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June 9, 2004

William Buckley interviewed about Ronald Reagan

In this interview, William Buckley reminisces about his old friend, Ronald Reagan. The entire interview is well worth reading, and includes the following anecdotes:

Q: How was it when there was disagreement?

A: It was sometimes vigorous, but never sundering. For instance, he was opposed to ratifying the Panama Canal treaty, and we debated the subject for two hours on television, each of us with illustrious assistants. We punched each other pretty hard. A couple of months later I was scheduled for dinner at his home in Bel Air. He got me on the telephone: "Drive slowly up the drive, real slow." I did -- and came upon, every 20 yards, huge hand-drawn signs: "WE BUILT IT." "WE PAID FOR IT." "IT'S OURS!"

Q: Did he offer you a job when he became president?

A: Yes/No. I had written him during the campaign that I didn't want a job. He answered back that he was disappointed: "I've had it in mind to appoint you ambassador to Afghanistan." Big joke, the Soviet Union having just taken over there. But in correspondence thereafter he always referred to me as "Mr. Ambassador," and the week before leaving the White House he wrote to commend me on the Soviet withdrawal -- "and you did it," he wrote, "without leaving Kabul for a minute." Good-humored fantasies played long with Ronald Reagan.

Posted by Tom at June 9, 2004 7:35 AM |

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