Let’s not forget Reagan’s pragmatism

Frank Beaty, Las Vegas

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

I was so pleased to see the column by Jacob Heilbrunn, “Reagan, the anti-Reaganite,” that was published in Sunday’s Las Vegas Sun. Every time I hear ultraconservatives point to Ronald Reagan as the leader who best represents their vision, I laugh out loud.

While Reagan may have talked the game that conservatives like most, as Heilbrunn points out, his actions were often far more pragmatic, which in my opinion is the real reason to respect his legacy. He made mistakes, most notably the enormous deficit created on his watch, which President Bill Clinton cleaned up.

But I hope what we emulate from Reagan is his pragmatism on foreign affairs as we watch things now unfolding in the Middle East. Based on his actions, he is far more like President Barack Obama in approach than conservatives would like to admit.