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CNN Live At Daybreak

Maureen Reagan's Fight For Awareness

Aired August 09, 2001 - 08:13   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.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: Maureen Reagan is being remembered as a tireless fighter and devoted daughter. The oldest daughter of Former President Ronald Reagan died yesterday of skin cancer. She campaigned for her father, even though they disagreed on some issues, like abortion. When Mr. Reagan revealed that he had Alzheimer's disease, his daughter became an advocate for research. Maureen Reagan was 60 years old.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Right. Well, her friends remember Maureen Reagan as a perpetual optimist, who had a lot in common with her famous father -- an infectious laugh too. A person walked in the room and knew she was there.

Sheila Tate watched the first daughter's hard work in the 1998 campaign, which sent George Bush to the White House. Sheila Tate joins us from Washington this morning.

Ms. Tate, thanks very much for being here.

You were the former press secretary to Nancy Reagan -- correct?

SHEILA TATE, FORMER NANCY REAGAN PRESS SECRETARY: Yes.

MCEDWARDS: So you have worked quite closely with the family. Tell us what Maureen was like?

TATE: Well, Maureen was a lot like her father. She had a huge personality. I mean, you always knew if Maureen was in the room. She tended to dominate by the force of her personality.

And, I mean, I had an e-mail from a friend yesterday when he heard about her death. And he also knew Maureen, and he remembered going to a dinner at her house once. And she started a game of charades, and he said, when the other guests started beating her, she found an excuse to stop the game. She was so competitive, and she was so much fun.

And that's basically -- I mean, that's I think how most of us remember her.

MCEDWARDS: And I am sure that competitive spirit is what made her such an effective and tireless advocate on the issue of Alzheimer's. Tell us about that. TATE: Well, she really did have -- as Nancy Reagan said in her letter yesterday, she had a really close bond with her father. And I think when Alzheimer's struck him, it helped Maureen to become educated about Alzheimer's and to start trying to have an impact on educating people, raising money to try to fight Alzheimer's.

And I think she made just an enormous contribution just in that area, let alone all of the political work she did and the value that she brought to her work through all of the '80s and '90s for the Republican Party.

MCEDWARDS: Now, remember when she was entering that -- it was the '82 primary -- right -- for senator in California. And her father said at that time that he wished she wouldn't do it. And I know from her memoir she said at the time at least she took that as a rebuke -- that that hurt her.

TATE: I remember that, and I think he felt badly. His remark was kind of, you know, kind of not thought out, just spur of the moment. And what he meant was he didn't think it was the right time for her. He was worried about her. It was concern for her that he was expressing. And, I mean, they -- she went on to run again with his endorsement for Congress.

But it had to be -- I mean, to run as the daughter of a sitting president put her at a real disadvantage, because if she had run later, I think it would have been better for her. And I think she might have won.

MCEDWARDS: Did you have much contact with her in the time when she was fighting her own cancer? How she coped with that. How she kept her wits about her, kept going, kept fighting for Alzheimer's, kept that big smile on her face.

TATE: Nancy Reagan and I have talked about it, and she kept saying she's just amazing. She is really amazing. I saw Maureen last year at the convention in Philadelphia. She looked great. She was all over the place. She was particularly proud of having her daughter with her. And that's how I choose to remember her is standing in the lobby of a hotel and introducing her daughter to us. And you'd seen the pride in her eyes.

MCEDWARDS: All right. Sheila Tate, great memories, thanks for sharing them with us this morning -- appreciate it.

TATE: You are welcome.

MCEDWARDS: OK.

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