Monk

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In this winter of their discontents, nostalgia for Ronald Reagan has become for many conservatives a substitute for thinking. This mental paralysis -- gratitude decaying into idolatry -- is sterile: Neither the man nor his moment will recur. Conservatives should face the fact that Reaganism cannot define conservatism.

-- George F. Will for The Washington Post

Mr. Will is an admiring devotee of President Reagan and an apostle of conservatism, and it was interesting to read him writing of how rather unconservative Reagan arguably was.

He relates a new book by John Patrick Diggins that looks too tempting just to pass over. Researching it a bit, I also came across another of his books that has Monk groaning in covetousness from a reading life that is already heavily crowded, "The Rise and Fall of the American Left," a work which was actually first published in 1973. Part of the problem is that I don't know if Monk is up to such dry reading at this stage in his life. I will have to sleep on it.

( Will column )

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WE hear constantly now about “our commander in chief.” The word has become a synonym for “president.” It is said that we “elect a commander in chief.” It is asked whether this or that candidate is “worthy to be our commander in chief.”

But the president is not our commander in chief. He certainly is not mine. I am not in the Army.

-- Garry Wills, "At Ease, Mr. President" in The New York Times

It may be a pedantic point, but I found it sharp and illuminating, waking one up a little. I particularly loved learning about how the practice of the marines saluting the president when he boards the White House helicopter was started by Ronald Reagan - another Republican playing Commando.

Of course, we understand that by referring to the president as commander in chief we mean to point out that he is the one who orders the military forces. We also know that a certain level of secrecy is unavoidable, even if Mr. Wills is right that Administrations, particularly Republican ones, take advantage of it. Still, this was some nice morning reading and a keeper.

( Wills column )

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