Reagan Family Feud: Alzheimer Claim Slammed

[sabra]

Source: CBS News

Michael Reagan Says Brother Ron Slanders Father's Legacy by Suggesting President Reagan Suffered Effects While in White House

(CBS) NEW YORK - To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, both his sons have written books about the 40th President. But brother Michael and Ron Reagan have very different ideas about their father's legacy.

In his new book, "My Father at 100" (Viking), Ron Reagan - the youngest son of former President Ronald Reagan - claims his father exhibited signs of Alzheimer's three years into his first term.

...

He said he was alarmed by his father's performance in his Oct. 7, 1984 presidential debate with Democratic challenger Walter Mondale. He writes of that day, "My heart sank as he floundered his way through his responses, fumbling with his notes, uncharacteristically lost for words. He looked tired and bewildered."

...

Nancy Reagan has not publicly commented on the claim made by her son, but the former president's eldest son, Michael Reagan, did. On Saturday he sent a message on Twitter reading, "Ron, my brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother."

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/17/earlyshow/main7254380.shtml?tag=stack

[TNDemo]

1. Three close relatives have had Alzheimer's in my family

and I know that it takes many years before symptoms manifest themselves to others. I am 100% sure Reagan had it while in office.

[SnakeEyes]

19. Also takes many years

for those symptoms to really affect one's life as well.

[bongbong]

32. Uh uh

The person sitting in the office of the most powerful man in the world must display absolutely none of the symptoms ever, in even the tiniest way.

[FreakinDJ]

2. exhibited signs of Alzheimer's on National TV

I remember when Reagan thought the mic was off at a Nationally Televised press conference. The whole Nation heard him claim "I don't know what is going on"

[Big Blue Marble]

3. Michael did not deny Ron's comments, only

commenting on the impact on his mother and the Reagan legacy.

[elleng]

7. Michael's a cons/repug/s.o.b, and says this about his brother:

'Ron, my brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother.' Got one like michael in my family. S.o.b.
Sociopath, imo, tries to look good and turn tables, blame the other. HE's sick, imo. And of course dumps this right in Nancy's lap.

[molly77]

17. I think the world stands with Ron.

It was evident to even the unaware that something was terribly amiss.

Michael reminds me of my family...making your reality as you go along.Always looking on the bright side and neocons.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Typical for him and his ilk.

Michael's whole professional career is based on being the son of St. Reagan. Anything that diminishes the legend created around his father would diminish Michael's standing and he knows it.

If Patty makes a public comment in agreement with Ron, Michael can use a similar tweet. In his mind only he and Maureen were respectful children.

[molly77]

16. And bush jr. was drugged and boozed up for 8 years.

The beginning of a pattern.Sarah Palin would be too unaware to be a problem.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. ...but his daughters will deny that.

[pnwmom]

24. Right. Saying Ron embarrassed Nancy does nothing to discredit him.

She should be embarrassed -- helping to cover up the President's growing disability.

[elocs]

4. Sometimes it hard to see the symptoms except in hindsight, and then they are clear.

My mother has been in a nursing home with dementia for over 14 years now and only after she was in did we recognize that she had early symptoms years before.

[AlbertCat]

14. My mother has been in a nursing home with dementia ...

we recognize that she had early symptoms years before.

********

Same here.

Reagan was the 1st PR cardboard cutout prez. Bush Jr. was the second. They were proxies elected by the people so someone else.... not elected... could actually run things.

The House of Reps is proxy now that teabaggers are in charge. They just do theatre.... like attempting to repeal Health Care, and reading the Constitution out loud. They are not there to get anything done, just for show. Which means SOMEONE is running things. Who is it? because it ain't our reps. That's what you should be asking yourself as things change and laws get passed.

Does Obama ever question or reject what his DLC advisors suggest? Does he push them into new territory? Jess askin'....

[pnwmom]

25. They were clear back then to anyone who was paying attention. n/t

[Donnachaidh]

41. Didn't every single comedian out there make jokes about Reagan being a dodderhead back then?

No one in the admin saw it -- but every single comedian worked the dithering, head-shaking mannerisms of Reagan's into their acts. It WAS known by all the folks who didn't have a monetary reason to ignore the facts.

[jmowreader]

45. I actually think everyone in the admin saw it

There's no reason they wouldn't. They did, however, do a very good job of protecting Reagan from the public.

[Ten Bears]

5. I saw a make-shift Q&A at the ranch.

Reagan was asked what they were doing about the hostages and he hemmed and hawed and stared off into space while shifting his feet. You can clearly hear Nancy, standing behind him, whisper "We're doing everything that we can." the president immediately repeated it word for word in a much more authoritative tone.

[pam4water]

6. Still remembers the Mad Magazine Cover that Ask if Reagan was brain dead in 1982 :)

[boycottfaux]

9. Michael WHO?

Did Michael even have a relationship with President Reagan?

I never saw a photo of Michael as an adult with Mr. Reagan.  I
do remember adopted Michael say that Mr. Reagan did not see
his daughter for three years while the Reagans were in the
White House 'cause Michael was never invited to the White
House.

Ron, Jr. would certainly know his father's mental condition
and I'm not hearing Michael deny Ron, Jr.'s statement.

[Historic NY]

11. an old People Mag. article....

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20085178,00.html

[boycottfaux]

18. Great find

Great article.  I remember the adopted son always bitching and
whining . .

[molly77]

20. Yep, that fits.

[EC]

10. I guess that must be why Daddy had Ron around

and hardly ever saw Michael?

[smuglysmiling]

12. Wasn't Michael Reagan the estranged adopted child?

If memory serves me right he wouldn't have much inside knowledge and frankly just trades on the Reagan name to make a buck...

[Raschel]

15. I don't think Mike's adoption should be a factor in this discussion.

[boycottfaux]

22. Not a factor

Adoption is a fact.  When Reagan and Wyman divorced, Ronnie
didn't see his adopted kids very much.  Read the People
magazine article linked on this thread and you'll get a better
picture of Michael's bitterness then and NOW . .

Remember how out of place he was at Reagan's funeral. It was
hard to watch, I was embarrassed for him.

[Frances]

27. Michael and his adopted sister (now deceased)

both had it tough. I'm sorry that they did not receive the attention they should have received from their adoptive father.

But because their adoptive father, President Reagan, did not spend time with them, I would have to say that they didn't get the chance to know him as well as President Reagan's children with Nancy did. I always felt that both Michael and his adoptive sister became super Republicans as a way to get their father's attention and approval.

They set themselves up as the "good" kids versus the "bad" biological kids. Thus, Michael's statement that Ron embarrassed his father and his mother.

[JI7]

39. actually Maureen was pretty moderate and a good person

Ron and Patti both liked her.

[Raine]

46. Maureen was Ronald Reagan's biological child with

his first wife Jane Wyman, she was not adopted. Only Michael is adopted.

[davidwparker]

13. Hmmm. Would Michael lie to protect the Reagan mystique?

I believe Ron.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. Duh. Of course Michael would say that.

[tsstranger]

26. The fake Reagan

Michael, the fake Reagan and right wing hate monger slanders Reagan's REAL son.

[FightingBobsghost]

28. "Daddy didn't love me enough!"

"my brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive..."

But Mikey, who did Ronnie refer to as "the schuck"? Who has made his entire career off of being St. Reagan's son?
He has always been jealous of Ron Jr. As much as I hated St. Ronnie, Ron Jr. is a class act and I don't expect him to call Mike out like he did Pam Geller but I would love to see them debate.

[Patriought]

29. Remember when...

Reagan was exiting a helicopter,along with Nancy, and a reporter asks a question:

Reporter:"Mr. President..." (Don't remember what was asked, but a question about some developing situation)

Nancy Reagan (sotto voce):We're doing everything we can"

Ronald Reagan: "We're doing everything we can!"

This was big news for a day or two at the time.

[QUALAR]

30. IRAN/CONTRA

During Reagan's taped Iran/Contra deposition, he responding to several inquiries that he did not remember. Initially, I thought he was covering up, but today I believe that he truly did not remember because of his illness.

[diane in sf]

31. I'm with Ron Jr., Ron Sr.'s damage was obvious to anyone who listened to him.

[julian09]

36. Michael Regan

I thought his first name was "my father Ronald Regan" REGAN.
I'm so sick of him cashing in on that, I want to puke.
Ron jr has too much class than to say he is not his brother, but he thinks and knows it.

[TatonkaJames]

33. Ron's forgetfulness

By contrast, as President, in his 70s, "He forgot the names of Cabinet officers, trusted aides and visiting dignitaries. In Brazil, he toasted the people of Bolivia" <9>. A friend tells Dr. Zebra of a film clip in which Reagan, as President, is asked a question, only to look completely blank until his wife Nancy whispers an evasive answer in his ear (audible to the camera), which Reagan then speaks.

I remember seeing her do this on numerous occasions but I guess they deleted them from Youtube already to rewrite history.

[blackspade]

34. Michael Reagan is a douche.

Ron needs to tweet 'My brother Michael is an asshole'.

[radhika]

35. Totally obvious to me - which brings up a question...

What the f**k is the president's much-hyped annual physical supposed to accomplish? Every year, the sitting president goes to Walter Reed and gets a full check up - and the results are parroted to the American public. That reassures us that the president is in good health and fit to hold office.

You can't tell me that they missed that also - or did they simply hide behind a protocol that made no mention of mental impairments, like Alz, dementia, mental illness or even forgetfullness. Afraid to make waves?

[Raster]

37. Oh please. The last two years in the White House, the Great Liar was a drooling, incontinent mess.

Michael Reagan is a douche... and a liar.

[HERVEPA]

38. You folks kidding?. This SNL skit told the truth!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4174/saturday-night-live-president-reagan-mastermind

[JI7]

40. Michael Reagan ins't trying to defend or protect Ronald Reagan with this, it's more about cashing

in on the wingnuts who worship Ronald Reagan. the truth is that Michael Reagan most likely still is angry at his dad for sending him away while he had this other life with Nancy that he wasn't a part of.

Michael Reagan is just a whore.

[QC]

42. It was widely rumored. I went to school with the daughter of a prominent GOP senator

who said her father used to come home from meetings at the White House marveling at how out-of-it the president was and how quickly he was getting worse.

Lots of people knew.

[Ticonderoga]

43. Sorry Michael. but as a fact of business.

Ron is not your brother.

[Kelvin Mace]

44. Regan's Alzheimers

was apparent to even my untrained eye in '84. I think that should the medical records ever get declassified (or, perhaps, leaked to some web site that specializes in leaks) I, Ron, and many others who held this view will be vindicated.

[Raine]

47. I think Michael has always been insecure because

out of the three children of RR's he was the only one who was adopted. Michael has always tried to out Reagan Reagan. Also along with his issues, it's a good way to make a living by sucking off the family name.