RONALD REAGAN LEGACY BETTER SERVED BY ADOPTION THAN BLOOD - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

I was saddened to hear of the release of the new book, "My Father at 100," an exploitive account of President Reagan written by his son the very liberal Ron Reagan in an attempt to cash in on the 100th birthday commemoration of the former President throughout this year. In the book the younger Reagan claims without any medical foundation that his father was showing signs of Alzheimer's as early as the 1984 Presidential debate between Reagan and Mondale.

President Reagan was a little off his usual game in the debate but for the assertion that it was due to the onset of Alzheimer's is ridiculous. President Reagan's eldest son who was adopted and much closer to his dad has come out publicly blasting his brother over the claim and stated that Ron Reagan was an, "embarrassment," to his father when he was alive and with the publishing of the book has become an embarrassment to his mother, Nancy Reagan today.

The younger Reagan goes on to claim that in the second term of his Presidency, President Reagan was not in control at the White House and most of the decisions were made by Vice President Bush and Nancy. Once again a load of sensationalism and false claims by the blood son of the former President. The younger Reagan is jumping on the left wing band wagon which has been seeking to diminish the historic and world changing legacy of President Reagan ever since he left office and the assertion that he suffered from Alzheimer's during his Presidency has been part of that left wing anti Reagan propaganda since he announced his having the disease in 1994.

President Reagan is obviously better served by his adopted son than his blood son which has been the case long before the release of this book. Michael Reagan like Nancy has worked very hard in preserving the legacy of President Reagan and keeping the true historical record of one of our greatest Presidents honest and factual for a public who remember the President and for those younger generations who are learning about the world changing Presidency of our 40th Chief Executive.

I have experienced personally the affects of this devastating disease known as Alzheimer's with the loss of my mother to it in 2005. I witnessed her deterioration and saw how the disease affected her every ability to remember family, friends and even simple everyday things of life. I understand fully how this terrible disease affects those who have it and those who care for or are associated with anyone who has Alzheimer's. It is impossible to hide the affects of this terrible disease.

Ronald Reagan as President was the most public figure of the eighties as any President is during his term or terms of office. He had contact on a daily basis with individuals from his cabinet to the Congress as well as world leaders and foreign dignitaries. He is constantly in public view and scrutinized by a press corps that hangs on his every move and word seeking a headline or a sound bite which will make the news of that day.

For Ron Reagan to assert that his father had Alzheimer's from 1984 through the end of his Presidency in January 1989 poses an impossible feat of hiding a disease which is equally impossible to hide especially for a public figure as prominent as a President. It affects the memory so severely, then later physically affecting the body that hiding and covering for it as Reagan claims could not have been done.

Many of President Reagan most historic moments as President came AFTER his sons assertion that he was suffering from Alzheimer's as early as 1984. His summits with Mikhail Gorbachev came after 1984 since the former Soviet leader did not come into power until 1985. Gorbachev has stated many times that President Reagan was an extremely strong and well informed foe in their many talks and summits which led to the ending of the Cold War. This coming form a world leader who was became a personal friend because of the respect gained by their association and Reagan's strength as a leader.

The famous Brandenburg Gate speech in which President Reagan called on Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall was delivered in 1987. His consoling of our Nation in the wake of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster came in 1986. His farewell address as President considered by many to be one of his finest speeches was delivered in January, 1989. And Reagan's most memorable debate came later in 1984 when he destroyed Mondale in their second meeting. These are just a few examples of hundreds of a man who was well in control of his memories and his abilities all of which could not have been done by someone who was suffering from Alzheimer's, an extremely debilitating disease impossible to hide.

Nancy, I am sure must be suffering terribly in knowing how her son is exploiting his father and making such false claims against the man she loved passionately for so many years and I am sure still loves today. She worked tirelessly as First Lady to preserves the legacy of her husband and later to keep that legacy strong and true for all Americans and the world to share. Now to have it tainted by her only son must be a devastating situation for the former First Lady.

Ron Reagan shows no respect for his father nor his mother with his book that makes such a false claim and challenges the historical Reagan as well. His claim is a attempt to diminish the legacy of his father and not an act of love from a proud son as he has tried to claim with his ridiculous book. Fortunately most Americans know the truth about President Reagan and many understand the liberal ways of his son Ron. As the year continues and the commemoration of this great President continues the sons book will fade into the ash heap of bad fiction writing as so many bad books before have gone

Ken Taylor