Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Remembering the Legacy of Ronald Reagan
Aired June 06, 2004 - 08:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome back to a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. This morning we're recalling the life and legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.
He is being remembered this morning by both friends and political rivals, as well, as a man who changed the world.
BILL HEMMER, CO-ANCHOR: Flags in Washington today at the White House at half-staff, on Capitol Hill the same way. They remain that way for 30 days. And the same is true for other federal buildings.
Meanwhile in southern California, where the sun will be rising in a few minutes' time, flags are also lowered at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
There is a who lot to talk about this morning, remembering the former president, Ronald Reagan.
He died yesterday at his home in Bel-Air, California, at the age of 93, living longer than any other president in history, though in the last decade of his life he withered under the assault of Alzheimer's.
Sometime in the next day or so, we are not sure of the exact time, Mr. Reagan's body will be taken to his presidential library in Simi Valley, California. Then later in the week, the body will be flown to Washington, probably Tuesday night, we're being told at this point.
O'BRIEN: House Speaker Dennis Hastert tells CNN that the plan right now is for the former president's body to lie in state at the capitol rotunda on Wednesday and on Thursday. And Hastert says he believes funeral services for Mr. Reagan will be held on Friday at the national cathedral.
Then the former president will be laid to rest in Simi Valley at his library.
HEMMER: The current President Bush was in Paris when he learned of Ronald Reagan's death saying, quote, "A great American life has just come to an end." The president offering his condolences late last night to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, traveling with the president from Paris, France, now.
John, good afternoon there.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon and good morning to you back in the states, Bill.
The president spoke to Nancy Reagan for about five minutes last night, offering his condolences, and the White House decided to stick with the president's plans for today.
Mr. Bush, of course, was at the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Walking with the French president, Jacques Chirac, on the hallowed grounds of the U.S. military cemetery, not far from where those American troops came ashore as part of the critical Allied offensive, the offensive that turned World War II in the Allied's favor.
Mr. Bush did spend some time talking about President Reagan. We'll get to that in just a minute.
But first he wanted to pay tribute, not only to those buried in the cemetery but the many members of the World War II generation, the troops who stormed the beaches, still alive and in the audience as the president remembered that historic day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We still look with pride on the men of D-Day, on those who served and went on.
It is a strange turn of history that called on young men from the prairie towns and city streets of America to cross an ocean and throw back the marching, mechanized evils of fascism. And those young men did it. You did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: But as Mr. Bush offered that tribute to the troops who stormed the beaches, he also did pause to reflect on a predecessor, an American president who stood in much the same spot 20 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Twenty summers ago another American president came here to Normandy to pay tribute to the men of D-Day. He was a courageous man himself and a gallant leader in the cause of freedom. And today we honor the memory of Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: It is Mr. Bush who ordered the flags on federal buildings dropped to half-staff last night. As you noted, they will stay that way for 30 days.
The president heading back now to the United States. Shortly he will leave France. He is attending the annual Group of Eight summit. It is being held this year in the United States at Sea Island, Georgia. A White House official said the plan is to go ahead with the summit, but they do expect Mr. Bush to come back to Washington when Mr. Reagan's body is brought back into the capitol. Mr. Bush will then go back to the summit and be in Washington for what the White House officials are telling us, as you noted earlier, will be the funeral services on Friday.
It is our expectation -- the White House has not announced it yet -- that Mr. Bush also will attend the burial in California.
And many of the world leaders who are coming to Sea Island to the G-8 summit expected to come to Washington with Mr. Bush for those funeral services, as well -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks for that, live in Paris. And we should point out again a lot of that schedule still being worked out. Perhaps later in the day, we'll get more of a firm idea as to the plans later in this week, both for Washington and in California -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The commemoration of the D-Day invasion didn't only attract world veterans and leaders. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has done a lot of work bringing World War II to the big and the small screens.
And earlier here on CNN, Mr. Spielberg talked to Wolf Blitzer about spending time with the veterans of D-Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN SPIELBERG, FILMMAKER: They were thanking us for both the films, the "Saving Private Ryan" picture and also the "Band of Brothers" miniseries that Tom Hanks and I did together, because that was all involved -- it's pieces -- they're all pieces (ph) from the same story.
But the great thing is they're just happy that you're remembering them. There are so many people who have come here to honor what they did, because they saved the world, didn't they?
All the indicators pointed to a tremendous failure in the first hours of the landings. The tides were unanticipated, and the units were mixed and spread out and Higgins (ph) boats either landed right next to each other or too far apart allowing the Germans to concentrate their firepower.
The entire beach was pre-sighted Rommel. And everything that they -- When they went into some of the bunkers, some of the terbook (ph). When they finally got to the top, they saw charts showing how the beaches were pre-sighted. And it was a -- it was a slaughter yard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Steven Spielberg says his next World War II related work will be a series for HBO dealing with the fight against Japan in the Pacific theater.
HEMMER: The story plays out on a number of fronts today. It also plays out in Southern California.
Anderson Cooper with us today, live at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.
Anderson, good morning there.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Good morning, Bill. Good morning, Soledad.
Dawn is now just breaking over the mountains here. It's going to be a busy day at the presidential library.
We are anticipating a press conference around noontime, at which point a statement, we are -- we believe, is going to be read from the Reagan family, which will detail what is going to happen over the next 72 hours or so. At this point, it is not confirmed. It all could change depending on what the family decides, because it really is up to them.
What we are hearing, though, is Monday and Tuesday the library will be open for 48 hours straight. The president will be in repose here. The public can come and pay their respects.
At this point today the library is closed. They do not want people coming up here. It is cordoned off. People have been leaving flowers out down below. (AUDIO GAP) Tight here...
HEMMER: Our apologies for that. A bit of a break-up there in the satellite signal. Once we get it re-established, certainly we'll get you back there.
A lot of people coming out last night. Not a whole lot of people now. It's 5 a.m. in the morning, very early in California. But we do anticipate as the day goes longer, for a number of people to show up at the Reagan Library there.
It closed down yesterday as soon as the announcement came out, 4 p.m. East Coast Time, 1 p.m. on the West Coast.
And as was mentioned, Ronald Reagan will be given a final salute in Washington later in the week. But before we go back to D.C., in California, Ted Rowlands is watching the story, as well, for us there.
Ted, good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill and Soledad.
Reagan's remains were brought to here to Santa Monica from the Reagan home in Bel-Air about 4:30.
HEMMER: Well, we're 0 for 2 on our signals from Southern California. I'm certain that Ronald Reagan would have some sort of pithy line for this. But for the moment, we'll let our reporters get our problems worked out there in California.
To Ed Henry now on Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning there.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Most members of Congress are out of town this weekend. Some of them, of course, are overseas in Normandy for the 60th anniversary celebration of D-Day.
So Capitol Hill is very quiet. But we expect all of that to change. The streets of Washington will be filling up with thousands of people. And, in fact, federal officials at this moment are putting the finishing touches on planning all of the pomp and circumstance of a state funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.
HENRY (voice-over): The capitol was the scene of many of Ronald Reagan's triumphs. Now it will be the setting for the nation to bid him farewell.
(on camera) In the middle of the week, Mr. Reagan will lie in state in the rotunda of the capitol, giving the American public a rare opportunity to directly pay its respects to one of the most beloved presidents of all time. Thousands are expected to file past his casket.
(voice-over) It has been 31 years since the public last had this chance when Lyndon Johnson was memorialized. In all, only nine presidents are laid in state in the current capitol rotunda, starting with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
It is sure to be a grand and solemn moment in history. After all, who can forget the images of John F. Kennedy's funeral.
The Reagan family is still working out the final details. But here's how it's expected to unfold.
Mr. Reagan's casket will be flown to Andrews Air Force Base. President Bush will be waiting in the capitol rotunda to receive the casket. Mr. Bush will be joined by former presidents, the vice president, members of the cabinet, congressional leaders and diplomats.
The capitol will then stay open for a full day, giving the public a chance to honor the nation's 40th president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Bill, the plans are still being worked out, as was mentioned earlier. We're expecting the Reagan family to make an official announcement later today to iron out the details.
But the speaker of the house, Dennis Hastert, appeared on CNN earlier this morning. He gave us a preview. He said that he expects that the body of Mr. Reagan will arrive in Washington midweek, that there will be a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.
While we have been hearing that the body will lie in state in the capitol one day, Speaker Hastert suggested that it could lie in the capitol in state - lie in state for two days instead of one day.
Also, we're expecting some sort of a procession, a horse-drawn caisson that will take the body, much like we saw with John F. Kennedy's funeral, also with Lyndon Johnson's funeral 31 years ago.
Obviously, a lot has changed since LBJ's funeral. Security is going to be a major consideration with all of these former presidents, the current president, the current vice president, members of the cabinet and the entire congressional leadership here, Bill. Security will be, obviously, very, very tight.
HEMMER: Indeed it will. And a substantial week today -- and throughout the week, rather, in our nation's capitol.
Ed, thanks for that. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill for us.
Back with us in New York now, Jack Cafferty, taking...
JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: Good morning.
HEMMER: ... opinions of a lot of our viewers.
Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes, Sunday morning, people sharing their favorite memories of the late President Ronald Reagan.
Bill in Ft. Pierce, Florida, writes this: "Though I rarely agreed with Ronald Reagan's policies, his affable manner made it impossible to dislike him. He made us feel better about ourselves and our country. Today's political leaders in both parties would do well to emulate him in that regard."
Ron in St. Louis Park, Minnesota: "How he single-handedly changed the perceptions of Americans about Americans. Before Reagan, Americans were down on this country. It was the in thing to do to verbally bash our own country. Reagan came into office with a song in his heart and told us how great we were. And it wasn't long before we all believed it. He made me understand what one single person can do."
Tim in Richmond, Virginia: "Even as a young liberal opposed to the Reagan conservativism, I admired the man's ability to work a crowd. He loved what he did and it showed."
And this is pretty good. Nicky in South Carolina says, "Years ago when Reagan represented the General Electric Company he visited our hometown. My best girlfriend, Margaret, and her pal Sandy skipped school and went to the local hotel to catch a glimpse of this very handsome actor. As he got off the elevator, Margaret rushed over for his autograph and explained that they had skipped school just to come and see him. Instead of just signing his name, Mr. Reagan asked for the name of the dean of girls at our high school and then wrote a note to Miss Nellie Parker, asking her to excuse Margaret and Sandy for being late since they had skipped cool to come and see him."
AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: A lot of people give him credit for putting dignity in the White House and especially the Oval Office. He never took his jacket off, never took his coat off when he was in the Oval Office?
CAFFERTY: He also said another time, "I have left strict orders to be awakened in the event of an emergency, even if I'm in the middle of a cabinet meeting."
O'BRIEN: Great sense of humor. I think that last story really tells the story.
CAFFERTY: Isn't that cute?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And so many people have those remembrances of a guy who never took himself so seriously and yet, of course, had the most serious job in the world.
CAFFERTY: Key to his success was one, he never wanted any credit. And, two, most of the humor was self-deprecating.
O'BRIEN: Right, right.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. More to come at AM@CNN.com. In a moment here also, reflections on a president, a closer look at Ronald Reagan and his family in a moment. We'll talk to an old friend of ours who covered the former president extensively in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, the woman behind the man. Find out how a Hollywood love story began.
Both ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CILP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You will hear during your career, as I have heard during times in my life, that maintaining the military at peak readiness, keeping our -- keeping our forces trained and supplied with the best weapons and equipment is too costly.
Well, I say it is too costly for America not to be prepared. Well, today, as throughout our history, it is strength, not weakness, resolve, not vacillation, that will keep the peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Age 93. The death of Ronald Reagan prompting an outpouring of reflection about the 40th president. In fact, he was the oldest man to ever assume the office in the White House. That outpouring comes from both extraordinary and ordinary Americans and those who knew him very well.
A sample to this point.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a very sad day for our country. Though Ronald Reagan has been ill for a long time, the finality of all of this is going to hit the American people very hard. And Barbara and I mourn the loss of a great president and, for us a great friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think despite what many people would say, that he had the fortitude to face down the Russian empire and was a believer in the American system. So I think that would be his legacy.
ROBERT DOLE, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's just a great guy and did a lot for this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a great personality. And I know he was very communicative, and he was very open and he was great with people. And that's what counts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He connected with people in a remarkable way. It was exceptional. I think that was so much a part of his leadership, his ability to communicate his belief and love for America, his vision for prosperity, his vision for a strong America in the world. And that really restored our self-confidence and aspired us, I think, all to greater things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He presided over a period of great prosperity and stability and probably the last bit of stability we have experienced in this country.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness and won its love with his goodness. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility and the humor that comes with wisdom. He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had such a profound respect for him, not only as a president but as a person. He and Nancy, I think, they were an example as a married couple. You know their love and support and the mutual respect they had for one another was an inspiration to all of us.
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The man loved people, and he had this great strength of conviction. And as a result of that, he was able to change America and the world in the direction of his convictions, rather than being one of these politicians who, you know, reads public opinion polls and shifts and changes.
And Ronald Reagan was Ronald Reagan, and he knew what he believed. And he was able to change the world as a result of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader said, "I deem Ronald Reagan a great president with whom the Soviet Union was able to launch a very difficult but very important dialogue." That quote from Moscow yesterday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Republican strategist Ed Rollins served as an assistant to President Reagan for political affairs during Reagan's first term. He was also the national campaign director for Reagan's 1984 reelection campaign.
Ed Rollins joins us here in the studio to talk about his former boss.
Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.
ED ROLLINS, FORMER ASSISTANT TO REAGAN: Good morning. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: People say he was the Great Communicator. And Reagan himself would say it wasn't that he was such a great communicator but that he sort of worked on the point. I mean, he got the context, that he -- he would follow through on the great ideas that he was talking about.
Do you think that's fair or do you think it's a little bit of both?
ROLLINS: A little bit of both. He had a core belief that he developed over a series of years. He'd gone from being an FDR Democrat to becoming a conservative Republican. But I think he really had this core, and I think that was what he -- what he basically could transmit.
The key thing was that Ronald Reagan always thought of himself as one of us. He never thought of himself as an elevated position. He was probably the greatest man I've ever known -- been around politics 40 years -- and he had less ego than anybody I've ever known.
O'BRIEN: Take us back to 1984. You were the president -- you were the national campaign director for the president. He won a huge landslide, taking 49 states.
ROLLINS: Right.
O'BRIEN: I mean, unprecedented. Were you surprised by the popularity or did you know it all along, going in?
ROLLINS: When I left the White House on October 17 -- I was the White House political director of '83. I went in to him, and I said, "Mr. President, I'm going off to set up this campaign for you." And he had not announced at this point in time.
And I said, "Now, you've not told anybody you're really going to run for reelection, but there's a whole lot of things we have to do." I said, "Now, I'm leaving my big office here in the White House, and I'm leaving my car and driver. Are you sure you're going to run?"
And he said, "Well, Ed, I'm not really sure, but I know there will an good guy over there in case I do."
But the great part was we were behind at that point in time. And, you know, we still had troops in Beirut and we'd had the tragedy with the Marines being killed, and the economy hadn't come back yet. But he never lost his faith. And he really ran for second term because he had an unfinished job.
Though when I went up on the plane the closing weekend of the campaign to tell him that I thought we were going to have a great, great victory, he was very humble about it, and he was very appreciative.
But then of course, the day after the election, he said, "Ed, what happened to Minnesota?" We lost by a couple of thousand votes. So President Reagan won...
O'BRIEN: You dropped the ball on Minnesota.
ROLLINS: President Reagan won 49 states. "I lost Minnesota."
O'BRIEN: He is this incredibly self-effacing manner. We've gotten, certainly, lots of e-mails and we've heard from lots of people about that.
Do you think somehow that made people think he was less perceptive than he really was?
ROLLINS: He was extraordinarily perceptive.
O'BRIEN: He was underestimated?
ROLLINS: His whole life he was underestimated. He had a very quick wit.
I'll never forget 1983-84, he had just gotten his hearing aid, and I was -- sat in the seat right behind him in the cabinet room.
So I leaned over and I said, "Now Mr. President, I understand why you haven't taken all my good advice."
And he just said, "Well, now you know why you're still here."
I mean, he just had that quick wit. And he was just -- But he always wanted to relate to the ordinary people. He never set his life out to be a politician, and he always cared very much about the job, the responsibility that he had to the American people. O'BRIEN: I think it's really truly fair to say he'll be missed by so many people. And not just his -- his political friends or people in high places but really Americans everywhere.
ROLLINS: America became a better place because of the presidency.
O'BRIEN: Ed Rollins, nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us about that.
ROLLINS: Thank you very much.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. Thank.
As we continue our coverage here on the life of Ronald Reagan, the other big story today happening in D-Day, Normandy, France, today, the 60th anniversary, marking that enormous invasion that helped turn the tide for the Second World War. Get you live to Normandy and look at the ceremonies there in a moment.
Also the two men and their relationship, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, how did it grow and how did these two men see each other?
Back in a moment on a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
It's been interesting to hear the personal stories, as much as you certainly hear the political stories as well. But the personal stories of the friends and even some of the foes who knew and worked with Ronald Reagan has been fascinating.
And I think also some of the e-mails, as well. Jack Cafferty joins us again with a look at some of the e-mails. The e-mail question, of course, is what is your favorite Ronald Reagan story?
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.
We -- From time to time on AMERICAN MORNING, make fun of the politicians. Ronald Reagan once said this about politics. He said, "It's supposed to be the second oldest profession. I've come to realize there's a very close resemblance to the first."
We got this letter from a guy named Frank in Puget Water (ph), Florida: "I was only 14 when Reagan took office. I remember being scared and thinking America was spiraling downward and losing the Cold War. All the current events pointed to this fact. The oil crisis and events in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Central America only helped fuel my fear. By the time Reagan's first term ended, I had enlisted in the Marine Corps and proudly wore the U.S. flag on my shoulder. All this thanks to the Gipper. I know he had been sick and not himself for a long time, but it was nice to know he was still out there. I will miss him."
Mike in Alberta: "The scene was at the airport, the president returning from Iceland after having met with Gorbachev. And Nancy Reagan was pictured standing on the tarmac, hands held to her chest, and fairly dancing from one foot to the other in anticipation of seeing her husband come to the door of the airplane. Such an honest, simple display of love I have never seen. Such was the man who could inspire that love. We are the worst for his passing."
We've got one more from Lima, who is a Lithuanian: "I was in elementary school when Reagan went for a summit in Reykjavik. At school we had events for that occasion. We were making paper doves and remembering the nuclear tragedy at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the Reagan and Gorbachev summit, little by little we learned about America. Then the Berlin Wall came down. And after that, joining the rest of the Soviet Republic, Lithuania became independent. Reagan was a symbol of freedom for everybody around the world."
O'BRIEN: Really wonderful e-mails today, this morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Great stuff.
HEMMER: Ed Rollins told some great stories to you, too. Funny, funny, too.
O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Break here. Back in a moment with more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back everybody. It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN 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 June 6, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CO-ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome back to a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. This morning we're recalling the life and legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.
He is being remembered this morning by both friends and political rivals, as well, as a man who changed the world.
BILL HEMMER, CO-ANCHOR: Flags in Washington today at the White House at half-staff, on Capitol Hill the same way. They remain that way for 30 days. And the same is true for other federal buildings.
Meanwhile in southern California, where the sun will be rising in a few minutes' time, flags are also lowered at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
There is a who lot to talk about this morning, remembering the former president, Ronald Reagan.
He died yesterday at his home in Bel-Air, California, at the age of 93, living longer than any other president in history, though in the last decade of his life he withered under the assault of Alzheimer's.
Sometime in the next day or so, we are not sure of the exact time, Mr. Reagan's body will be taken to his presidential library in Simi Valley, California. Then later in the week, the body will be flown to Washington, probably Tuesday night, we're being told at this point.
O'BRIEN: House Speaker Dennis Hastert tells CNN that the plan right now is for the former president's body to lie in state at the capitol rotunda on Wednesday and on Thursday. And Hastert says he believes funeral services for Mr. Reagan will be held on Friday at the national cathedral.
Then the former president will be laid to rest in Simi Valley at his library.
HEMMER: The current President Bush was in Paris when he learned of Ronald Reagan's death saying, quote, "A great American life has just come to an end." The president offering his condolences late last night to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, traveling with the president from Paris, France, now.
John, good afternoon there.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon and good morning to you back in the states, Bill.
The president spoke to Nancy Reagan for about five minutes last night, offering his condolences, and the White House decided to stick with the president's plans for today.
Mr. Bush, of course, was at the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Walking with the French president, Jacques Chirac, on the hallowed grounds of the U.S. military cemetery, not far from where those American troops came ashore as part of the critical Allied offensive, the offensive that turned World War II in the Allied's favor.
Mr. Bush did spend some time talking about President Reagan. We'll get to that in just a minute.
But first he wanted to pay tribute, not only to those buried in the cemetery but the many members of the World War II generation, the troops who stormed the beaches, still alive and in the audience as the president remembered that historic day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We still look with pride on the men of D-Day, on those who served and went on.
It is a strange turn of history that called on young men from the prairie towns and city streets of America to cross an ocean and throw back the marching, mechanized evils of fascism. And those young men did it. You did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: But as Mr. Bush offered that tribute to the troops who stormed the beaches, he also did pause to reflect on a predecessor, an American president who stood in much the same spot 20 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Twenty summers ago another American president came here to Normandy to pay tribute to the men of D-Day. He was a courageous man himself and a gallant leader in the cause of freedom. And today we honor the memory of Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: It is Mr. Bush who ordered the flags on federal buildings dropped to half-staff last night. As you noted, they will stay that way for 30 days.
The president heading back now to the United States. Shortly he will leave France. He is attending the annual Group of Eight summit. It is being held this year in the United States at Sea Island, Georgia. A White House official said the plan is to go ahead with the summit, but they do expect Mr. Bush to come back to Washington when Mr. Reagan's body is brought back into the capitol. Mr. Bush will then go back to the summit and be in Washington for what the White House officials are telling us, as you noted earlier, will be the funeral services on Friday.
It is our expectation -- the White House has not announced it yet -- that Mr. Bush also will attend the burial in California.
And many of the world leaders who are coming to Sea Island to the G-8 summit expected to come to Washington with Mr. Bush for those funeral services, as well -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, thanks for that, live in Paris. And we should point out again a lot of that schedule still being worked out. Perhaps later in the day, we'll get more of a firm idea as to the plans later in this week, both for Washington and in California -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The commemoration of the D-Day invasion didn't only attract world veterans and leaders. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has done a lot of work bringing World War II to the big and the small screens.
And earlier here on CNN, Mr. Spielberg talked to Wolf Blitzer about spending time with the veterans of D-Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN SPIELBERG, FILMMAKER: They were thanking us for both the films, the "Saving Private Ryan" picture and also the "Band of Brothers" miniseries that Tom Hanks and I did together, because that was all involved -- it's pieces -- they're all pieces (ph) from the same story.
But the great thing is they're just happy that you're remembering them. There are so many people who have come here to honor what they did, because they saved the world, didn't they?
All the indicators pointed to a tremendous failure in the first hours of the landings. The tides were unanticipated, and the units were mixed and spread out and Higgins (ph) boats either landed right next to each other or too far apart allowing the Germans to concentrate their firepower.
The entire beach was pre-sighted Rommel. And everything that they -- When they went into some of the bunkers, some of the terbook (ph). When they finally got to the top, they saw charts showing how the beaches were pre-sighted. And it was a -- it was a slaughter yard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Steven Spielberg says his next World War II related work will be a series for HBO dealing with the fight against Japan in the Pacific theater.
HEMMER: The story plays out on a number of fronts today. It also plays out in Southern California.
Anderson Cooper with us today, live at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.
Anderson, good morning there.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Good morning, Bill. Good morning, Soledad.
Dawn is now just breaking over the mountains here. It's going to be a busy day at the presidential library.
We are anticipating a press conference around noontime, at which point a statement, we are -- we believe, is going to be read from the Reagan family, which will detail what is going to happen over the next 72 hours or so. At this point, it is not confirmed. It all could change depending on what the family decides, because it really is up to them.
What we are hearing, though, is Monday and Tuesday the library will be open for 48 hours straight. The president will be in repose here. The public can come and pay their respects.
At this point today the library is closed. They do not want people coming up here. It is cordoned off. People have been leaving flowers out down below. (AUDIO GAP) Tight here...
HEMMER: Our apologies for that. A bit of a break-up there in the satellite signal. Once we get it re-established, certainly we'll get you back there.
A lot of people coming out last night. Not a whole lot of people now. It's 5 a.m. in the morning, very early in California. But we do anticipate as the day goes longer, for a number of people to show up at the Reagan Library there.
It closed down yesterday as soon as the announcement came out, 4 p.m. East Coast Time, 1 p.m. on the West Coast.
And as was mentioned, Ronald Reagan will be given a final salute in Washington later in the week. But before we go back to D.C., in California, Ted Rowlands is watching the story, as well, for us there.
Ted, good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill and Soledad.
Reagan's remains were brought to here to Santa Monica from the Reagan home in Bel-Air about 4:30.
HEMMER: Well, we're 0 for 2 on our signals from Southern California. I'm certain that Ronald Reagan would have some sort of pithy line for this. But for the moment, we'll let our reporters get our problems worked out there in California.
To Ed Henry now on Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning there.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Most members of Congress are out of town this weekend. Some of them, of course, are overseas in Normandy for the 60th anniversary celebration of D-Day.
So Capitol Hill is very quiet. But we expect all of that to change. The streets of Washington will be filling up with thousands of people. And, in fact, federal officials at this moment are putting the finishing touches on planning all of the pomp and circumstance of a state funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.
HENRY (voice-over): The capitol was the scene of many of Ronald Reagan's triumphs. Now it will be the setting for the nation to bid him farewell.
(on camera) In the middle of the week, Mr. Reagan will lie in state in the rotunda of the capitol, giving the American public a rare opportunity to directly pay its respects to one of the most beloved presidents of all time. Thousands are expected to file past his casket.
(voice-over) It has been 31 years since the public last had this chance when Lyndon Johnson was memorialized. In all, only nine presidents are laid in state in the current capitol rotunda, starting with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
It is sure to be a grand and solemn moment in history. After all, who can forget the images of John F. Kennedy's funeral.
The Reagan family is still working out the final details. But here's how it's expected to unfold.
Mr. Reagan's casket will be flown to Andrews Air Force Base. President Bush will be waiting in the capitol rotunda to receive the casket. Mr. Bush will be joined by former presidents, the vice president, members of the cabinet, congressional leaders and diplomats.
The capitol will then stay open for a full day, giving the public a chance to honor the nation's 40th president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Bill, the plans are still being worked out, as was mentioned earlier. We're expecting the Reagan family to make an official announcement later today to iron out the details.
But the speaker of the house, Dennis Hastert, appeared on CNN earlier this morning. He gave us a preview. He said that he expects that the body of Mr. Reagan will arrive in Washington midweek, that there will be a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.
While we have been hearing that the body will lie in state in the capitol one day, Speaker Hastert suggested that it could lie in the capitol in state - lie in state for two days instead of one day.
Also, we're expecting some sort of a procession, a horse-drawn caisson that will take the body, much like we saw with John F. Kennedy's funeral, also with Lyndon Johnson's funeral 31 years ago.
Obviously, a lot has changed since LBJ's funeral. Security is going to be a major consideration with all of these former presidents, the current president, the current vice president, members of the cabinet and the entire congressional leadership here, Bill. Security will be, obviously, very, very tight.
HEMMER: Indeed it will. And a substantial week today -- and throughout the week, rather, in our nation's capitol.
Ed, thanks for that. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill for us.
Back with us in New York now, Jack Cafferty, taking...
JACK CAFFERTY, CO-HOST: Good morning.
HEMMER: ... opinions of a lot of our viewers.
Good morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes, Sunday morning, people sharing their favorite memories of the late President Ronald Reagan.
Bill in Ft. Pierce, Florida, writes this: "Though I rarely agreed with Ronald Reagan's policies, his affable manner made it impossible to dislike him. He made us feel better about ourselves and our country. Today's political leaders in both parties would do well to emulate him in that regard."
Ron in St. Louis Park, Minnesota: "How he single-handedly changed the perceptions of Americans about Americans. Before Reagan, Americans were down on this country. It was the in thing to do to verbally bash our own country. Reagan came into office with a song in his heart and told us how great we were. And it wasn't long before we all believed it. He made me understand what one single person can do."
Tim in Richmond, Virginia: "Even as a young liberal opposed to the Reagan conservativism, I admired the man's ability to work a crowd. He loved what he did and it showed."
And this is pretty good. Nicky in South Carolina says, "Years ago when Reagan represented the General Electric Company he visited our hometown. My best girlfriend, Margaret, and her pal Sandy skipped school and went to the local hotel to catch a glimpse of this very handsome actor. As he got off the elevator, Margaret rushed over for his autograph and explained that they had skipped school just to come and see him. Instead of just signing his name, Mr. Reagan asked for the name of the dean of girls at our high school and then wrote a note to Miss Nellie Parker, asking her to excuse Margaret and Sandy for being late since they had skipped cool to come and see him."
AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: A lot of people give him credit for putting dignity in the White House and especially the Oval Office. He never took his jacket off, never took his coat off when he was in the Oval Office?
CAFFERTY: He also said another time, "I have left strict orders to be awakened in the event of an emergency, even if I'm in the middle of a cabinet meeting."
O'BRIEN: Great sense of humor. I think that last story really tells the story.
CAFFERTY: Isn't that cute?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And so many people have those remembrances of a guy who never took himself so seriously and yet, of course, had the most serious job in the world.
CAFFERTY: Key to his success was one, he never wanted any credit. And, two, most of the humor was self-deprecating.
O'BRIEN: Right, right.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. More to come at AM@CNN.com. In a moment here also, reflections on a president, a closer look at Ronald Reagan and his family in a moment. We'll talk to an old friend of ours who covered the former president extensively in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, the woman behind the man. Find out how a Hollywood love story began.
Both ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CILP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You will hear during your career, as I have heard during times in my life, that maintaining the military at peak readiness, keeping our -- keeping our forces trained and supplied with the best weapons and equipment is too costly.
Well, I say it is too costly for America not to be prepared. Well, today, as throughout our history, it is strength, not weakness, resolve, not vacillation, that will keep the peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Age 93. The death of Ronald Reagan prompting an outpouring of reflection about the 40th president. In fact, he was the oldest man to ever assume the office in the White House. That outpouring comes from both extraordinary and ordinary Americans and those who knew him very well.
A sample to this point.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a very sad day for our country. Though Ronald Reagan has been ill for a long time, the finality of all of this is going to hit the American people very hard. And Barbara and I mourn the loss of a great president and, for us a great friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think despite what many people would say, that he had the fortitude to face down the Russian empire and was a believer in the American system. So I think that would be his legacy.
ROBERT DOLE, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's just a great guy and did a lot for this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a great personality. And I know he was very communicative, and he was very open and he was great with people. And that's what counts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He connected with people in a remarkable way. It was exceptional. I think that was so much a part of his leadership, his ability to communicate his belief and love for America, his vision for prosperity, his vision for a strong America in the world. And that really restored our self-confidence and aspired us, I think, all to greater things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He presided over a period of great prosperity and stability and probably the last bit of stability we have experienced in this country.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness and won its love with his goodness. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility and the humor that comes with wisdom. He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had such a profound respect for him, not only as a president but as a person. He and Nancy, I think, they were an example as a married couple. You know their love and support and the mutual respect they had for one another was an inspiration to all of us.
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The man loved people, and he had this great strength of conviction. And as a result of that, he was able to change America and the world in the direction of his convictions, rather than being one of these politicians who, you know, reads public opinion polls and shifts and changes.
And Ronald Reagan was Ronald Reagan, and he knew what he believed. And he was able to change the world as a result of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader said, "I deem Ronald Reagan a great president with whom the Soviet Union was able to launch a very difficult but very important dialogue." That quote from Moscow yesterday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Republican strategist Ed Rollins served as an assistant to President Reagan for political affairs during Reagan's first term. He was also the national campaign director for Reagan's 1984 reelection campaign.
Ed Rollins joins us here in the studio to talk about his former boss.
Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.
ED ROLLINS, FORMER ASSISTANT TO REAGAN: Good morning. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: People say he was the Great Communicator. And Reagan himself would say it wasn't that he was such a great communicator but that he sort of worked on the point. I mean, he got the context, that he -- he would follow through on the great ideas that he was talking about.
Do you think that's fair or do you think it's a little bit of both?
ROLLINS: A little bit of both. He had a core belief that he developed over a series of years. He'd gone from being an FDR Democrat to becoming a conservative Republican. But I think he really had this core, and I think that was what he -- what he basically could transmit.
The key thing was that Ronald Reagan always thought of himself as one of us. He never thought of himself as an elevated position. He was probably the greatest man I've ever known -- been around politics 40 years -- and he had less ego than anybody I've ever known.
O'BRIEN: Take us back to 1984. You were the president -- you were the national campaign director for the president. He won a huge landslide, taking 49 states.
ROLLINS: Right.
O'BRIEN: I mean, unprecedented. Were you surprised by the popularity or did you know it all along, going in?
ROLLINS: When I left the White House on October 17 -- I was the White House political director of '83. I went in to him, and I said, "Mr. President, I'm going off to set up this campaign for you." And he had not announced at this point in time.
And I said, "Now, you've not told anybody you're really going to run for reelection, but there's a whole lot of things we have to do." I said, "Now, I'm leaving my big office here in the White House, and I'm leaving my car and driver. Are you sure you're going to run?"
And he said, "Well, Ed, I'm not really sure, but I know there will an good guy over there in case I do."
But the great part was we were behind at that point in time. And, you know, we still had troops in Beirut and we'd had the tragedy with the Marines being killed, and the economy hadn't come back yet. But he never lost his faith. And he really ran for second term because he had an unfinished job.
Though when I went up on the plane the closing weekend of the campaign to tell him that I thought we were going to have a great, great victory, he was very humble about it, and he was very appreciative.
But then of course, the day after the election, he said, "Ed, what happened to Minnesota?" We lost by a couple of thousand votes. So President Reagan won...
O'BRIEN: You dropped the ball on Minnesota.
ROLLINS: President Reagan won 49 states. "I lost Minnesota."
O'BRIEN: He is this incredibly self-effacing manner. We've gotten, certainly, lots of e-mails and we've heard from lots of people about that.
Do you think somehow that made people think he was less perceptive than he really was?
ROLLINS: He was extraordinarily perceptive.
O'BRIEN: He was underestimated?
ROLLINS: His whole life he was underestimated. He had a very quick wit.
I'll never forget 1983-84, he had just gotten his hearing aid, and I was -- sat in the seat right behind him in the cabinet room.
So I leaned over and I said, "Now Mr. President, I understand why you haven't taken all my good advice."
And he just said, "Well, now you know why you're still here."
I mean, he just had that quick wit. And he was just -- But he always wanted to relate to the ordinary people. He never set his life out to be a politician, and he always cared very much about the job, the responsibility that he had to the American people. O'BRIEN: I think it's really truly fair to say he'll be missed by so many people. And not just his -- his political friends or people in high places but really Americans everywhere.
ROLLINS: America became a better place because of the presidency.
O'BRIEN: Ed Rollins, nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us about that.
ROLLINS: Thank you very much.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad. Thank.
As we continue our coverage here on the life of Ronald Reagan, the other big story today happening in D-Day, Normandy, France, today, the 60th anniversary, marking that enormous invasion that helped turn the tide for the Second World War. Get you live to Normandy and look at the ceremonies there in a moment.
Also the two men and their relationship, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, how did it grow and how did these two men see each other?
Back in a moment on a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
It's been interesting to hear the personal stories, as much as you certainly hear the political stories as well. But the personal stories of the friends and even some of the foes who knew and worked with Ronald Reagan has been fascinating.
And I think also some of the e-mails, as well. Jack Cafferty joins us again with a look at some of the e-mails. The e-mail question, of course, is what is your favorite Ronald Reagan story?
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.
We -- From time to time on AMERICAN MORNING, make fun of the politicians. Ronald Reagan once said this about politics. He said, "It's supposed to be the second oldest profession. I've come to realize there's a very close resemblance to the first."
We got this letter from a guy named Frank in Puget Water (ph), Florida: "I was only 14 when Reagan took office. I remember being scared and thinking America was spiraling downward and losing the Cold War. All the current events pointed to this fact. The oil crisis and events in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Central America only helped fuel my fear. By the time Reagan's first term ended, I had enlisted in the Marine Corps and proudly wore the U.S. flag on my shoulder. All this thanks to the Gipper. I know he had been sick and not himself for a long time, but it was nice to know he was still out there. I will miss him."
Mike in Alberta: "The scene was at the airport, the president returning from Iceland after having met with Gorbachev. And Nancy Reagan was pictured standing on the tarmac, hands held to her chest, and fairly dancing from one foot to the other in anticipation of seeing her husband come to the door of the airplane. Such an honest, simple display of love I have never seen. Such was the man who could inspire that love. We are the worst for his passing."
We've got one more from Lima, who is a Lithuanian: "I was in elementary school when Reagan went for a summit in Reykjavik. At school we had events for that occasion. We were making paper doves and remembering the nuclear tragedy at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the Reagan and Gorbachev summit, little by little we learned about America. Then the Berlin Wall came down. And after that, joining the rest of the Soviet Republic, Lithuania became independent. Reagan was a symbol of freedom for everybody around the world."
O'BRIEN: Really wonderful e-mails today, this morning.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Great stuff.
HEMMER: Ed Rollins told some great stories to you, too. Funny, funny, too.
O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Break here. Back in a moment with more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back everybody. It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN 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
