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CNN Sunday Morning
Ronald Reagan Dies
Aired June 06, 2004 - 03:00 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to a special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING, remembering Ronald Reagan. I'm Betty Nguyen.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin at the CNN Center here in Atlanta.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Wolf Blitzer here in Normandy, France. Welcome to our coverage here from this dramatic development. The world mourning today the death of an American president, who led the charge that helped end the Cold War.
Also this morning, here on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, we remember the sacrifice of American troops, who died for the cause of freedom 60 years ago exactly today.
CNN, getting ready to bring you all of the dramatic developments, all of the dramatic commemoration of this 60th anniversary of D-Day, the president of the United States about to arrive here in Normandy. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, let's go back to Atlanta for more on the death of Ronald Reagan at the age of 93.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Wolf. The former president's body arrived at a funeral home in Santa Monica yesterday.
CNN's Ted Rowlands is standing there live. Meanwhile, CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where the former president will be laid to rest.
We begin with Ted Rowlands in Santa Monica -- Ted?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, President Reagan passed away at 1:00 Pacific time, according to the family. A few hours after that, his body was taken from the Bel Air mansion, home of the Reagans here, to Santa Monica, where it is expected to stay throughout the weekend and be prepared.
After this, the body will be taken to Simi Valley and then on to Washington, D.C. When the president's body arrived here, there were hundreds of people gathered outside the funeral home here to pay their respects. That crowd has continued to come out throughout the evening hours here in California. It is just after midnight. And there are still people trickling in here, adding to a growing memorial on the front lawn of the mortuary here. They say they are here simply to take in this moment in history and pay their respects to President Reagan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to know him as a person and admired someone who could change careers and grow to the highest level.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think his wit was terrific. I think some of his one liners and some of the things he said, the classic when he was shot in pain in hospital and he asks if all the doctors are Republicans. I mean, that kind of quick wit, just I loved it. He was terrific.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Now the family is still formulating the exact schedule that they would like to see transpired. They are going to announce that tomorrow at a press conference here in Santa Monica.
From here, the president's remains will go to Simi Valley, where he will lie in state for a period of time before going to Washington, D.C. He will lie in state at the Capitol there. And then the funeral will also be conducted in Washington, D.C. that same evening. Though, the president will be laid to rest at the library in Simi Valley -- Drew?
GRIFFIN: Ted, thank you for that report.
NGUYEN: Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. That's where we find our Thelma Gutierrez. It's a somber, very early morning there, Thelma?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure is, Betty. Well, this is the largest of all the presidential libraries. It is also the spot, as Ted mentioned, where the president will be laid to rest. Behind me, you can see that the flags are flying at half staff. The library was opened today, then closed when the president died. But that did not keep mourners away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To pay tribute to one of the greatest presidents that the United States has ever had.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very strong leader. We felt the need to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought a Notre Dame hat because again his role. And I brought a U.S. flag for all the stuff he did for the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: At the entrance to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, people began to gather shortly after the president died. Some were visibly moved and emotional, as they gathered as the makeshift memorial. In fact, before the library was closed to the public, many ran up the driveway with wreathes and cards, and placed them at the foot of the statue of the president in the library.
10 hours later, way into the night, people were still showing up here. Police say hundreds came. In fact, they had to actually set up what was a called a flower lane. It was mark of flower lane for all the people who showed up. They brought flowers and flags and candles. And they placed some of the flowers in cowboy boots and actually in a cowboy hat, all for the president that they say they felt they knew.
And Betty, we talked to one of the women who worked in the gift shop. Earlier today, she told us that the phones rang non stop with people calling in, just to give their condolences -- Betty?
NGUYEN: With no doubt. Thelma, in speaking with the folks who have come to pay their respects, what are they saying that they're remembering most about the man known as the great communicator?
GUTIERREZ: Well, probably just that. Some of the people were telling us that they were very touched by this person, who actually had a self deprecating sense of humor, someone who could laugh at a tough time.
And they said -- and something was very interesting. We looked at one of the cards. And they said that they made a dedication to the president, who had very kind Irish eyes. And those are some of the things that came up tonight.
NGUYEN: Some fond memories there. Thelma Gutierrez at the Reagan Presidential Library, thank you.
Wolf?
BLITZER: Betty, thanks very much. We're getting ready. The president of the United States, the president of France, they will be arriving here at the Coleville Cemetery. This is the American cemetery in Normandy Beach. More than 9,000 American troops are buried here. These troops fought on June 6, 1944, exactly 60 years ago today.
People will be gathering here. They're already gathering. Veterans in their late 70s and 80s, some even in their 90s. They've come back to Normandy to remember, to reflect on what happened here, what happened to the world exactly 60 years ago.
President Bush will be delivering a speech here. Once he arrives, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. This is the first of several commemorative events that will be underway today. Certainly the death of Ronald Reagan will hover very much in the minds of so many of the people who will gather here, especially the veterans.
Many of them come often to remember their comrades, who fell, who fell on that day in 1944, the day that changed the world, began to turn the tide, and resulted 11 months later in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
This ceremony has been carefully, carefully orchestrated, remembering the tribute to the U.S. troops, who have gathered here. The veterans who have gathered here, recalling of course, that every day sadly, so many of those veterans pass away, never again to hear from them directly. But fortunately, so many of their oral histories are now being recorded, so that the world will remember.
We anticipate the president of the United States arriving here shortly, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. They will come here to this cemetery to pay their respects, as will all of us.
Back to Atlanta.
GRIFFIN: Wolf, thank you. And of course, it was 20 years ago today that Ronald Reagan was making the delivery at the very place that you are right now, a historic speech given by President Reagan.
And we'll continue our coverage of both D-Day observances and the passing of a president, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93-years old, the 40th president of the United States. Also, today, the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The world getting ready to commemorate what happened here in Normandy on this day in 1944, when the tide of World War II began to change. 11 months later, the allies would defeat Nazi Germany.
CNN's Tom Foreman is in Washington. He's watching all of these developments.
Tom, basically, what do we know right now about Ronald Reagan's body eventually coming to Washington, where it will lie in state, where there will be memorial services, and then before -- and then at the end of the week, returning to California for burial?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is correct, Wolf. Those are the plans. Here, it's a very formal event going on here. There's some details about how this is all going to be handled, which of course, not being released to the public in particular.
But obviously, the Reagan family is very sensitive to the great, great emotion that many people in this country feel, their need to reach out. So they're going to make this a very public event, that will pretty much occupy the entire week. As Mr. Reagan's body is brought here, it will lie in state. It'll be at the National Cathedral for a period of time, so people can pay their respects in the way they'd want to.
And all day, we've had political leaders on both sides of the aisle paying their respects. I want you to take a look at this. President Clinton, former President Clinton, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton both said, "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."
That sort of statement is characterized today. People who were not necessarily fans of Ronald Reagan, still speaking up and saying he was a great statesman, and a person who had a huge impact on this country -- Wolf?
BLITZER: There's no doubt he had a huge impact. He brought back some of the optimism that had gone away in the '70s, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, in the aftermath of Watergate, in the aftermath of economic trouble. In the years of the Jimmy Carter administration, he was upbeat. He was positive. That's what so many people remember, the likability, if you will, of Ronald Reagan.
In Washington, world leaders will gather, Tom. And it's perhaps a coincidence, certainly a coincidence, that the president of the United States will be leaving Normandy. He'll be going to the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia, where other world leaders of the most industrialized, politically important countries of the world will gather.
I assume all of them will be coming to Washington for the memorial service honoring Ronald Reagan. Any specific information you're getting there, Tom?
FOREMAN: Well, this has happened obviously this afternoon. So specifically in terms of who's going to be here, no, we don't know. But I think you are right in the sense that everybody's going to be here.
I wanted you to notice "The Washington Post," by the way, stated it very simply this morning. It simply says, "Ronald Reagan Dies." That in some ways says enough. Because the fact is, this is going to draw a tremendous number of world leaders, who will want to pay their respects. And with them being here, they'll obviously come by in that way.
I think that just as importantly, Wolf, one thing that's really worth noting here is that I cannot express to you how all across this country tonight, normal Americans are calling into these talk radio shows and speaking up with great emotion about the loss of Ronald Reagan. In some cases, people who were not his fans even, are calling in and saying that they had this sense that one of the great figures of the century is gone. For all of the great world leaders who will be here this coming weekend, this is going to dominate the news, top to bottom.
There will certainly be millions and millions of normal Americans who also want to join their ranks somehow by coming to this city this week.
BLITZER: We're standing by here, Tom. And to our viewers, let me update our viewers. We're standing by. President Bush expected to arrive momentarily here in Normandy. He's coming from Paris. Last night, he met with the French President Jacques Chirac. President Chirac will be here as well. This will be a U.S.-French commemoration here at the Coleville Cemetery, the American cemetery here in Normandy Beach, where so many American troops are buried. So many of the allies who fought so courageously, so bravely in that largest sea borne invasion ever in the history of the world, exactly 60 years ago today.
The president will be arriving momentarily, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. They will come here to this cemetery, where they will pay tribute, where they will remember what happened 60 years ago.
We don't, Tom, have any specific information on how President Bush will remember Ronald Reagan in his remarks, although I anticipate he will make reference specifically to Ronald Reagan himself said here 20 years ago, on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, when he delivered one of his most memorable speeches, speaking of the voice from Pointehawk (ph), where they scaled those cliffs and helped defeat the German army, which had been so formidable here along the Normandy coast.
Tom, give our viewers a little bit more flavor of how Ronald Reagan's death now is bringing America somewhat closer together, at least in these hours since he passed away?
FOREMAN: Wolf, you mentioned the anniversary of D-Day coming around here. A lot of the politicians have mentioned that as well. They've noted that it's odd, in a way, that the president would pass at a time like this, because they are so unanimous in their praise for what he did to end the Cold War, the sense that the pressure he put on the Soviets, the way he revitalized the sense of the American military and what was going to happen with the American military.
They feel it's played a very important role. When you talk about the flavor in this country right now, the fact is everybody here knew how very ill the president was. Everybody knew that he was getting quite well up in age, and that this day was coming.
And so, it's not a shock to people. And yet, so many people, from both sides of the aisle, people who would have been considered very much his political enemies, for many years, are really speaking out in a heartfelt way to say this was a man who could be engaged in a very difficult struggle with you over the budget, over welfare reform, over any of the many issues he took on. And yet at the end of the day, he could shake your hand. He could ask how your family was. He could make you feel good about being there with him. That's one of the things they're remembering.
And in some ways, I think people are remembering what for many people here is a lost civility that spoke to a different generation, that spoke to the greatest generation, as so many of the D-Day veterans are remembered now.
BLITZER: And as people gather here at this American cemetery in Coleville, on the beaches of Normandy, overlooking Omaha Beach, they will remember, they will remember what happened here 60 years ago today. They will also remember Ronald Reagan, the passing of Ronald Reagan, on the eve of this 60th anniversary. We will have full coverage in the coming minutes and hours of all of these ceremonial events, marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day. But for the time being, let's go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
GRIFFIN: Wolf, thank you. Tom, thank you as well.
They called it, of course, the Reagan revolution, the years that many say marked a turning point, a resurgence and a renewed sense of purpose in American politics, economics, and values. That timeframe also provided a real life how to guide, which politicians will be studying for years to come.
Here's CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Ronald Reagan got elected to do two things, curb inflation and restore the nation's sense of military security. He did both, but each achievement came with a price.
Historians will debate Mr. Reagan's role in curbing inflation. It required taking the nation through the worst recession since the 1930s, a recession created by the Federal Reserve's tight money policy.
But President Reagan provided the essential political will to see the nation through that painful experience.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: We can do it, my fellow Americans, by staying the course.
SCHNEIDER: Mr. Reagan's explicit objective was to slow the growth of domestic government spending. He did, but not by staging a frontal assault on popular programs.
President Reagan simply cut taxes and thereby cut off the government's allowance. Historians will also debate President Reagan's role in ending the Cold War. Communism undeniably collapsed under the weight of its own inefficiency. President Reagan kept the pressure on with a massive military build up and unyielding hostility.
REAGAN: The aggressive impulses of an evil empire.
SCHNEIDER: On the other hand, President Reagan never sold the American public or the Congress on his policy of aiding anti-Communist insurgents, like the Contras in Nicaragua. So the president's men pursued the policy secretly and illegally. The resulting scandal almost brought down the administration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the buck stops here with me.
SCHNEIDER: Perhaps Ronald Reagan's greatest achievement was the creation of the modern Republican party. To Republican activists, 1980 is the year one. What Reagan did was the mirror image of what President Franklin D. Roosevelt did in the 1930s. Roosevelt brought together a variety of interests that were united by one thing. They all wanted something from the federal government.
President Reagan created a coalition of interests, united by a different thing. They all had a grievance with the federal government. The Reagan coalition included business interests that wanted less government regulation, racial backlash voters who resented the federal government's support for civil rights, religious conservatives, who opposed judicial activism on issues like abortion and school prayer.
And most important of all, middle class suburban voters, who wanted no taxes. The Reagan coalition held together for the elder Bush in 1988 and just barely for the younger Bush in 2000. What holds it together is the perception of a liberal threat.
As long as that threat is seen to persist, Reaganism will endure.
(on camera): Ronald Reagan's career teaches a great lesson. The 1982 recession and the Iran-Contra scandal might have destroyed any other president. But millions of conservatives never stopped believing in Reagan.
Every president needs a base, people who will be with him when he's wrong. How does a president acquire a base? By standing for clear, strong, and enduring values just as Ronald Reagan did.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93 years, old, the 40th president of the United States. Coinciding with this 60th anniversary, 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, the day on June 6th, 1944 that resulted in the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany.
We're here at the U.S. Cemetery in Colleville, along the Normandy shore, just over Omaha Beach, where some of the bloodiest battles occurred 60 years ago today.
We're awaiting the arrival by helicopter of the president of the United States, George Bush, the French president Jacques Chirac. They will officiate at this joint U.S.-French commemorative ceremony, remembering the Americans and the allied forces who died liberating France and then going on to liberate Europe.
These veterans, these American veterans, other allied veterans, together with so many from France, have gathered here to recall the alliance that changed the world.
There have been some strains in the U.S.-French relationship in the aftermath of the U.S. led war in Iraq. But there is a clear desire on the part of the French government, as well as the Bush administration, on this day to move forward, to patch over some of those differences. The French president, Jacques Chirac, is now arriving here at the U.S. cemetery in Colleville. He will shortly be joined by President Bush. Together they will speak to all of these veterans and other guests who have gathered at this hallowed ground.
This cemetery, where so many U.S. forces were buried. Jacques Chirac, together with his wife, now meeting with veterans, now meeting with other dignitaries, special guests, who have gathered here.
For the French president, this is the first of several commemorative events, which will take place on this day. There will be French ceremony together with Britain, another ally. And for the first time, Germany has been invited to participate on this D-Day anniversary, as well the chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will join French President Jacques Chirac for a special ceremony later today as well.
Jacques Chirac meeting with guests here, meeting with dignitaries, who have gathered on this 60th anniversary. There is no doubt the death of Ronald Reagan, of course, very much on the minds of so many of those individuals who have gathered here. That's because 20 years ago, he delivered one of his most memorable speeches on the 40th anniversary of D-Day when he came and he praised the allies, when he praised the U.S. alliance with Europe with France, with England, with the other countries in Europe that helped changed the world forever.
The French president Jacques Chirac already here. President George W. Bush on his way here, should be arriving via helicopter very, very shortly. You're looking at these pictures of what's happening here at the U.S. cemetery in Colleville, not far -- just overlooking Omaha Beach, the shores of Normandy.
The whole ceremony won't last that long, scheduled for about one hour. We do anticipate that President Bush will speak for about 20 minutes. And almost certainly, that speech, which had been carefully crafted, will be revised now that Ronald Reagan has passed away. There's almost no doubt in my mind, in the minds of so many others, that President Bush will pay special tribute to Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, on this day.
We'll have continuing coverage of all of the D-Day commemorative events here in Normandy. For the time being, though, let's go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Thank you. Wolf. And as you mentioned, we are marking the passing of a president. You can find out enormous amounts of information about Ronald Reagan's life and legacy at cnn.com. On the home page, you'll also see a box called "your remembrances." By clicking on that box, you can share your thoughts and memories about Mr. Reagan. We will post some of those comments a little later today.
GRIFFIN: They met in Hollywood. Ronald Reagan shared part of his film career and all of his political career with one woman, his wife Nancy. Once he joked to her that there was another woman in his life, and then he pointed to the Statue of Liberty. The Reagan's romance seemed to be exempt from the pitfalls of other marriages, especially Hollywood marriages. Here's our Judy Woodruff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): They were a Hollywood fairy tale, turned political power couple. Leading man Ronald Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild when he met Nancy Davis.
He was divorced. His film career on the decline. And Davis was a waning Hollywood starlet. Reagan often said Nancy saved his soul, and that he couldn't imagine life without her. She responded, saying her life didn't start until she met Ronnie.
NANCY REAGAN, FMR. FIRST LADY: But everything just fell into place with Ronnie and me. We completed each other.
WOODRUFF: A love affair so close, even their children and step- children could not squeeze in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a love like I've never seen. And nobody gets in the way of that love. That's theirs.
WOODRUFF: When Reagan entered politics, their partnership solidified even more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nancy was a very fast learner. I don't think she had any idea when Reagan decided to explore, which is the way he looked at it, the governorship in '66. But she was immediately not only part of the partnership of the campaign, but she had to go out on her own and do various activities.
WOODRUFF: Early in Reagan's political career, Nancy was criticized for gazing at her husband during his speeches. She was lambasted for playing the role of the adoring wife, but insiders say it was no act.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I've always felt that the relationship between the two of them was quite genuine and that this is not a -- you know, they didn't have to act at being in love because they were.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shots rang out as President Reagan left the Washington Hilton Hotel this afternoon.
WOODRUFF: Nancy nearly lost the love of her life when John Hinckley shot the president, but Reagan recovered. He used humor to ease her fears, telling Nancy, "Honey, I forgot to duck."
Still, Nancy worried and began consulting an astrologer, something which raised eyebrows in Washington.
Her profile improved with time and as she traveled with the president. In Beijing, Berlin, and Geneva, the Reagans presented a united front of diplomacy and charm. They were each other's staunchest ally. Critics suspected that Nancy whispered more into the president's ear than words of help.
NANCY REAGAN, FMR. FIRST LADY: Doing everything we can.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Doing everything we can.
WOODRUFF: Nancy understood Reagan's strengths and weaknesses. And she filled in the gaps, even if that meant playing the heavy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, she had that third eye that she would see people who were trying to use him and used him in the wrong way. And she would stop that.
WOODRUFF: Many say Reagan would never have succeeded in politics had it not been for his wife.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Ronald Reagan wouldn't have been governor, wouldn't have been president without her. No way.
WOODRUFF: And as his presidency ended, he let everyone know what she meant to him.
R. REAGAN: That second floor living quarters in the White House would have seemed a big and lonely spot without her waiting for me every day at the end of the day.
WOODRUFF: And then in 1994, Reagan wrote a letter, a poignant farewell to the nation after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It would be the last campaign he and Nancy would handle together.
N. REAGAN: I found that even though the person I love and have loved for 44 years is slipping away, my love for him grows. As he changes, if I stop and ask him why and simply love, I too grow.
WOODRUFF: Reagan epitomized the American dream. He was a small town boy from humble beginnings, who exemplified that the system worked, that any kid can grow up to be president. And Nancy, well, she was right where she wanted to be, by his side.
Judy Woodruff, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Normandy, France, where events surrounding the 60th anniversary of D-Day are about to begin. The president of the United States, George W. Bush, about to arrive by helicopter here in Normandy to get ready for this U.S.-French commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The French President Jacques Chirac already here. We're remembering D-Day. We're also remembering the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. GRIFFIN: And Wolf, I am Drew Griffin in Atlanta with the latest reaction to the death of President Ronald Reagan.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for making CNN your news source.
GRIFFIN: Reaction to Ronald Reagan's death began almost immediately. Here's what President Bush had to say from France last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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. During the years of President Reagan, America laid to rest an era of division and self doubt. And because of his leadership, the world laid to rest an era of fear and tyranny.
Now in laying our leader to rest, we say thank you. He always told us that for America, the best was yet to come. We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that this is true for him, too. His work is done. And now a shining city awaits him. May God bless Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Even Mr. Reagan's political rivals recall him with fondness. This is what former President Bill Clinton said. "President Reagan demonstrated his strength and resolve after leaving office when he shared his struggle with Alzheimer's Disease with the world. We will always remember his tremendous capacity to inspire and comfort us in times of tragedy, as he did after the loss of the space shuttle Challenger.
Now he, too, has slipped the surly bonds of Earth of touch the face of God, and we can rest assured that as joyous as place as Heaven is, his wit and sunny disposition are making it an even brighter place to be."
And from presidential candidate John Kerry, "Ronald Reagan's love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats' hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate. Despite the disagreements, he lived by that noble ideal that at 5pm, we weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans and friends."
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."
BLITZER: And I'm Wolf Blitzer in Normandy, where we're waiting the arrival of the president of the United States, George W. Bush. He's coming here to meet with the French President Jacques Chirac. Together, they will preside over these official ceremonies, marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Europe.
On this day, June 6, 1944, the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, the Nazi empire in Europe. 11 months later, the Nazi empire will have been crushed by the U.S. led invasion, together with the British and the other allies.
President Bush will be arriving here momentarily. French President Jacques Chirac is already here. They will remember D-Day. They also, of course, will remember Ronald Reagan.
CNN's Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler is joining us now from Lebanon. Brent, Ronald Reagan did many things, but one of the most memorable things he did was try to bring some sort of stability to Lebanon.
But as all of our viewers no doubt will remember, things turned terribly wrong. You remember those days. Remind our viewers what happened.
BRENT SADLER, CNN BUREAU CHIEF: Thanks. Well, yes, Lebanon today is a very different country to what it was during Reagan's two terms of office in the 1980s. Beirut was known as the terror capitol of the world that time. The country was being torn apart by brutal civil war. Christian militias on one side, Muslim forces on the other side with a lot of outside interference, not least from the Iraqis at that time, the Syrians, and of course, the Israelis.
Now also at that time, Yasser Arafat had built a PLO force here, a state within a state, that was also another compounding situation for the security deterioration here.
And it was at that period in '82 that the first Marines came in here in that decade to help evacuate the PLO from Lebanon as the Israelis were holding a city siege with artillery and tank fire.
Pretty soon after that, the U.S. and forces got involved with leading a multinational peacekeeping force, led by the Americans, but bringing as well the French, the British, and the Italians. I was here, saw the landing craft bring those U.S. troops ashore in a mission that meant to stabilize this country, which at the same time, don't forget, an Israeli invasion here, Operation Peace For (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in '82. This was an incredibly dangerous place.
Those Marines came in here. Those multinational forces came in here. And at that time, 20 years ago in '83, a Marine barracks bombing took place. 241 U.S. Marines were killed. And a massive suicide bomb attack against the barracks, just on the outskirts of the airport, about 10 minutes drive from here.
And that really was the catalyst that led to the -- pretty soon after, the change in tactics withdrawal of U.S. forces from here. But then on the ground here, terrorism mutated into a different form. Hostage taking became the order of the day.
This city was just about impossible for journalists and Westerners to walk around freely in. Terry Anderson, you recall, Wolf, the longest held hostage, the AP associate press bureau chief here held most of all. But there were Britons, there were French, there were Germans and other nationalities.
And that, of course, mutated again as far as Reagan's administration was concerned into the notorious Irangate affair, the Contra affair, trying to get the hostages released in exchange for doing underhand deals with the Iranians and diverting funds to -- into the Americas, to South America, and the contras fighting the Nicaraguans pro-Ronald Reaganist regime over there.
And don't forget finally, Wolf, that what was going on here was part of Reagan's policy of trying to overcome Communism. The Soviet support of the Syrians, neighboring country to Lebanon, as well as the Iranians, which support the Syrians, this also was a battleground for Reagan's push to destroy Communism -- Wolf?
BLITZER: It was seen as part of the Cold War. That's why the U.S. got involved, at least partially in Lebanon more than 20 years ago. CNN's Brent Sadler reporting from Beirut.
Brent, thanks very much. Let's update our viewers on what's happening here in Normandy. We're at the American cemetery in Colleville. We're waiting for the president of the United States to arrive. He was supposed to be here by now. We're now told that the president's arrival somewhat delayed by some bad weather, that prevented his helicopter from landing here.
There was some heavy fog. He's now in Caen, a town not all that far away here from Colleville, the American cemetery here in Lebanon.
So many of the guests, though, so many of the troops have gathered here. So many of the troops are getting ready. So many of the veterans, active duty, current troops as well as veterans from D- Day have gathered together with other dignitaries, to remember and reflect on D-Day what happened here 60 years ago.
Jacques Chirac, the French president, already here, together with the Defense minister and other French dignitaries. This is the first of several ceremonies marking the D-Day anniversary here in Normandy. Later, there will be a separate ceremony, a French-British ceremony, and even later in the day, the first ever German participation in the D-Day anniversary. The German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is here as well. He will be participating in this ceremony.
You're looking now at Tom Hanks, the actor who's here, together with Steven Spielberg. They are participating in this D-Day commemorative event. They've come here from the United States, as have so many of the surviving veterans of D-Day.
We'll have extensive coverage of all of these events once the president reaches the Colleville cemetery here. We'll have extensive coverage of that.
In the meantime, back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Well, also, overseas in Russia, Ronald Reagan was seen as a larger than life figure. The Western leader, more responsible than any other for the collapse of the Soviet Union. He called it "the evil empire," but Reagan seemed to be a friendly adversary as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Our Moscow chief -- bureau chief is Jill Dougherty. And she joins us live from Moscow. What's the reaction there, Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, we have just in fact heard some reaction from President Gorbachev, the man who sat across the table and met with Ronald Reagan five times in summits and three other meetings. Gorbachev saying this morning that he was very disturbed to hear the news, but he said that the main service that Ronald Reagan performed literally for the world, was that he put an end to the Cold War.
He called him a great president. And he said with him, the Soviet government was able to begin a very difficult dialogue. And in spite of all the differences that were occurring at that time between Russia and the United States, Mr. Reagan showed, as he put it, "far sightedness and determination to meet Russia halfway."
Mr. Reagan may have started as a real cold warrior. And certainly, he continued that. But by the end of his time in office, he had signed an agreement to begin cutting back on nuclear weapons. And that is what President Gorbachev was saying today.
And he also added that he didn't know how any other leader would have done under those, what he called "very difficult circumstances."
By the way, we will be sitting down with President Gorbachev in just a couple of hours, doing an interview. And we will bring that to you as soon as we can.
NGUYEN: Jill, have you heard from the people on the streets of Russia? How are they remembering Reagan?
DOUGHERTY: There has not actually been very, very much reaction so far. This is a sunny, Sunday morning. People are just getting stirring. Many of them are out at their country houses outside of the city. So there hasn't been too much. The reaction so far has been mainly people who might have known the situation, government officials, etcetera, who are really trying to put this now in perspective for a man who played an enormous really in the fate of the Soviet Union.
NGUYEN: Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, thank you so much for that insight.
Just a few hours after former President Reagan died, his body was moved to a Santa Monica funeral home. Hundreds of spectators lined the streets in front of that funeral home to watch the hearse pass by. It is expected that the former president will lie in state at the Reagan Library before heading to Washington for national services. After Washington, the body will be returned to California for a private burial service at the library.
President Reagan's body will be flown to Washington mid week. The formal service in Washington will be held at the National Cathedral. The service will be for friends, family and diplomats from around the world, but will be closed to the public.
However, the proceedings at the National Cathedral will be broadcast live. It is expected that the casket will be draped with the American flag that flew over the capitol during his first inauguration day. And that was on January 20th, 1981.
Before the service at the cathedral, a grand funeral procession will carry the president's body down Constitution Avenue to the Capitol. The body will lie in state for 24 hours in the Capitol Rotunda, where thousands are expected to walk past the casket. President Reagan is just the 10th president to be so honored.
GRIFFIN: So much to remember on this day. And also, the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Let's go back to Wolf Blitzer in Normandy -- Wolf?
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Drew.
This is the day to celebrate the U.S.-French alliance. The oldest alliance that the United States has had going back to the days of the revolutionary war.
There have been some serious strains in this relationship over the past year or so, since the U.S. led invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. But on this day, there will be a strong show of support, a strong show of cooperation between the United States and France.
You're looking at these pictures now of the American cemetery here in Colleville, where there will be a commemorative even coming up very soon, once the president of the United States arrives.
The French President Jacques Chirac already here. There are U.S. military personnel on hand. There are French military personnel on hand.
There will be color guards. There will be U.S. color guards and French color guards, as the president of the United States and the president of France remember what happened here exactly 60 years ago today.
The French president will speak. So will the American president.
The minister of defense of France is coming in right now, together with other French troops. They will be coming in to participate at this event.
So many of the surviving American veterans have gathered here as they do on so many of the years since 1944. They come to remember their fallen comrades. They come to remember how the world changed on this day in 1944.
The United States and France have had a long standing strong relationship. That relationship will be underscored on this day, as we await the formal remarks by President Chirac and President Bush.
Those ceremonies expected to begin very, very soon. One of the things that we will notice here as the ceremonies begin, not only the pomp and the circumstance of those ceremonies, but we will see on a personal level the gratitude that people here in France will be expressing for the United States, for the liberation of France in 1944.
Despite the strains in the relationship, and despite some of the criticism and in recent months, it's been very serious, the criticism by so many here in France of President Bush and his policies. On this day at least, I think it's fair to say that criticism will be muted. The celebration of the relationship will be clear.
President of the United States getting ready to arrive here at the Colleville Cemetery. He will be warmly received, as the representatives of the United States.
And let's also remember from here in France, the leaders of the G-8, the world's industrial leaders, will go to Sea Island, Georgia, where they will have the G-8 Summit in the coming days. And then so many of those leaders, if not all of those leaders, will come to Washington to remember Ronald Reagan at his memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington before his body is returned to California for the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California for final burial of Ronald Reagan.
What a remarkable series of events. The 60th anniversary of D- Day, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93 years old, the 40th president of the United States.
We're standing by for all of these ceremonies here at the Colleville Cemetery. In the meantime, let's go back to Drew at the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Drew?
GRIFFIN: Wolf, and I'm wondering in a historical perspective if any of this remembering Ronald Reagan and remembering the French and the U.S. alliance and World War II is thawing some of those strained relationships that now are taking place over what's happening in Iraq?
BLITZER: Yes, there's no doubt, Drew, that this relationship over the past couple days, certainly since the creation of the interim government in Iraq, and certainly since the arrival of President Bush here, his meeting last night.
He had dinner with French President Jacques Chirac. They had a joint news conference in which both Chirac and Bush sought to play down the differences, sought to underscore the traditional alliance, the friendship, the mutual interest, the shared values between the United States and France. And by all accounts, there will be a determined effort, despite the serious differences that still remain, there will be a determined effort to improve the relationship. And there's already optimism being expressed by both presidents, as well as their senior advisers that they're getting very close to a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq, that could set the stage for greater cooperation between the U.S. and some of those allies, like Germany, France, Russia, that grew apart in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Saddam Hussein's.
So Drew, you're absolutely right, the relationship is showing signs, serious signs, of improving, even as we speak.
GRIFFIN: A historical Sunday, June 6, 2004 when we remember the 60th anniversary of D-Day and the passing of Ronald Reagan. And we'll continue both right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the 60th anniversary of D-Day here in Normandy, France. Also, the death of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. He died Saturday at age 93. We're watching both of these developments, both very much on the minds of people who have gathered here at this American cemetery in Colleville, overlooking Omaha Beach, the beaches of Normandy, where 60 years ago today the world changed.
The world changed, resulting in the liberation of France, the liberation of the rest of Europe. It would take 11 months, but eventually the Nazi German empire would be destroyed and World War II in Europe would come to an end.
Shortly the ceremonies here in Colleville will begin. We'll have complete coverage. In the meantime, back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. Betty Nguyen is standing by -- Betty?
NGUYEN: And of course, we are covering the passing of former President Reagan. We want to give you a look at some of the memorable scenes from Ronald Reagan's presidency, beginning with his quest for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Texas and California can't do it, it can't be done.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting the 21 gun salute and hail to the chief. By my stop watch, it took 29 seconds.
CROWD: Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!
REAGAN: ...regulations to save 300 man-hours a year that the public and local and state governments used in filling out government forms. Well, I have just a brief announcement here to make. And then you can all -- well you can all get out of here. You can go ahead and stay.
The bull fight critics ranked and rose, fill the enormous plaza full. But only one is there, who really knows. And he's the one who fights the bull.
More can be done to protect our environment, as science clearly points the way. But make no mistake, we are moving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
REAGAN: I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President and Mrs. Reagan stood at the bottom of the steps at the flight of Al Italia 747, nicknamed Shepherd One, that brought the pope and the Vatican staff to Miami.
REAGAN: I want to congratulate Secretary Schulz and Foreign Minister Shevardnadze and their delegations for their outstanding efforts over the past three days.
I have my veto pen drawn and ready for any tax increase that Congress might even think of sending up. And I have only one thing to say to the tax increases, go ahead, make my day.
(MUSIC)
REAGAN: Something sure has happened here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to a special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING, remembering Ronald Reagan. I'm Betty Nguyen.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin at the CNN Center here in Atlanta.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Wolf Blitzer here in Normandy, France. Welcome to our coverage here from this dramatic development. The world mourning today the death of an American president, who led the charge that helped end the Cold War.
Also this morning, here on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, we remember the sacrifice of American troops, who died for the cause of freedom 60 years ago exactly today.
CNN, getting ready to bring you all of the dramatic developments, all of the dramatic commemoration of this 60th anniversary of D-Day, the president of the United States about to arrive here in Normandy. We'll get to all of that.
First, though, let's go back to Atlanta for more on the death of Ronald Reagan at the age of 93.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Wolf. The former president's body arrived at a funeral home in Santa Monica yesterday.
CNN's Ted Rowlands is standing there live. Meanwhile, CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where the former president will be laid to rest.
We begin with Ted Rowlands in Santa Monica -- Ted?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, President Reagan passed away at 1:00 Pacific time, according to the family. A few hours after that, his body was taken from the Bel Air mansion, home of the Reagans here, to Santa Monica, where it is expected to stay throughout the weekend and be prepared.
After this, the body will be taken to Simi Valley and then on to Washington, D.C. When the president's body arrived here, there were hundreds of people gathered outside the funeral home here to pay their respects. That crowd has continued to come out throughout the evening hours here in California. It is just after midnight. And there are still people trickling in here, adding to a growing memorial on the front lawn of the mortuary here. They say they are here simply to take in this moment in history and pay their respects to President Reagan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to know him as a person and admired someone who could change careers and grow to the highest level.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think his wit was terrific. I think some of his one liners and some of the things he said, the classic when he was shot in pain in hospital and he asks if all the doctors are Republicans. I mean, that kind of quick wit, just I loved it. He was terrific.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Now the family is still formulating the exact schedule that they would like to see transpired. They are going to announce that tomorrow at a press conference here in Santa Monica.
From here, the president's remains will go to Simi Valley, where he will lie in state for a period of time before going to Washington, D.C. He will lie in state at the Capitol there. And then the funeral will also be conducted in Washington, D.C. that same evening. Though, the president will be laid to rest at the library in Simi Valley -- Drew?
GRIFFIN: Ted, thank you for that report.
NGUYEN: Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. That's where we find our Thelma Gutierrez. It's a somber, very early morning there, Thelma?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure is, Betty. Well, this is the largest of all the presidential libraries. It is also the spot, as Ted mentioned, where the president will be laid to rest. Behind me, you can see that the flags are flying at half staff. The library was opened today, then closed when the president died. But that did not keep mourners away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To pay tribute to one of the greatest presidents that the United States has ever had.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very strong leader. We felt the need to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought a Notre Dame hat because again his role. And I brought a U.S. flag for all the stuff he did for the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: At the entrance to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, people began to gather shortly after the president died. Some were visibly moved and emotional, as they gathered as the makeshift memorial. In fact, before the library was closed to the public, many ran up the driveway with wreathes and cards, and placed them at the foot of the statue of the president in the library.
10 hours later, way into the night, people were still showing up here. Police say hundreds came. In fact, they had to actually set up what was a called a flower lane. It was mark of flower lane for all the people who showed up. They brought flowers and flags and candles. And they placed some of the flowers in cowboy boots and actually in a cowboy hat, all for the president that they say they felt they knew.
And Betty, we talked to one of the women who worked in the gift shop. Earlier today, she told us that the phones rang non stop with people calling in, just to give their condolences -- Betty?
NGUYEN: With no doubt. Thelma, in speaking with the folks who have come to pay their respects, what are they saying that they're remembering most about the man known as the great communicator?
GUTIERREZ: Well, probably just that. Some of the people were telling us that they were very touched by this person, who actually had a self deprecating sense of humor, someone who could laugh at a tough time.
And they said -- and something was very interesting. We looked at one of the cards. And they said that they made a dedication to the president, who had very kind Irish eyes. And those are some of the things that came up tonight.
NGUYEN: Some fond memories there. Thelma Gutierrez at the Reagan Presidential Library, thank you.
Wolf?
BLITZER: Betty, thanks very much. We're getting ready. The president of the United States, the president of France, they will be arriving here at the Coleville Cemetery. This is the American cemetery in Normandy Beach. More than 9,000 American troops are buried here. These troops fought on June 6, 1944, exactly 60 years ago today.
People will be gathering here. They're already gathering. Veterans in their late 70s and 80s, some even in their 90s. They've come back to Normandy to remember, to reflect on what happened here, what happened to the world exactly 60 years ago.
President Bush will be delivering a speech here. Once he arrives, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. This is the first of several commemorative events that will be underway today. Certainly the death of Ronald Reagan will hover very much in the minds of so many of the people who will gather here, especially the veterans.
Many of them come often to remember their comrades, who fell, who fell on that day in 1944, the day that changed the world, began to turn the tide, and resulted 11 months later in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
This ceremony has been carefully, carefully orchestrated, remembering the tribute to the U.S. troops, who have gathered here. The veterans who have gathered here, recalling of course, that every day sadly, so many of those veterans pass away, never again to hear from them directly. But fortunately, so many of their oral histories are now being recorded, so that the world will remember.
We anticipate the president of the United States arriving here shortly, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. They will come here to this cemetery to pay their respects, as will all of us.
Back to Atlanta.
GRIFFIN: Wolf, thank you. And of course, it was 20 years ago today that Ronald Reagan was making the delivery at the very place that you are right now, a historic speech given by President Reagan.
And we'll continue our coverage of both D-Day observances and the passing of a president, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93-years old, the 40th president of the United States. Also, today, the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The world getting ready to commemorate what happened here in Normandy on this day in 1944, when the tide of World War II began to change. 11 months later, the allies would defeat Nazi Germany.
CNN's Tom Foreman is in Washington. He's watching all of these developments.
Tom, basically, what do we know right now about Ronald Reagan's body eventually coming to Washington, where it will lie in state, where there will be memorial services, and then before -- and then at the end of the week, returning to California for burial?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is correct, Wolf. Those are the plans. Here, it's a very formal event going on here. There's some details about how this is all going to be handled, which of course, not being released to the public in particular.
But obviously, the Reagan family is very sensitive to the great, great emotion that many people in this country feel, their need to reach out. So they're going to make this a very public event, that will pretty much occupy the entire week. As Mr. Reagan's body is brought here, it will lie in state. It'll be at the National Cathedral for a period of time, so people can pay their respects in the way they'd want to.
And all day, we've had political leaders on both sides of the aisle paying their respects. I want you to take a look at this. President Clinton, former President Clinton, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton both said, "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."
That sort of statement is characterized today. People who were not necessarily fans of Ronald Reagan, still speaking up and saying he was a great statesman, and a person who had a huge impact on this country -- Wolf?
BLITZER: There's no doubt he had a huge impact. He brought back some of the optimism that had gone away in the '70s, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, in the aftermath of Watergate, in the aftermath of economic trouble. In the years of the Jimmy Carter administration, he was upbeat. He was positive. That's what so many people remember, the likability, if you will, of Ronald Reagan.
In Washington, world leaders will gather, Tom. And it's perhaps a coincidence, certainly a coincidence, that the president of the United States will be leaving Normandy. He'll be going to the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia, where other world leaders of the most industrialized, politically important countries of the world will gather.
I assume all of them will be coming to Washington for the memorial service honoring Ronald Reagan. Any specific information you're getting there, Tom?
FOREMAN: Well, this has happened obviously this afternoon. So specifically in terms of who's going to be here, no, we don't know. But I think you are right in the sense that everybody's going to be here.
I wanted you to notice "The Washington Post," by the way, stated it very simply this morning. It simply says, "Ronald Reagan Dies." That in some ways says enough. Because the fact is, this is going to draw a tremendous number of world leaders, who will want to pay their respects. And with them being here, they'll obviously come by in that way.
I think that just as importantly, Wolf, one thing that's really worth noting here is that I cannot express to you how all across this country tonight, normal Americans are calling into these talk radio shows and speaking up with great emotion about the loss of Ronald Reagan. In some cases, people who were not his fans even, are calling in and saying that they had this sense that one of the great figures of the century is gone. For all of the great world leaders who will be here this coming weekend, this is going to dominate the news, top to bottom.
There will certainly be millions and millions of normal Americans who also want to join their ranks somehow by coming to this city this week.
BLITZER: We're standing by here, Tom. And to our viewers, let me update our viewers. We're standing by. President Bush expected to arrive momentarily here in Normandy. He's coming from Paris. Last night, he met with the French President Jacques Chirac. President Chirac will be here as well. This will be a U.S.-French commemoration here at the Coleville Cemetery, the American cemetery here in Normandy Beach, where so many American troops are buried. So many of the allies who fought so courageously, so bravely in that largest sea borne invasion ever in the history of the world, exactly 60 years ago today.
The president will be arriving momentarily, together with the French President Jacques Chirac. They will come here to this cemetery, where they will pay tribute, where they will remember what happened 60 years ago.
We don't, Tom, have any specific information on how President Bush will remember Ronald Reagan in his remarks, although I anticipate he will make reference specifically to Ronald Reagan himself said here 20 years ago, on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, when he delivered one of his most memorable speeches, speaking of the voice from Pointehawk (ph), where they scaled those cliffs and helped defeat the German army, which had been so formidable here along the Normandy coast.
Tom, give our viewers a little bit more flavor of how Ronald Reagan's death now is bringing America somewhat closer together, at least in these hours since he passed away?
FOREMAN: Wolf, you mentioned the anniversary of D-Day coming around here. A lot of the politicians have mentioned that as well. They've noted that it's odd, in a way, that the president would pass at a time like this, because they are so unanimous in their praise for what he did to end the Cold War, the sense that the pressure he put on the Soviets, the way he revitalized the sense of the American military and what was going to happen with the American military.
They feel it's played a very important role. When you talk about the flavor in this country right now, the fact is everybody here knew how very ill the president was. Everybody knew that he was getting quite well up in age, and that this day was coming.
And so, it's not a shock to people. And yet, so many people, from both sides of the aisle, people who would have been considered very much his political enemies, for many years, are really speaking out in a heartfelt way to say this was a man who could be engaged in a very difficult struggle with you over the budget, over welfare reform, over any of the many issues he took on. And yet at the end of the day, he could shake your hand. He could ask how your family was. He could make you feel good about being there with him. That's one of the things they're remembering.
And in some ways, I think people are remembering what for many people here is a lost civility that spoke to a different generation, that spoke to the greatest generation, as so many of the D-Day veterans are remembered now.
BLITZER: And as people gather here at this American cemetery in Coleville, on the beaches of Normandy, overlooking Omaha Beach, they will remember, they will remember what happened here 60 years ago today. They will also remember Ronald Reagan, the passing of Ronald Reagan, on the eve of this 60th anniversary. We will have full coverage in the coming minutes and hours of all of these ceremonial events, marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day. But for the time being, let's go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
GRIFFIN: Wolf, thank you. Tom, thank you as well.
They called it, of course, the Reagan revolution, the years that many say marked a turning point, a resurgence and a renewed sense of purpose in American politics, economics, and values. That timeframe also provided a real life how to guide, which politicians will be studying for years to come.
Here's CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Ronald Reagan got elected to do two things, curb inflation and restore the nation's sense of military security. He did both, but each achievement came with a price.
Historians will debate Mr. Reagan's role in curbing inflation. It required taking the nation through the worst recession since the 1930s, a recession created by the Federal Reserve's tight money policy.
But President Reagan provided the essential political will to see the nation through that painful experience.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: We can do it, my fellow Americans, by staying the course.
SCHNEIDER: Mr. Reagan's explicit objective was to slow the growth of domestic government spending. He did, but not by staging a frontal assault on popular programs.
President Reagan simply cut taxes and thereby cut off the government's allowance. Historians will also debate President Reagan's role in ending the Cold War. Communism undeniably collapsed under the weight of its own inefficiency. President Reagan kept the pressure on with a massive military build up and unyielding hostility.
REAGAN: The aggressive impulses of an evil empire.
SCHNEIDER: On the other hand, President Reagan never sold the American public or the Congress on his policy of aiding anti-Communist insurgents, like the Contras in Nicaragua. So the president's men pursued the policy secretly and illegally. The resulting scandal almost brought down the administration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the buck stops here with me.
SCHNEIDER: Perhaps Ronald Reagan's greatest achievement was the creation of the modern Republican party. To Republican activists, 1980 is the year one. What Reagan did was the mirror image of what President Franklin D. Roosevelt did in the 1930s. Roosevelt brought together a variety of interests that were united by one thing. They all wanted something from the federal government.
President Reagan created a coalition of interests, united by a different thing. They all had a grievance with the federal government. The Reagan coalition included business interests that wanted less government regulation, racial backlash voters who resented the federal government's support for civil rights, religious conservatives, who opposed judicial activism on issues like abortion and school prayer.
And most important of all, middle class suburban voters, who wanted no taxes. The Reagan coalition held together for the elder Bush in 1988 and just barely for the younger Bush in 2000. What holds it together is the perception of a liberal threat.
As long as that threat is seen to persist, Reaganism will endure.
(on camera): Ronald Reagan's career teaches a great lesson. The 1982 recession and the Iran-Contra scandal might have destroyed any other president. But millions of conservatives never stopped believing in Reagan.
Every president needs a base, people who will be with him when he's wrong. How does a president acquire a base? By standing for clear, strong, and enduring values just as Ronald Reagan did.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93 years, old, the 40th president of the United States. Coinciding with this 60th anniversary, 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, the day on June 6th, 1944 that resulted in the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany.
We're here at the U.S. Cemetery in Colleville, along the Normandy shore, just over Omaha Beach, where some of the bloodiest battles occurred 60 years ago today.
We're awaiting the arrival by helicopter of the president of the United States, George Bush, the French president Jacques Chirac. They will officiate at this joint U.S.-French commemorative ceremony, remembering the Americans and the allied forces who died liberating France and then going on to liberate Europe.
These veterans, these American veterans, other allied veterans, together with so many from France, have gathered here to recall the alliance that changed the world.
There have been some strains in the U.S.-French relationship in the aftermath of the U.S. led war in Iraq. But there is a clear desire on the part of the French government, as well as the Bush administration, on this day to move forward, to patch over some of those differences. The French president, Jacques Chirac, is now arriving here at the U.S. cemetery in Colleville. He will shortly be joined by President Bush. Together they will speak to all of these veterans and other guests who have gathered at this hallowed ground.
This cemetery, where so many U.S. forces were buried. Jacques Chirac, together with his wife, now meeting with veterans, now meeting with other dignitaries, special guests, who have gathered here.
For the French president, this is the first of several commemorative events, which will take place on this day. There will be French ceremony together with Britain, another ally. And for the first time, Germany has been invited to participate on this D-Day anniversary, as well the chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will join French President Jacques Chirac for a special ceremony later today as well.
Jacques Chirac meeting with guests here, meeting with dignitaries, who have gathered on this 60th anniversary. There is no doubt the death of Ronald Reagan, of course, very much on the minds of so many of those individuals who have gathered here. That's because 20 years ago, he delivered one of his most memorable speeches on the 40th anniversary of D-Day when he came and he praised the allies, when he praised the U.S. alliance with Europe with France, with England, with the other countries in Europe that helped changed the world forever.
The French president Jacques Chirac already here. President George W. Bush on his way here, should be arriving via helicopter very, very shortly. You're looking at these pictures of what's happening here at the U.S. cemetery in Colleville, not far -- just overlooking Omaha Beach, the shores of Normandy.
The whole ceremony won't last that long, scheduled for about one hour. We do anticipate that President Bush will speak for about 20 minutes. And almost certainly, that speech, which had been carefully crafted, will be revised now that Ronald Reagan has passed away. There's almost no doubt in my mind, in the minds of so many others, that President Bush will pay special tribute to Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, on this day.
We'll have continuing coverage of all of the D-Day commemorative events here in Normandy. For the time being, though, let's go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Thank you. Wolf. And as you mentioned, we are marking the passing of a president. You can find out enormous amounts of information about Ronald Reagan's life and legacy at cnn.com. On the home page, you'll also see a box called "your remembrances." By clicking on that box, you can share your thoughts and memories about Mr. Reagan. We will post some of those comments a little later today.
GRIFFIN: They met in Hollywood. Ronald Reagan shared part of his film career and all of his political career with one woman, his wife Nancy. Once he joked to her that there was another woman in his life, and then he pointed to the Statue of Liberty. The Reagan's romance seemed to be exempt from the pitfalls of other marriages, especially Hollywood marriages. Here's our Judy Woodruff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): They were a Hollywood fairy tale, turned political power couple. Leading man Ronald Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild when he met Nancy Davis.
He was divorced. His film career on the decline. And Davis was a waning Hollywood starlet. Reagan often said Nancy saved his soul, and that he couldn't imagine life without her. She responded, saying her life didn't start until she met Ronnie.
NANCY REAGAN, FMR. FIRST LADY: But everything just fell into place with Ronnie and me. We completed each other.
WOODRUFF: A love affair so close, even their children and step- children could not squeeze in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a love like I've never seen. And nobody gets in the way of that love. That's theirs.
WOODRUFF: When Reagan entered politics, their partnership solidified even more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nancy was a very fast learner. I don't think she had any idea when Reagan decided to explore, which is the way he looked at it, the governorship in '66. But she was immediately not only part of the partnership of the campaign, but she had to go out on her own and do various activities.
WOODRUFF: Early in Reagan's political career, Nancy was criticized for gazing at her husband during his speeches. She was lambasted for playing the role of the adoring wife, but insiders say it was no act.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I've always felt that the relationship between the two of them was quite genuine and that this is not a -- you know, they didn't have to act at being in love because they were.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shots rang out as President Reagan left the Washington Hilton Hotel this afternoon.
WOODRUFF: Nancy nearly lost the love of her life when John Hinckley shot the president, but Reagan recovered. He used humor to ease her fears, telling Nancy, "Honey, I forgot to duck."
Still, Nancy worried and began consulting an astrologer, something which raised eyebrows in Washington.
Her profile improved with time and as she traveled with the president. In Beijing, Berlin, and Geneva, the Reagans presented a united front of diplomacy and charm. They were each other's staunchest ally. Critics suspected that Nancy whispered more into the president's ear than words of help.
NANCY REAGAN, FMR. FIRST LADY: Doing everything we can.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Doing everything we can.
WOODRUFF: Nancy understood Reagan's strengths and weaknesses. And she filled in the gaps, even if that meant playing the heavy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, she had that third eye that she would see people who were trying to use him and used him in the wrong way. And she would stop that.
WOODRUFF: Many say Reagan would never have succeeded in politics had it not been for his wife.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Ronald Reagan wouldn't have been governor, wouldn't have been president without her. No way.
WOODRUFF: And as his presidency ended, he let everyone know what she meant to him.
R. REAGAN: That second floor living quarters in the White House would have seemed a big and lonely spot without her waiting for me every day at the end of the day.
WOODRUFF: And then in 1994, Reagan wrote a letter, a poignant farewell to the nation after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It would be the last campaign he and Nancy would handle together.
N. REAGAN: I found that even though the person I love and have loved for 44 years is slipping away, my love for him grows. As he changes, if I stop and ask him why and simply love, I too grow.
WOODRUFF: Reagan epitomized the American dream. He was a small town boy from humble beginnings, who exemplified that the system worked, that any kid can grow up to be president. And Nancy, well, she was right where she wanted to be, by his side.
Judy Woodruff, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Normandy, France, where events surrounding the 60th anniversary of D-Day are about to begin. The president of the United States, George W. Bush, about to arrive by helicopter here in Normandy to get ready for this U.S.-French commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The French President Jacques Chirac already here. We're remembering D-Day. We're also remembering the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. GRIFFIN: And Wolf, I am Drew Griffin in Atlanta with the latest reaction to the death of President Ronald Reagan.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for making CNN your news source.
GRIFFIN: Reaction to Ronald Reagan's death began almost immediately. Here's what President Bush had to say from France last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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. During the years of President Reagan, America laid to rest an era of division and self doubt. And because of his leadership, the world laid to rest an era of fear and tyranny.
Now in laying our leader to rest, we say thank you. He always told us that for America, the best was yet to come. We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that this is true for him, too. His work is done. And now a shining city awaits him. May God bless Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Even Mr. Reagan's political rivals recall him with fondness. This is what former President Bill Clinton said. "President Reagan demonstrated his strength and resolve after leaving office when he shared his struggle with Alzheimer's Disease with the world. We will always remember his tremendous capacity to inspire and comfort us in times of tragedy, as he did after the loss of the space shuttle Challenger.
Now he, too, has slipped the surly bonds of Earth of touch the face of God, and we can rest assured that as joyous as place as Heaven is, his wit and sunny disposition are making it an even brighter place to be."
And from presidential candidate John Kerry, "Ronald Reagan's love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats' hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate. Despite the disagreements, he lived by that noble ideal that at 5pm, we weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans and friends."
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."
BLITZER: And I'm Wolf Blitzer in Normandy, where we're waiting the arrival of the president of the United States, George W. Bush. He's coming here to meet with the French President Jacques Chirac. Together, they will preside over these official ceremonies, marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Europe.
On this day, June 6, 1944, the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, the Nazi empire in Europe. 11 months later, the Nazi empire will have been crushed by the U.S. led invasion, together with the British and the other allies.
President Bush will be arriving here momentarily. French President Jacques Chirac is already here. They will remember D-Day. They also, of course, will remember Ronald Reagan.
CNN's Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler is joining us now from Lebanon. Brent, Ronald Reagan did many things, but one of the most memorable things he did was try to bring some sort of stability to Lebanon.
But as all of our viewers no doubt will remember, things turned terribly wrong. You remember those days. Remind our viewers what happened.
BRENT SADLER, CNN BUREAU CHIEF: Thanks. Well, yes, Lebanon today is a very different country to what it was during Reagan's two terms of office in the 1980s. Beirut was known as the terror capitol of the world that time. The country was being torn apart by brutal civil war. Christian militias on one side, Muslim forces on the other side with a lot of outside interference, not least from the Iraqis at that time, the Syrians, and of course, the Israelis.
Now also at that time, Yasser Arafat had built a PLO force here, a state within a state, that was also another compounding situation for the security deterioration here.
And it was at that period in '82 that the first Marines came in here in that decade to help evacuate the PLO from Lebanon as the Israelis were holding a city siege with artillery and tank fire.
Pretty soon after that, the U.S. and forces got involved with leading a multinational peacekeeping force, led by the Americans, but bringing as well the French, the British, and the Italians. I was here, saw the landing craft bring those U.S. troops ashore in a mission that meant to stabilize this country, which at the same time, don't forget, an Israeli invasion here, Operation Peace For (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in '82. This was an incredibly dangerous place.
Those Marines came in here. Those multinational forces came in here. And at that time, 20 years ago in '83, a Marine barracks bombing took place. 241 U.S. Marines were killed. And a massive suicide bomb attack against the barracks, just on the outskirts of the airport, about 10 minutes drive from here.
And that really was the catalyst that led to the -- pretty soon after, the change in tactics withdrawal of U.S. forces from here. But then on the ground here, terrorism mutated into a different form. Hostage taking became the order of the day.
This city was just about impossible for journalists and Westerners to walk around freely in. Terry Anderson, you recall, Wolf, the longest held hostage, the AP associate press bureau chief here held most of all. But there were Britons, there were French, there were Germans and other nationalities.
And that, of course, mutated again as far as Reagan's administration was concerned into the notorious Irangate affair, the Contra affair, trying to get the hostages released in exchange for doing underhand deals with the Iranians and diverting funds to -- into the Americas, to South America, and the contras fighting the Nicaraguans pro-Ronald Reaganist regime over there.
And don't forget finally, Wolf, that what was going on here was part of Reagan's policy of trying to overcome Communism. The Soviet support of the Syrians, neighboring country to Lebanon, as well as the Iranians, which support the Syrians, this also was a battleground for Reagan's push to destroy Communism -- Wolf?
BLITZER: It was seen as part of the Cold War. That's why the U.S. got involved, at least partially in Lebanon more than 20 years ago. CNN's Brent Sadler reporting from Beirut.
Brent, thanks very much. Let's update our viewers on what's happening here in Normandy. We're at the American cemetery in Colleville. We're waiting for the president of the United States to arrive. He was supposed to be here by now. We're now told that the president's arrival somewhat delayed by some bad weather, that prevented his helicopter from landing here.
There was some heavy fog. He's now in Caen, a town not all that far away here from Colleville, the American cemetery here in Lebanon.
So many of the guests, though, so many of the troops have gathered here. So many of the troops are getting ready. So many of the veterans, active duty, current troops as well as veterans from D- Day have gathered together with other dignitaries, to remember and reflect on D-Day what happened here 60 years ago.
Jacques Chirac, the French president, already here, together with the Defense minister and other French dignitaries. This is the first of several ceremonies marking the D-Day anniversary here in Normandy. Later, there will be a separate ceremony, a French-British ceremony, and even later in the day, the first ever German participation in the D-Day anniversary. The German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is here as well. He will be participating in this ceremony.
You're looking now at Tom Hanks, the actor who's here, together with Steven Spielberg. They are participating in this D-Day commemorative event. They've come here from the United States, as have so many of the surviving veterans of D-Day.
We'll have extensive coverage of all of these events once the president reaches the Colleville cemetery here. We'll have extensive coverage of that.
In the meantime, back to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Well, also, overseas in Russia, Ronald Reagan was seen as a larger than life figure. The Western leader, more responsible than any other for the collapse of the Soviet Union. He called it "the evil empire," but Reagan seemed to be a friendly adversary as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Our Moscow chief -- bureau chief is Jill Dougherty. And she joins us live from Moscow. What's the reaction there, Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, we have just in fact heard some reaction from President Gorbachev, the man who sat across the table and met with Ronald Reagan five times in summits and three other meetings. Gorbachev saying this morning that he was very disturbed to hear the news, but he said that the main service that Ronald Reagan performed literally for the world, was that he put an end to the Cold War.
He called him a great president. And he said with him, the Soviet government was able to begin a very difficult dialogue. And in spite of all the differences that were occurring at that time between Russia and the United States, Mr. Reagan showed, as he put it, "far sightedness and determination to meet Russia halfway."
Mr. Reagan may have started as a real cold warrior. And certainly, he continued that. But by the end of his time in office, he had signed an agreement to begin cutting back on nuclear weapons. And that is what President Gorbachev was saying today.
And he also added that he didn't know how any other leader would have done under those, what he called "very difficult circumstances."
By the way, we will be sitting down with President Gorbachev in just a couple of hours, doing an interview. And we will bring that to you as soon as we can.
NGUYEN: Jill, have you heard from the people on the streets of Russia? How are they remembering Reagan?
DOUGHERTY: There has not actually been very, very much reaction so far. This is a sunny, Sunday morning. People are just getting stirring. Many of them are out at their country houses outside of the city. So there hasn't been too much. The reaction so far has been mainly people who might have known the situation, government officials, etcetera, who are really trying to put this now in perspective for a man who played an enormous really in the fate of the Soviet Union.
NGUYEN: Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, thank you so much for that insight.
Just a few hours after former President Reagan died, his body was moved to a Santa Monica funeral home. Hundreds of spectators lined the streets in front of that funeral home to watch the hearse pass by. It is expected that the former president will lie in state at the Reagan Library before heading to Washington for national services. After Washington, the body will be returned to California for a private burial service at the library.
President Reagan's body will be flown to Washington mid week. The formal service in Washington will be held at the National Cathedral. The service will be for friends, family and diplomats from around the world, but will be closed to the public.
However, the proceedings at the National Cathedral will be broadcast live. It is expected that the casket will be draped with the American flag that flew over the capitol during his first inauguration day. And that was on January 20th, 1981.
Before the service at the cathedral, a grand funeral procession will carry the president's body down Constitution Avenue to the Capitol. The body will lie in state for 24 hours in the Capitol Rotunda, where thousands are expected to walk past the casket. President Reagan is just the 10th president to be so honored.
GRIFFIN: So much to remember on this day. And also, the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Let's go back to Wolf Blitzer in Normandy -- Wolf?
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Drew.
This is the day to celebrate the U.S.-French alliance. The oldest alliance that the United States has had going back to the days of the revolutionary war.
There have been some serious strains in this relationship over the past year or so, since the U.S. led invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. But on this day, there will be a strong show of support, a strong show of cooperation between the United States and France.
You're looking at these pictures now of the American cemetery here in Colleville, where there will be a commemorative even coming up very soon, once the president of the United States arrives.
The French President Jacques Chirac already here. There are U.S. military personnel on hand. There are French military personnel on hand.
There will be color guards. There will be U.S. color guards and French color guards, as the president of the United States and the president of France remember what happened here exactly 60 years ago today.
The French president will speak. So will the American president.
The minister of defense of France is coming in right now, together with other French troops. They will be coming in to participate at this event.
So many of the surviving American veterans have gathered here as they do on so many of the years since 1944. They come to remember their fallen comrades. They come to remember how the world changed on this day in 1944.
The United States and France have had a long standing strong relationship. That relationship will be underscored on this day, as we await the formal remarks by President Chirac and President Bush.
Those ceremonies expected to begin very, very soon. One of the things that we will notice here as the ceremonies begin, not only the pomp and the circumstance of those ceremonies, but we will see on a personal level the gratitude that people here in France will be expressing for the United States, for the liberation of France in 1944.
Despite the strains in the relationship, and despite some of the criticism and in recent months, it's been very serious, the criticism by so many here in France of President Bush and his policies. On this day at least, I think it's fair to say that criticism will be muted. The celebration of the relationship will be clear.
President of the United States getting ready to arrive here at the Colleville Cemetery. He will be warmly received, as the representatives of the United States.
And let's also remember from here in France, the leaders of the G-8, the world's industrial leaders, will go to Sea Island, Georgia, where they will have the G-8 Summit in the coming days. And then so many of those leaders, if not all of those leaders, will come to Washington to remember Ronald Reagan at his memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington before his body is returned to California for the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California for final burial of Ronald Reagan.
What a remarkable series of events. The 60th anniversary of D- Day, the death of Ronald Reagan, 93 years old, the 40th president of the United States.
We're standing by for all of these ceremonies here at the Colleville Cemetery. In the meantime, let's go back to Drew at the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Drew?
GRIFFIN: Wolf, and I'm wondering in a historical perspective if any of this remembering Ronald Reagan and remembering the French and the U.S. alliance and World War II is thawing some of those strained relationships that now are taking place over what's happening in Iraq?
BLITZER: Yes, there's no doubt, Drew, that this relationship over the past couple days, certainly since the creation of the interim government in Iraq, and certainly since the arrival of President Bush here, his meeting last night.
He had dinner with French President Jacques Chirac. They had a joint news conference in which both Chirac and Bush sought to play down the differences, sought to underscore the traditional alliance, the friendship, the mutual interest, the shared values between the United States and France. And by all accounts, there will be a determined effort, despite the serious differences that still remain, there will be a determined effort to improve the relationship. And there's already optimism being expressed by both presidents, as well as their senior advisers that they're getting very close to a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq, that could set the stage for greater cooperation between the U.S. and some of those allies, like Germany, France, Russia, that grew apart in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Saddam Hussein's.
So Drew, you're absolutely right, the relationship is showing signs, serious signs, of improving, even as we speak.
GRIFFIN: A historical Sunday, June 6, 2004 when we remember the 60th anniversary of D-Day and the passing of Ronald Reagan. And we'll continue both right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to our continuing coverage, the 60th anniversary of D-Day here in Normandy, France. Also, the death of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. He died Saturday at age 93. We're watching both of these developments, both very much on the minds of people who have gathered here at this American cemetery in Colleville, overlooking Omaha Beach, the beaches of Normandy, where 60 years ago today the world changed.
The world changed, resulting in the liberation of France, the liberation of the rest of Europe. It would take 11 months, but eventually the Nazi German empire would be destroyed and World War II in Europe would come to an end.
Shortly the ceremonies here in Colleville will begin. We'll have complete coverage. In the meantime, back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. Betty Nguyen is standing by -- Betty?
NGUYEN: And of course, we are covering the passing of former President Reagan. We want to give you a look at some of the memorable scenes from Ronald Reagan's presidency, beginning with his quest for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Texas and California can't do it, it can't be done.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting the 21 gun salute and hail to the chief. By my stop watch, it took 29 seconds.
CROWD: Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!
REAGAN: ...regulations to save 300 man-hours a year that the public and local and state governments used in filling out government forms. Well, I have just a brief announcement here to make. And then you can all -- well you can all get out of here. You can go ahead and stay.
The bull fight critics ranked and rose, fill the enormous plaza full. But only one is there, who really knows. And he's the one who fights the bull.
More can be done to protect our environment, as science clearly points the way. But make no mistake, we are moving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
REAGAN: I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President and Mrs. Reagan stood at the bottom of the steps at the flight of Al Italia 747, nicknamed Shepherd One, that brought the pope and the Vatican staff to Miami.
REAGAN: I want to congratulate Secretary Schulz and Foreign Minister Shevardnadze and their delegations for their outstanding efforts over the past three days.
I have my veto pen drawn and ready for any tax increase that Congress might even think of sending up. And I have only one thing to say to the tax increases, go ahead, make my day.
(MUSIC)
REAGAN: Something sure has happened here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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