Hopefully, the last word for all who suffer under the delusion Ronald Reagan was not a disaster!

Ronald Reagan’s funeral reminded me so much of the opening number in the stage hit, Evita:

Oh what a circus, oh what a show
Argentina has gone to town
Over the death of an actress called Eva Peron
We've all gone crazy
Mourning all day and mourning all night
Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right

Oh what an exit, that's how to go
When they're ringing your curtain down
Demand to be buried like Eva Peron
It's quite a sunset
And good for the country in a roundabout way
We've made the front page of all the world's papers today.

That the passing of the mass parade through the South American banana republic was an effort to “get all of the misery right,” it cannot be evidence that the wife of Juan Peron, who robbed the country blind, was nonetheless somehow worthy of sainthood.

 

A few have commented on my rebuttal to an op-ed wherein the author suggested that Ronald Reagan was the GOP's "most beloved president." One comment suggested that RR was "great," and the evidence submitted were the hundreds of thousands who stood in line to pay the late president their respects. I'll deal with that one tersely, because it's silly. Others wanted "evidense" concerning my reiterations of the calumnies that attended all of RR's tenure. That will take a bit longer, but it will be with attributions.

 

That hundreds of thousands stood in line at the Reagan Library to pay their respects to the late president is not necessary evidence that he was in fact a great president; no more than would the fact of the millions of Argentineans who fell over themselves “to get all of the misery right” be proof the wife of Juan Peron was worthy of sainthood.

 

All either of the gatherings might prove is that millions perceived something that may or may not be factual; factual along the same lines of perceiving an illusionist saw a woman in half.

In a follow-up comment, concerning the number in the Reagan administration who were “convicted felons,” the demand, "Where are the facts" is 100% legit.

 

However I’m an ardent admirer of the teachings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, I’m an atheist — As I don’t believe in some ethereal god, I cannot believe in an ethereal Jesus deity — because I demand evidence. I’m a skeptic, not a cynic; a position I heartily recommend for everyone with an intellect above that of a parrot. Mike has a right to ask for the evidence. So, here goes.

 

Prefatory Note: I am not going to post here all 138 of the “high crimes and misdemeanor” trespasses alluded to in my cited blog. I doubt any site would provide the space. What follows, however is a sampling from which those whose eyes open to attributed facts can decide for themselves the extent of the calumny and the actual greatness of our 40^th president.

     EPA: EPA head, Rita Lavelle was convicted of lying to Congress, and served three months of a six-month prison term, for her role in the toxic waste Superfund scandal; directed funds to local GOP officials, to enhance their reelection prospects. (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E3D8143BF93AA25752C0A963948260)    

HUD Grant rigging:

Secretary of the Interior, James Watt was indicted on 24 felony counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, and was sentenced to 5 years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. (http://www.cnn.com/US/Newsbriefs/9603/03-12/index.html).

 

Philip Winn, Assistant HUD Secretary, pled guilty to steering department subsidies to GOP donors. (http://www.stewwebb.com/FRAUDS%20ARE%20US%20AT%20MDC.html).

 

Thomas Demery, Assistant HUD Secretary, pled guilty to steering department subsidies to GOP donors. (http://www.stewwebb.com/FRAUDS%20ARE%20US%20AT%20MDC.html).

 

Deborah Gore Dean, executive assistant to HUD Secretary Samuel Pierce, was indicted on 3 counts of conspiracy, 1 count of accepting an illegal gratuity, 4 counts of perjury, 5 counts of concealing government articles; convicted on 12 of the 13 counts. (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=dc&navby=case&no=943021a). 

 

Joseph A. Strauss, HUD Secretary, was convicted of accepting kickbacks.   (http://www.hud.gov/offices/bca/decisions/das/josephstrauss.pdf).

 

Executive Office:

Lyn Nofziger, WH Press Secretary, was convicted on illegal influence peddling in the Wedtech scandal. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyn_Nofziger).

 

Michael Deaver, WH Press Secretary, was convicted on 3 of 5 perjury counts; sentenced to 3 years probation, payment of a $100,000 fine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Deaver).

 

Iran-Contra:

Elliott Abrams, head of State Department’s Latin American Bureau, indicted on felonies but was permitted to plead guilty to 4 misdemeanors (subverting a congressional inquiry; obstruction of justice) in exchange for cooperating with federal prosecutors. (http://www.markdanner.com/articles/show/the_truth_of_el_mozote) 

John Poindexter, national security advisor, convicted of 5 felonies, including lying to Congress, obstruction of justice. (http://www.hereinreality.com/bigbrother.html; and http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/11/14/us_govs_ultimate_database_run/)

 

Alan D Fiers, Chief of CIA’s Central American Task Force, pled guilty to 2 felony counts; lying to congress, obstruction of justice; sentenced to 1 year probation and 100 hours of community service. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

Claire George, Chief of CIA’s Division of Covert Operations, was indicted on 10 felony counts, was convicted of lying to two congressional committees, perjury and obstruction of justice. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense, was pardoned by Bush 41 prior to trial on 5 felony counts, including perjury, obstruction of justice. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

Richard R. Miller, a partner with Oliver North in IBC, an Office of Public Diplomacy front group, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States. (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_R._Miller)

Richard Secord, Assistant Secretary of Defense, first indicted on 6 felony charges. A second indictment was for 9 additional felonies; permitted to plead guilty to a single felony, lying to Congress, and was sentenced to 2 years probation. (http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_09.htm)

 

Thomas G. Cline, CIA covert operations agent, was convicted of 4 tax evasion felonies, sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and $40,000 fine, plus the cost of all legal proceedings against him. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

Carl R. Channel, head of Office of Public Diplomacy, pled guilty to 1 count of defrauding the United States. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

Robert C. McFarlane, national security advisor, pled down to and was found guilty of 4 misdemeanors, and was sentenced to 2 years probation and a $20,000 fine. (http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_09.htm)

Oliver North, Marine colonel, member of National Security Council, was indicted on 16 felonies, found guilty on 3, but convictions overturned on grounds his immunized testimony obviated the indictments and trial. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1993/walsh/summpros.htm)

 

NOTE re S & L Crisis: I have held and posted that Reagan’s deregulation mantra led directly and inexorably to the numerous misanthropies that cost United States’ taxpayers tens of billions, to bailout the industry. Further research notes the taxpayer costs exceeded $150 billion dollars, and directly contributed to the federal deficits of Bush 41 through the mid-Clinton presidencies. (http://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/s&l/ ;  http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/SavingsandLoanCrisis.html ; The Greatest-Ever Bank Robbery: The Collapse of the Savings and Loan Industry by Martin Mayer (Scribner's).

— Ed Tubbs