Reagan was the second worse post war US President, second only to Trump, although some would say he was even worse than Trump. Reagan's failures are legendary, his support for terrorists and brutal despotic regimes in Iraq, Iran, El Salvador, South Africa, Panama and elsewhere. His economic polices forced a million Americans into poverty. Reagan was a first class warmonger and a liar, he lied about his war service, appointed corrupt officials to high office. His whole administration was corrupt. Reagan was a fraud, and one of the worse US Presidents ever.

p/s Who can forget Reagan ordering a US nuclear strike against the Soviet Union when he didn't realise the microphone was turned on, he should have stuck to his third rate acting career.

"Parliamentary debates, federal and states, are little more than red-bottomed baboons having a grunting contest", I observed this morning. In the days of Menzies, Whitlam, and their predecessors, debates featured knowledge, wisdom and wit. "Until the mid-1960s, MPs were banned from reading speeches – let alone mindlessly regurgitating talking points from a minister or shadow minister's office".

"Therefore the only way there is two sides to the story is if you are conceding conservative intellectuals can be out and out liars."

Oh that's the only option? Someone's lying? How about two people genuinely having a different recollection? Does human frailty not compute in your world?

Two people, many years down the track with differing recollections. It happens more often than we'd like. Ask any police investigator. Ever been married? :)

Again, why the angst? Who wrote the phrase is of minor and purely historic curiosity. (BTW, Reagan had talked about tearing down the wall all the way back in 1967). The really important thing is that Reagan had defied his own State Dept to utter the words. Thankfully.

mhaze,

Why are you contradicting historical facts?

As Steele pointed out - there aren't two options
to this speech. It's not a competition. Just a
recognition of what happened and has been acknowledged
as such.
Stop diverting

OK Foxy, got it,

The version you like is a fact, just because. The other is a lie, just because.

That type of thinking explains a lot.

"especially in California - his home state. I know. I lived there for close to ten years."

Oh, is that where you learned all about the electoral college?

___________________________________________________________________

On more substantive issues, after mentioning it t'other day, I pulled out my copy of "A Certain Grandeur" last night to reread it after 4 decades. Its really quite fascinating and has some good stuff on the art of speech-writing from someone who was probably Australia's best. If you get a chance, give it a read, especially if you're interested in the Whitlam era.

mhaze,

Still back-peddling.

Unfortunately your track record isn't good.
Supporter of Trump. Supporter of Pell. And the
list goes on.

I doubt your chances of getting it right.
But keep trying.