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June 06, 2004 On the Passing of Reagan Partisan lines are meaningless, as they should be, at the death of a President. Today, tributes pour in, and people, including those with whom I would normally be in sharp disagreement, have given touching and poignant memorials to The President.  "Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness, and won its love with his goodness. He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save." "Hillary and I will always remember President Ronald Reagan for the way he personified the indomitable optimism of the American people, and for keeping America at the forefront of the fight for freedom for people everywhere." "Reagan represented the best of civility in American politics and the finest traditions of standing up nobly for what you believe in. Even during the toughest political fights, he and Former House Speaker Tip O'Neill could always sit down together after the workday was done, as friends and fellow patriots. Today there is mourning in America because this is not just a loss for Republicans — it is a loss for all Americans." “Teresa and I and our family extend our deepest sympathies to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. Today, from California to Maine - ‘from sea to shining sea’ - Americans will bow their heads in prayer and gratitude that President Reagan left such an indelible stamp on the nation he loved.” "He will be missed, not only by those who knew him and not only by the nation that he served so proudly and loved so deeply, but also by millions of men and women who live in freedom today because of the policies he pursued. Ronald Reagan had a higher claim than any other leader to have won the Cold War for liberty, and he did it without a shot being fired." "A great statesman who through the strength of his convictions and his commitment to democracy will leave a deep mark in history." "His consistent championing of freedom contributed decisively to overcoming the division of Europe and Germany. We Germans have much to thank Ronald Reagan for." "I deem Ronald Reagan a great president, with whom the Soviet leadership was able to launch a very difficult but important dialogue. [...] I do not know how other statesmen would have acted at that moment, because the situation was too difficult. Reagan, whom many considered extremely rightist, dared to make these steps, and this is his most important deed." |