Fox News is reporting that former President Ronald Reagan has died at age 93.
Ronald Wilson Reagan
40th President of the United States
February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004
Update:
WaPo/AP — Ronald Reagan Has Died
NYT/AP — Former President Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
Ronald Reagan, the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was “morning again in America,” died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, a family friend said. He was 93.
He died at his home in California, according to the friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The White House was told his health had taken a turn for the worse in the last several days.
Five years after leaving office, the nation’s 40th president told the world in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s, an incurable illness that destroys brain cells. He said he had begun “the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.”
Reagan body was expected to be taken to his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. His funeral was expected to be at the National Cathedral, an event likely to draw world leaders. The body was to be returned to California for a sunset burial at his library.
Update: My thoughts on President Reagan’s passing are in the previous post. Some other reactions from around the blogosphere:
- Robert Prather: “He’s had such a profound impact on my life and has been the best President of my lifetime.”
- Robert Garcia Tagorda: “Sadly, the Great Communicator’s farewell address takes on new meaning today.” and “Matt Drudge offers the web equivalent of a moment of silence: he clears his home page.”
- Jay Tea calls for a moment of silence of his own.
- Joe Katzman: “. . . millions and millions of people around the world will mourn in the next few days – because what this man did helped to change their lives for the better.”
- Joe Gandleman has a personal anecdote about the Gipper.
- Commissar has collected a few Reagan quotes.
- Kevin Aylward has some thoughts and photographs.
- Bill Quick: “Ave atque vale!”
- Dean Esmay: “I voted against Ronald Reagan in my first vote for President in 1984. In retrospect, I was a fool.”
- Jon Henke has several tributes from the Left.
- Jeff Goldstein: “You gave us back our dignity. Rest in peace.”
- Kate McMillan adds Canadian condolences.
- Spoons: “By his role in defeating the Soviet Union, he may very well have saved millions of lives..”
- Dodd Harris dusts off a tribute from Reagan’s 90th birthday.
- Brad DeLong: “He tried hard, but by and large he didn’t have the brainpower to think his way out of the boxes that his prior commitments and initial personnel choices handed him.”
- Kevin Drum: “Rose tinted hindsight or not, I didn’t like his policies then and I don’t like them now. But there’s a time and a place for everything, so I’ll stay quiet for now and allow conservatives to have their day.”
- Steven Taylor reflects on the “amiable dunce” moniker and the tragedy of Altzheimer’s disease.
- Tacitus reflects on how Reagan touched his life.
Update: The White House is expected to issue an announcement around 5:25 Eastern time, according to Fox News.
Update: See the next post for tributes and thoughts from the big media.
