US Opinion and Commentary

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Nancy Reagan: She Had the Ear and the Heart of the President

Posted March 7th, 2016 at 3:53 pm (UTC-4)
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Wife. Mother. Daughter.
Actress. Advocate. First Lady.
Nancy Reagan lived an extraordinary American life. She brought a flair and panache to the White House not seen since Jacqueline Kennedy 20 years earlier. Her intuition and sensibilities predated Hillary Clinton as a political partner to a President.
A generation of Americans grew up to her mantra of “Just Say No” to drugs. And many more watched from afar as she dealt with her husband’s decade-long decline from Alzheimer’s.
In a statement Sunday, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama said Nancy Reagan “redefined the role” of First Lady of the United States. Through those who worked in the Reagan White House and those who covered it, we are finding out just how much.

Nancy Reagan, a Larger-than-Life First Lady

Posted March 7th, 2016 at 8:25 am (UTC-4)
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In Nancy Reagan’s mind, the presidency had been devalued and debased after a decade of poor leaders. She helped to create a White House and an image of the presidency, for better or worse, that made the institution larger than life.