A lightning bolt from heaven thrown at bush

[Nightjock]

On Saturday Christopher Reeve left John Kerry a message thanking him for keeping the stem cell research debate out at the forefront. They had been friends for 15 years.
The media is reporting the story.

I wish they would make a posthumous commercial out of that voice mail. (I know, bad taste.)

God bless you Mr Reeve. Rest in Peace. You'll smile from heaven on November 2nd when Kerry wins in a landslide.

[Bronco69]

1. Didn't Next President Kerry specifically mention

Christopher Reeve by name in one of the debates?

[lightbulb]

5. Yes he did

He referenced his friend "Chris Reeve" several times when discussing stem cell research on Friday's debate. Fascinating timing.

May Mr. Reeve rest peacefully.

[davidjhorrell]

2. "Rest in piece"?

[Nightjock]

3. oops!

let me fix that.

[Javaman]

4. Correct me if I'm wrong but,...

a friend just told me that Reeve was a republican up until the day before he was paralyzed?
Is this true?

[BuelahWitch]

7. I don't think so

He was an environmentalist who was good friends with Al Gore. Now, I guess you can still be a repug and be friends with Al, but it's debatable that a repug is also environmentally aware. Of course, I could be biased...

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Republican is not necessarily repug. Bizarre as it sounds, the

EPA was started by Nixon. Republicans, at least a wing of republicans, have been strong environmentalists since Teddy Roosevelt. We need to separate those republicans from the repug administration that has hijacked their party (bizarrely, also directly linked back to Nixon. Always thought he was somewhat schizo).

[Dark Jedi]

26. You Are Correct, Sir!

There is and has been a tiny minority of people who vote Republicans, but are more enlightened than the typical base. Sadly in the last several decades, the fundies and ultra-capitalists have dominated their party. Nowhere is more evident of these two groups' hegemony (they often go hand-in-hand) than in this current Bush & Co. admin.

[lightbulb]

8. Would not be surprised

Having a lot of money and good health can make it easy to turn a blind eye to those who don't have such things. I remember seeing an interview with him where he talked about visiting with some disabled people in preparation for a role or something shortly before the accident. He admitted that upon leaving he thought about how glad he was that he was not one of them. But then after the accident he realized that he was one of them all along, and everyone should work to erase such illusionary conceptual separations.

[enki23]

9. so what if he was?

some life events tend to help you put the world in better perspective. being permanently disabled gives you a lot of time to reevaluate your outlook, and your priorities.

[BuelahWitch]

10. From christopherreeve.org:

"...A founder and Co-President of The Creative Coalition he helped to create recycling in New York City and to persuade state legislature to set aside one billion dollars to protect the city's water supply. Since 1976 he was actively involved with Save the Children, Amnesty International, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Environmental Air Force and America's Watch...."

http://www.christopherreeve.org/cr_gt.html

[htuttle]

11. You know what that statement sounds like?

It sounds like the sort of throw-away lie that Limbaugh says to defuse a potential opposition point.

None of them are ever true, but he counts on most of his listeners never bothering to check (or continuing to believe him even after he's disproven by the 'liberal media').

[Lindacooks]

27. I actually had that impression too

that he was a Republican until he was injured.

[Lindacooks]

29. and, after doing research, I was so, so wrong

There's an article in Playgirl from 1982:

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/greatsleep/1023/sp-playgirl1982interview.html

where he says:

"The negative landscape, one we are really in danger of developing, is a landscape for rich people that leaves aside poor people, who are already being wiped out by Reagan...

I think Reagan is absolutely raping poor people in this country. He's frightening. His basic policy as I understand it is to give money back to big business so that they can reinvest it and it will filter down. The amount of time that that takes is something I don't think he understands at all. Not to mention the damage he's doing by the defense buildup. He's got his priorities totally screwed up as to what this country needs and wants. Cost overruns for military band uniforms exceed the arts budget! I think that's true. Certainly the cost of half a submarine is more than the entire arts budget.

I just don't think Reagan knows what he's doing. I don't think he has a clue. He's provoking the Russians in a terrifying way. It seems to come for some sort of misplaced pioneer spirit. You know, "By God, we're gonna make it across the Cumberland Gap." What Reagan seems to dig into is this thing of believing in himself no matter what his critics say, which I think is a particularly American trait."

I owe a huge apology to Mr. Reeve; I don't know where this incorrect information came from; he obviously was a very strong Democrat.

[LTR]

12. The only donation I could find

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=NY&last=Reeves&first=Christopher

REEVES, CHRISTOPHER
NEW YORK, NY 10017
ACTOR
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (D) $1000 03/12/03

[BUSHOUT]

15. You need new friends. n/t

[cheshire]

18. Your friends registration card needs checked.

[Ruby Romaine]

21. a republican? He went to El Salvador as an election monitor & was involved

with early Earth Day activities.
I don't think so!

[billybob537]

6. I believe Christopher Reeve

would heartily agree with using his voice and image to help elect Kerry and further the interest in stem cell research.

[shelley806]

13. Christopher Reeve

All of your remarks are so comforting-especially Lightbulbs. I was just in the AOL chat room, and some of the members there were saying that it is a blessing that the phony liberal had died, about the stupidity of stem cell research, etc. It left me so disheartened that I signed off after condemning the speaker. Ironically, Reeves in death, much like Reagan, might have a greater impact on the stem cell research debate.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. welcome to DU

:hi:

[cheshire]

20. So glad you here and away from those hateful people. Welcome.

[leftchick]

24. oh shelley806, why waste your time at AOL chat?

when you have found DU? Welcome

:)

[shelley806]

14. MSNBC Poll Stem Cell Research

Vote in online MSNBC poll for stem cell research.

[DaveinMD]

16. I believe

that Christopher Reeve was a Republican until his accident. That's what I heard. I have no link.

[Bridget Burke]

19. Please check earlier messages.

You appear to be mistaken.

[Ruby Romaine]

22. no way- he went to El Salvador - he was involved with

CIPSES (Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador)
Sorry-that's before many here were born!
Also his roommate at Julliard was Robin Williams- does that sound like a republican to you?

[Melinda]

25. His father was communist, Chris leaned D. From an interview in 2000:

What or who turned you on to politics?

Since my earliest years of recollection, at 7, 8, 9, I became interested in politics because of my father Franklin Reeve, who has always been extremely politically active. Even though he came from a wealthy family, after graduation from Princeton and getting a Ph.D. at Columbia, he joined the labor movement and became a communist and traveled frequently to Russia. He's somebody who has always seen things, in political terms, very far to the left. But growing up, I remember there were always very impassioned political discussions at the table, and friends of his included Senator Patrick Moynihan and various intellectuals from all over the country and from abroad.

Are you Republican or Democrat?

I lean much more toward being a Democrat, although I find that on a day-to-day basis, depending on the issue, I simply turn to the representative who can be the most helpful. For example, on some insurance issues and some disabilities issues, since my injury, I've been working with Republicans such as Congressman Porter and Senator Specter from Pennsylvania, who is on the Appropriations Committee. In those terms, I'm issue driven rather than controlled by party affiliation.


http://www.usaweekend.com/00_issues/000813/000813whosnews_reeve.html

[Ruby Romaine]

28. Good post Melinda. I think people forget that after Vietnam/Johnson

/Nixon, us boomers were not eager to identify strongly with the Democratic Party.
It's a recent phenomenon we can directly attribute to Bush's terrible policies.

[Renew Deal]

30. Not bad taste if his wife allows it.