JAYUS PEA READ THIS
http://byrd.senate.gov/speeches/byrd...ne_list_0.html
Remarks by Senator Byrd
June 09, 2004
Remembering President Ronald W. Reagan
Mr. President, on Saturday, our Nation lost a good man and a great American, the fortieth president of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
A former sports announcer, actor, television performer, and governor, this man from a small mid-western town was eventually elected to our Nation's highest office, not once, but twice, in landslide victories. His was a success story, an American success story. He demonstrated that the key to the American Dream is still determination, hard work, and perseverance. He did it by appealing to our "best hopes," not "our worst fears."
Historians will study and evaluate the impact of the Reagan Administration – his role in ending the Cold War and the results of his domestic policies.
What is beyond debate was his uncanny ability to connect with the American people. He knew where he wanted to take the country and attempted to do it with remarkable determination and charm. He restored a much needed sense of optimism in America, and he did it with a cheerfulness that was absolutely contagious.
His optimism was prevalent and penetrating and inspiring even during the darkest moments of his Administration. With the Challenger explosion, we grieved and despaired, but when President Reagan spoke of how those courageous astronauts reached out and "touched the face of God," suddenly all of us realized that we, as a country, would make it through this grievous hour, and the American adventure into space would go on. He was truly the "great Communicator."
I came to know and work with Mr. Reagan from a unique and important perspective. I was the leader of the opposition party in the U.S. Senate during both of President Reagan's terms.
From this position, I came to understand and appreciate, probably even more than his strongest supporters, his hold on the American people, and the importance of the leadership that he provided.
In fact, I found him to be as charming in person as he was when speaking to an audience or appearing on television.
Never once did I hear him engage in personal attacks on his challengers.
When we disagreed, which was more often than naught, it was always in civil tones. He was always smiling, patting you on the back, asking you about your family, and wishing you the best. You simply could not help but like him. He seemed not to confuse differences of opinion with differences of ideals or values. After all, he liked to point out, "we are all Americans."