People remembering former USA first lady Nancy Reagan have left a growing display of flowers at the main entrance gate of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. “You tell me we haven’t assimilated”. I have profound admiration for Mrs. Reagan.
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An Arlington Heights native, Murnane had served on the Reagan campaign team and was part of the entourage that put together Nancy Reagan’s trip to Fayetteville, Ark. “… But however the first lady fits in, she has a unique and important role to play in looking after her husband”.
She rushed to his side after he was shot in 1981 by a would-be assassin, and later endured his almost decade-long battle Alzheimer’s disease. I offered to get her something but she demurred. “And I think when he died, we anxious so much about how she’d hold up”. She also released a volume of love letters that her husband wrote during their long marriage called “I Love You, Ronnie”, a bestseller published in 2000.
“They were just the salt of the earth, they really cared about people”.
He says most of all, the Reagan love story always touched his heart.
In a statement Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spoke of the Reagan’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease.
California Governor Jerry Brown said in a statement, “Nancy Reagan lived a remarkable life and will be remembered for her strength and grace”.
He said the Reagans were a special couple.
As was her “Just Say No” campaign against drug and alcohol abuse, for which she traveled more than 250,000 miles, speaking before countless audiences, including the UN General Assembly. In his book, Cannon noted that the president ignored her advice on military spending and resisted her and many others before agreeing to fire Baker’s unpopular successor as chief of staff, Donald Regan.
Her prevailing ambition was to help her husband, and she did so in uncommonly forceful style.
Some of the most influential women in California politics shared their admiration for Reagan, recognizing her role in shaping public policy on everything from Alzheimer research to the war on drugs.
Born Anne Frances Robbins, she was given the name Nancy by her mother. And it’s only natural that she’ll let him know what she thinks. She had a similar prideful look when she stepped off a military helicopter on the aircraft deck of the new USS Ronald Reagan, which has a mini-museum honoring the president.
“I am saddened by the passing of my stepmother Nancy Reagan…” – Ted Cruz, Republican presidential candidate and USA senator from Texas.
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In a 1988 interview, Nancy said she was forced to exert her influence because her husband was poorly served by his aides, especially during the Iran-contra scandal that tarnished his reputation. Their daughter, author Jill Robinson, recalled the evening: Reagan described the evils of communism, and Nancy “kept smiling at him in agreement”.
