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CNN Live Saturday

Ronald Reagan's Presidency Remembered Today with Commissioning of Carrier

Aired July 12, 2003 - 14:11   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.


SCHAEFFLER: Welcome back, You are watching CNN live Saturday. As we told you at the top of the hour, USS Ronald Reagan commissioned today at Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia, by Vice President Cheney was on hand along former first lady Nancy Reagan, the carrier will carry 6 thousand crew members and more than 80 aircraft. It was built at a cost of the $5 billion.
The commissioning of the USS Ronald Reagan is a good time to talk about the Carrier's name stake. Frank Donnatelly served as a political director for Ronald Reagan he is in Norfolk today for the ceremony. It is good to have you on the program.

FRANK DONNATELLY, FORMER POLITICAL DIRECTOR FOR RONALD REAGAN: Thank you very much.

SCHAEFFLER: I'll tell you those ceremonies look so impressive to us here. What was it like being there and what do you think the former president would have said about it?

DONNATELLY: Well, it's absolutely spectacular, Rhonda, I am here with $15 billion worth of U.S. hardware, and about four aircraft carriers, and the USS Ronald Reagan newly commissioned is the mightiest of them all. Twenty thousand people here, many of President Reagan's closest associates during his 8 years in the White House.

You know President Reagan was one of the foremost advocates of sea power. And when he took office in 1981. One of his top priorities was to expand and strengthen the United States Navy. So he would be very proud to have an aircraft carrier named after him.

SCHAEFFLER: Tell us a little bit more about the former president's time in office. What is his legacy?

DONNATELLY: Well, he served for eight years, and I guess the best way I can put it Rhonda would be, you know, great presidents you can sum up their accomplishments in a few sentences, and I think for Ronald Reagan, you could say, that he restored the economic health of the country, he made us feeling proud and won the war against Communism. The second great totalitarianism of the 20th century. For eight years, I think that's a job well done, I think that he will be known in history as a great president.

SCHAEFFLER: What was he like to work with?

DONNATELLY: Well, you know, every time -- I think any time you works in the White House, you work in an administration, you are in very close quarters, you have a lot of talented people, many times, tripping over each other. But the one thing that always keeps you going is you believe in the person you are working for, and you believe that person is doing great things. And I don't think that there was anybody that I served with in the Reagan White House that didn't believe that Ronald Reagan was doing great things for his country.

SCHAEFFLER: He was also a great speaker. Very much remembered for that. Tell us, in your opinion, his most memorable speech.

DONNATELLY: Oh, my, there were so many. Well, of course, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" is something that gets a lot of discussion. I would say early in his term when he went to Notre Dame and he declared to the amazement of every one, including some of his closest supporters, that he believed that Communism was a bizarre chapter that we would transcend very soon. I think people thought that there was going to be an epic struggle if Communism was ever to be defeated. But Ronald Reagan, I think, alone among his closest aligns and friends, knew that the battle of ideas, and America being stronger economically, and especially in the cause of freedom would ultimately triumph.

SCHAEFFLER: We were told that Mr. Reagan had planned to watch the event on television. Tell us what we know about his current situation with his Health?

DONNATELLY: Well, I don't have any detailed news bulletins to tell you other than everyone knows that he's been suffering from Alzheimer's for a number of years, he is comfortable and he sees very few friends and family, but is stable.

SCHAEFFLER: And tell us a little bit about Nancy Reagan, she spoke briefly there today but had a very large presence.

DONNATELLY: Yes absolutely. Well it's a very difficult time, obviously for the first lady and for the Reagan family, but you know what, they have borne this remarkably, and I think the tremendous outpouring of affection that was evident today from everyone here sustains them in these very difficult times.

SCHAEFFLER: Leave us, if you will, with a personal story of the time that you two shared together -- one particular story.

DONNATELLY: Well, ok, very briefly. One that comes to mind is, we were flying in the Marine One helicopter from the White House toward Andrews Air Force Base, where Air Force One is parked. And he had a habit of looking down at some of the homes very, very intently. And I said once "sir, what do you see down there?" And he said, "look at those homes", he said, "look at them. So many of them have swimming pools. Those are owned by working Americans." He says, "I want to show Gorbechev what working Americans can do in this country and if they have freedom." And you know what, about a year later he took Gorbachev on that tour, on that aerial tour, and showed him those working family homes.

SCHAEFFLER: Frank Donnatelly, Political Director for Ronald Reagan, it's been a pleasure speaking with you. Enjoy your time there.

DONNATELLY: Thank you so much.

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





Commissioning of Carrier>


Aired July 12, 2003 - 14:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SCHAEFFLER: Welcome back, You are watching CNN live Saturday. As we told you at the top of the hour, USS Ronald Reagan commissioned today at Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia, by Vice President Cheney was on hand along former first lady Nancy Reagan, the carrier will carry 6 thousand crew members and more than 80 aircraft. It was built at a cost of the $5 billion.
The commissioning of the USS Ronald Reagan is a good time to talk about the Carrier's name stake. Frank Donnatelly served as a political director for Ronald Reagan he is in Norfolk today for the ceremony. It is good to have you on the program.

FRANK DONNATELLY, FORMER POLITICAL DIRECTOR FOR RONALD REAGAN: Thank you very much.

SCHAEFFLER: I'll tell you those ceremonies look so impressive to us here. What was it like being there and what do you think the former president would have said about it?

DONNATELLY: Well, it's absolutely spectacular, Rhonda, I am here with $15 billion worth of U.S. hardware, and about four aircraft carriers, and the USS Ronald Reagan newly commissioned is the mightiest of them all. Twenty thousand people here, many of President Reagan's closest associates during his 8 years in the White House.

You know President Reagan was one of the foremost advocates of sea power. And when he took office in 1981. One of his top priorities was to expand and strengthen the United States Navy. So he would be very proud to have an aircraft carrier named after him.

SCHAEFFLER: Tell us a little bit more about the former president's time in office. What is his legacy?

DONNATELLY: Well, he served for eight years, and I guess the best way I can put it Rhonda would be, you know, great presidents you can sum up their accomplishments in a few sentences, and I think for Ronald Reagan, you could say, that he restored the economic health of the country, he made us feeling proud and won the war against Communism. The second great totalitarianism of the 20th century. For eight years, I think that's a job well done, I think that he will be known in history as a great president.

SCHAEFFLER: What was he like to work with?

DONNATELLY: Well, you know, every time -- I think any time you works in the White House, you work in an administration, you are in very close quarters, you have a lot of talented people, many times, tripping over each other. But the one thing that always keeps you going is you believe in the person you are working for, and you believe that person is doing great things. And I don't think that there was anybody that I served with in the Reagan White House that didn't believe that Ronald Reagan was doing great things for his country.

SCHAEFFLER: He was also a great speaker. Very much remembered for that. Tell us, in your opinion, his most memorable speech.

DONNATELLY: Oh, my, there were so many. Well, of course, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" is something that gets a lot of discussion. I would say early in his term when he went to Notre Dame and he declared to the amazement of every one, including some of his closest supporters, that he believed that Communism was a bizarre chapter that we would transcend very soon. I think people thought that there was going to be an epic struggle if Communism was ever to be defeated. But Ronald Reagan, I think, alone among his closest aligns and friends, knew that the battle of ideas, and America being stronger economically, and especially in the cause of freedom would ultimately triumph.

SCHAEFFLER: We were told that Mr. Reagan had planned to watch the event on television. Tell us what we know about his current situation with his Health?

DONNATELLY: Well, I don't have any detailed news bulletins to tell you other than everyone knows that he's been suffering from Alzheimer's for a number of years, he is comfortable and he sees very few friends and family, but is stable.

SCHAEFFLER: And tell us a little bit about Nancy Reagan, she spoke briefly there today but had a very large presence.

DONNATELLY: Yes absolutely. Well it's a very difficult time, obviously for the first lady and for the Reagan family, but you know what, they have borne this remarkably, and I think the tremendous outpouring of affection that was evident today from everyone here sustains them in these very difficult times.

SCHAEFFLER: Leave us, if you will, with a personal story of the time that you two shared together -- one particular story.

DONNATELLY: Well, ok, very briefly. One that comes to mind is, we were flying in the Marine One helicopter from the White House toward Andrews Air Force Base, where Air Force One is parked. And he had a habit of looking down at some of the homes very, very intently. And I said once "sir, what do you see down there?" And he said, "look at those homes", he said, "look at them. So many of them have swimming pools. Those are owned by working Americans." He says, "I want to show Gorbechev what working Americans can do in this country and if they have freedom." And you know what, about a year later he took Gorbachev on that tour, on that aerial tour, and showed him those working family homes.

SCHAEFFLER: Frank Donnatelly, Political Director for Ronald Reagan, it's been a pleasure speaking with you. Enjoy your time there.

DONNATELLY: Thank you so much.

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





Commissioning of Carrier>