES:Lester, I have not heard him express anything on it. Sorry.

Q: You mean he has no expressed no opinion about this epidemic?

MR. SPEAKES:No, but I must confess I haven't asked him about it. (Laughter.)

Q: Would you ask him Larry?

MR. SPEAKES: Have you been checked? (Laughter.)

But really, it was Reagan's good humor and the way he won us all over with his charm that really mattered.

UPDATE: The Bush/Cheney Campaign has done so well not politicizing Reagan's death. Tom Burka, of course, gets right to the point.

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