A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

Happy Birthday, Gipper

Ronald Reagan would have been 99 today.  He was born February 6th, 1911 and passed away from Alzheimer's in the summer of 2004.  It comes as no surprise to any of my readers that I think of him as the greatest president of the 20th century, and a member of the "Big Three" along with Washington and Lincoln.

He was an important figure in our nation's history, regardless of your politics, and unlike the "cult of personality" that surrounds our current president (and surrounded him before he had even served a single day in office), my respect and admiration for Ronald Reagan is based on his ideas, ideals, and values...not simply his ability to give a rousing speech.  Reagan could and did do that, but it wasn't merely what he said: it was how he followed through.

Enjoy this excellent slide show that Fox News.com has put together.

Here's Reagan at his first inauguration:

And here he is at the Brandenburg Gate, calling for an end to Soviet tyranny in East Germany:

Finally, here is a montage of some of the best moments from Reagan's prolific public career:

God bless.