Guest Blogger: Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) on ‘Recovering Ronald Reagan’

Rep. Darrell Issa / June 17, 2009

Why Government Still Doesn’t Have the Solutions

Political irony has experienced a profound illustration in the early days of the Obama administration. Seldom has a president rendered such thoughtful tribute to a predecessor whose values his every legislative effort was certain to undermine.

Case in point: Two events on Capitol Hill during the first week of June 2009 were coordinated to honor the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan. At a signing ceremony in the White House Diplomatic Room, President Obama authorized a centennial commission to plan for the former president’s 100th birthday celebration in 2011. The very next day, hundreds of members of Congress were on hand for the unveiling of a statue of Ronald Reagan that will grace the Capitol Rotunda.

“President Reagan helped as much as any president to restore a sense of optimism in our country, a spirit that transcended politics,” Obama said. “It was this optimism that the American people sorely needed during a difficult period — a period of economic and global challenges that tested us in unprecedented ways.” (more…)