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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ronald Reagan Turns 93

Aired February 06, 2004 - 06:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happy birthday, Mr. President. Ronald Reagan turns 93 today or, as the Gipper would say, the 64th anniversary of his 29th birthday. He was born back in 1911, and it is safe to say he is one of the most admired men in history.
We want to take a moment to talk about President Reagan.

Live on the phone from Washington, presidential historian Allen Lichtman.

Good morning.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: So, how will the family celebrate the birthday today?

LICHTMAN: I think the nation, of course, is going to celebrate Ronald Reagan's birthday as the continued survival of one of the towering figures of the 20th century. Certainly, Ronald Reagan is the great conservative icon on the 20th century, as indicated by the desire of the conservatives to name everything after Ronald Reagan.

He was of great significance politically. He really put conservatism on the map in the late 20th century. And, of course, he was the Great Communicator. He was a man, who in 1980 when he was running for president, was very straightforward in what he told the American people he was going to do. He was going to cut taxes. He was going to whittle down government regulations. He was going to rebuild the military and make America stand tall again.

And indeed he endeavored to do all of that, although one has to remember Ronald Reagan also was a man who adapted and changed and developed over time in the presidency. He simply -- he did not simply come in and put into effect a rigid conservative agenda. Indeed, he has been criticized by some conservatives, for example, for not rigorously pursuing the conservative social agenda on issues such as abortion, obscenity and homosexuality.

COSTELLO: Interesting. We haven't seen him in public, haven't caught a picture of him since his 89th birthday. Is that because he is completely housebound? Or are reporters just treating him with the utmost respect?

LICHTMAN: Well, I think he certainly deserves to be treated with the utmost respect, but I believe he is, at this point because of the Alzheimer's, totally housebound, and the family certainly wants to shield him from public view at this point. And I think that's entirely appropriate.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's just so sad to even think about how the family is taking this. You know, they put on such a brave face in the public, but it's just got to be horribly hard.

LICHTMAN: It's difficult, and indeed I think it symbolizes the difficulties many of us, of course, are facing in my generation, the baby boom generation, we're facing. Many of us have aged parents facing challenges of illness and feebleness, and, you know, Ronald Reagan in some ways symbolizes those difficulties.

COSTELLO: You know...

LICHTMAN: Of course, Ronald Reagan will also be remembered for his foreign policies, for his domestic policies. Let us never forget, Ronald Reagan was the president who presided over the end of the Cold War, although historians will forever debate whether the collapse of the Soviet empire was kind of an historical process whose time had come, or Ronald Reagan's hard pounding on the Soviets pushed them over the brink, what was the importance of his dream of a star wars defense, that that put pressure on the Soviets that perhaps required an agreement.

And, of course, it was during the Ronald Reagan presidency that the economy got going again, after those miserable 10 years in the '70s and early '80s of high inflation, high interest rates....

COSTELLO: You know...

LICHTMAN: ... of slow growth...

COSTELLO: You know, it just strikes me...

LICHTMAN: ... what Ronald Reagan called the misery index.

COSTELLO: Allen, it strikes me as so interesting that many of Reagan's policies are what President Bush, the current President Bush is putting into place today.

LICHTMAN: Well, that's exactly right. If you're going to be a conservative president today, who do you model yourself on? You're not going to go back to Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover. It is Ronald Reagan who set the standards.

On the other hand, though, it was Ronald Reagan who talked about cutting back on the federal government and cutting the budget. And one of the ironies is George W. Bush, arguably the most conservative president -- arguably the most conservative president, is known for what? Some of the largest budget increases in the history of the United States.

COSTELLO: Interesting stuff. Well, again, happy birthday, Mr. Reagan. I jut wish he could celebrate it. That's a sad thought.

LICHTMAN: Indeed, we all wish that.

COSTELLO: Yes.

LICHTMAN: And the Reagan legacy will live on, though.

COSTELLO: Definitely so. Allen Lichtman, thank you very much for joining us on DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired February 6, 2004 - 06:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happy birthday, Mr. President. Ronald Reagan turns 93 today or, as the Gipper would say, the 64th anniversary of his 29th birthday. He was born back in 1911, and it is safe to say he is one of the most admired men in history.
We want to take a moment to talk about President Reagan.

Live on the phone from Washington, presidential historian Allen Lichtman.

Good morning.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: So, how will the family celebrate the birthday today?

LICHTMAN: I think the nation, of course, is going to celebrate Ronald Reagan's birthday as the continued survival of one of the towering figures of the 20th century. Certainly, Ronald Reagan is the great conservative icon on the 20th century, as indicated by the desire of the conservatives to name everything after Ronald Reagan.

He was of great significance politically. He really put conservatism on the map in the late 20th century. And, of course, he was the Great Communicator. He was a man, who in 1980 when he was running for president, was very straightforward in what he told the American people he was going to do. He was going to cut taxes. He was going to whittle down government regulations. He was going to rebuild the military and make America stand tall again.

And indeed he endeavored to do all of that, although one has to remember Ronald Reagan also was a man who adapted and changed and developed over time in the presidency. He simply -- he did not simply come in and put into effect a rigid conservative agenda. Indeed, he has been criticized by some conservatives, for example, for not rigorously pursuing the conservative social agenda on issues such as abortion, obscenity and homosexuality.

COSTELLO: Interesting. We haven't seen him in public, haven't caught a picture of him since his 89th birthday. Is that because he is completely housebound? Or are reporters just treating him with the utmost respect?

LICHTMAN: Well, I think he certainly deserves to be treated with the utmost respect, but I believe he is, at this point because of the Alzheimer's, totally housebound, and the family certainly wants to shield him from public view at this point. And I think that's entirely appropriate.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's just so sad to even think about how the family is taking this. You know, they put on such a brave face in the public, but it's just got to be horribly hard.

LICHTMAN: It's difficult, and indeed I think it symbolizes the difficulties many of us, of course, are facing in my generation, the baby boom generation, we're facing. Many of us have aged parents facing challenges of illness and feebleness, and, you know, Ronald Reagan in some ways symbolizes those difficulties.

COSTELLO: You know...

LICHTMAN: Of course, Ronald Reagan will also be remembered for his foreign policies, for his domestic policies. Let us never forget, Ronald Reagan was the president who presided over the end of the Cold War, although historians will forever debate whether the collapse of the Soviet empire was kind of an historical process whose time had come, or Ronald Reagan's hard pounding on the Soviets pushed them over the brink, what was the importance of his dream of a star wars defense, that that put pressure on the Soviets that perhaps required an agreement.

And, of course, it was during the Ronald Reagan presidency that the economy got going again, after those miserable 10 years in the '70s and early '80s of high inflation, high interest rates....

COSTELLO: You know...

LICHTMAN: ... of slow growth...

COSTELLO: You know, it just strikes me...

LICHTMAN: ... what Ronald Reagan called the misery index.

COSTELLO: Allen, it strikes me as so interesting that many of Reagan's policies are what President Bush, the current President Bush is putting into place today.

LICHTMAN: Well, that's exactly right. If you're going to be a conservative president today, who do you model yourself on? You're not going to go back to Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover. It is Ronald Reagan who set the standards.

On the other hand, though, it was Ronald Reagan who talked about cutting back on the federal government and cutting the budget. And one of the ironies is George W. Bush, arguably the most conservative president -- arguably the most conservative president, is known for what? Some of the largest budget increases in the history of the United States.

COSTELLO: Interesting stuff. Well, again, happy birthday, Mr. Reagan. I jut wish he could celebrate it. That's a sad thought.

LICHTMAN: Indeed, we all wish that.

COSTELLO: Yes.

LICHTMAN: And the Reagan legacy will live on, though.

COSTELLO: Definitely so. Allen Lichtman, thank you very much for joining us on DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.