At the 2009 California State Young Republican Convention in SImi Valley, I had the pleasure of meeting and listening to Congressman Dan Lungren.
Congressman Lungren is the former Attorney General of California. In 2002 he ran for governor, but was the victim of success. Republicans controlled the governorship for 16 straight years, and voters got complacent, forgetting that it was not luck that had things running effectively. Months after letting the Democrats control things, voters expressed remorse in the form of a recall election.
The Reagan Library was a beautiful setting for a tribute from one real conservative to another one. Congressman Lungren , clearly aware of his settings, had the warmest of words about the Gipper.
With Miss California Carrie Prejean and others looking on, I present the words of Congressman Dan Lungren.
“”It’s good to be hear with the real Miss California.”
“I am glad to be speaking before Carrie Prejean, because if I was speaking after her, nobody would listen.”
“I lost for governor to set Gray Davis up for the recall. That plan worked well.”
“Ronald Reagan was not a detail person. He was a substance person.”
“Ronald Reagan loved to ride horses, and he befriended a Secret Service agent who also loved to ride. After one particularly bad day in Reagan’s later years, the Secret Service agent told Nancy Reagan that he didn’t think President Reagan ought to ride anymore. Mrs. Reagan told the agent, ‘You tell him.’ The Secret Service agent agonized over how to tell President Reagan to give up something he loved so much.
The Secret Service agent told the President, ‘Today was not a good day sir.’ President Reagan responded to his friend and Secret Service agent, ‘You know, I don’t think I should ride anymore.’
This is the type of man Ronald Reagan was. He knew how difficult it was for his friend to tell him to give up something he loved. President Reagan was more concerned for his friend than for himself. That was Ronald Reagan.”
“I love Notre Dame. I remember seeing Ronald Reagan in practice throw a strike of a pass to Tim Brown, the Heisman Trophy winner. I love watching Notre Dame beat USC.”
(Some in the crowd booed in a friendly way, as I, a USC guy, yelled, “Recall him!”)
“Ronald Reagan was once running late for his plane. However, everything turned out fine because President Reagan reminded everybody that Air Force One does not leave until he arrives.”
“Ronald Reagan never liked Brown suits. He preferred charcoal gray or Navy blue. When asked why, he replied, ‘I was wearing one of those brown suits when I was shot. The doctors took it off of me, and I haven’t worn that d@mn thing since.”
Congressman Lungren then shifted to the world of today.
“I thought the tea parties could be destructive. I really thought it was going to be like 1992, when the Perot voters brought us Clinton.”
“This health care debate not coming from the top. It is coming from the bottom up. The tea parties are spontaneous. They are not organized.”
“In London, Al Gore admitted that ‘Cap and trade is the first step toward global governance.'”
“Young people understand that the choice is between a Freedom Agenda or a faceless bureaucrat. That is the positive message we can deliver.”
“This president, for all he stands for, will take your freedom away.”
Over the course of the evening, I asked Congressman Lungren if he would run for California’s top job again. His wife was standing next to him, and it seems Mr. Lungren will not be running for governor again. Infer what you wish from my description.
They were both friendly and pleasant, posing for pictures and chatting with many people at the event.
Congressman Lungren gave me the name of his staff person that was in charge of setting up an email interview. I look forward to bringing that interview at a later date.
For now, all I can say is that while California is far worse off for not electing him governor, his current Congressional constituents are lucky to have him.
eric
The Tea Parties and Townhall protests are certainly not bottom-up, spotaneous phenomena. They are the result of LIES.
A recent NBC poll showed that there are some very serious misconceptions out there. Those misconceptions are the product of misinformation propagandized to an ignorant public.
From the poll:
Will give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants …………
55 Likely To Happen
34 Unlikely To Happen
11 Not Sure
Will lead to a government takeover of the health care system …..
54 Likely To Happen
39 Unlikely To Happen
7 Not Sure
Will use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions …..
50 Likely To Happen
37 Unlikely To Happen
13 Not Sure
Will allow the government to make decisions about when to stop providing medical care to the elderly ……
45 Likely To Happen
50 Unlikely To Happen
5 Not Sure
All these things are LIES, designed to inflame, insense, aggravate, and spread fear. There’s no coverage for “illegal immigrants.” Never was, never will be. The Hyde Amendment guarantees that no federal money is spent on elective abortions – period. Though many of us wish it would, the government has no intention of taking over all healthcare. The health insurance industry is too powerful and economically entrenched for that to happen. There is no euthanasia in any of the proposed bills. These things are all LIES. Just like “Obama is gonna take yer’ guns away,” or “Obama is a secret Muslim sympathetic to the terrorists,” and other sick, stupid nonsense.
This is not some grassroots movement – this is mob mentality. This is a witchhunt. And the protesters are just plain ol’ suckers – protesting against their very own best interests. Meanwhile, Big Insurance CEO’s are rubbing their grubby little hands in delight, and counting their money, the money you paid for care that you’re going to have a very hard time ever getting.
JMJ