David Brock on CSPAN-2's BookTV Tomorrow
March 28, 2009 5:10 pm ET by Karl Frisch
David Brock, founder and CEO of Media Matters for America, will be
appearing on CSPAN-2's BookTV this Sunday, March, 29, 2009 at 2:00pm
ET. He will be moderating a discussion with Will Bunch, author of the
new book, Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our
Politics and Haunts Our Future.
Visit CSPAN for more information.
Thanks, I'll tune in.
And I hope the discussion will include showing at least still photographs of Reagan playing the foolish father to a chimpanzee in "Bedtime for Bonzo"...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bedtime_for_Bonzo.jpg
...if not clips of whole scenes: no accounting of the Reagan legacy is complete, without BONZO.
(Never ever forget, the man was an actor, his whole life.)
I was aware that TCM was showing some his many movies (I am a big fan of TCM), but I didn't watch a single one of them, as from what little exposure I've had to some of those movies, they are not very good, and neither is Reagan very good in them (although I faintly recall something he was in with Errol Flynn, that was OK: otherwise, neither Ronald Reagan the actor, or any movie he was in, can tempt me into the bad investment of two hours of my time... of course, "Bedtime for Bonzo" is the singular exception, as I will forever enjoy the spectacle of Ronald Reagan playing the foolish dopey father of a chimpanzee).
Ronald Reagan was an actor, his entire life.
And I do not know whose delusion that fact has failed to penetrate more: Ronald Reagan himself, or the many Americans who think him a great President.
As for the C-SPAN show that Mr. Brock hosted, I watched it and was glad for all the food for thought it provided me, regarding the Reagan legacy. I wasn't aware upfront that it was a re-telecast of something from a month or so ago. I was glad to see a little film montage at the beginning, that alternated various Republicans invoking the man's name, with little clips of the actor Ronald Reagan, incuding one showing him being upstaged by Bonzo. And I found Mr. Bunch's insights and expertise on that legacy to be great. And had I been able to ask him a question about Ronald Reagan, it would have been this:
"Aside from lower taxes, and less Regulation, and perhaps that Democrats are the bane of America, what Public Policy opinions are there, that are original to Ronald Reagan or his Presidential administration? And I would add to the question, that the things I named (less taxes etc.) are not only Policy opinions not original to Ronald Reagan, they are not truly Policy opinions at all (for being too non-specific). But still the question stands: what Public Policy opinions if any, are original to Ronald Reagan or his administration?"
Because I can hardly think anybody can truly leave a legacy behind, without having created or formed anything original to themselves, in their lifetime... and being the father of a chimpanzee in a movie, doesn't really count: or if it does, then it calls into question the sanity, of those who think the man was a great President, versus him simply acting like one.
The Errol Flynn one was good, yes. Reagan was just used as a cut up.
BTW, if you check out the C-SPAN schedule, you'll notice that the Brock interview is about the only one that is not being repeated...at all.
http://www.booktv.org/schedule.aspx