Hightower Lowdown

Greek gods didn't get the glorification that Ronald Reagan has gotten since his death, and now Republican politicos are pushing to have Ronnie's face carved on Mount Rushmore, to replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill with Reagan's likeness, to name still more big-government facilities in Washington after him, to make his birthday a national holiday, and to name at least one thing after Reagan in every one of America's 3,067 counties.

A little perspective, please! It would be appropriate, for example, to erect a statue on the Mall and inscribe it, "Ronald Reagan: The man who gave us Saddam Hussein." Yes, for five years, Reagan provided aid and weaponry to arm the Iraqi thug for his war against Iran.

And, yes, that's the same Iran that Ronnie's White House basement troll, Ollie North, sold arms to in order to finance Reagan's secret, illegal war against Nicaragua's elected government––a criminal misadventure that led to 11 top Reagan officials being convicted.

Just for old times' sake, here are a few more golden chestnuts from Ronnie's tenure: James Watt, ketchup as a vegetable, Star Wars, a tax credit for segregated Bob Jones University, the S&L scandal, trees cause pollution, Grenada, William Casey, union busting, trickle-down economics, CIA sponsorship of Muslim radicals in Afghanistan (including one Osama bin Laden), Ed Meese, extensive cuts in programs serving poor people, Robert Bork, and the tripling of the national debt. Let's give Reagan his due. All of it