Douglas Alexander: “A few years ago when Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, he attended one of the many press dinners which…”

“A few years ago when Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, he attended one of the many press dinners which are held. I think it was the gridiron dinner. I think it is well known that maybe 90 percent of the press corps in Washington had a different point of view on issues than President Reagan did, but they liked him anyway, and they respected him and he had fun with them, just as they did with him. I remember on that evening he strode into the gridiron dinner looking like a million dollars, smiling big. The press rose, smiling back, applauding. He stood in front of them until it subsided, and then he said to his adversaries in the media: Thank you very much. I know how hard it is to clap with your fingers crossed. And they laughed, and they had a wonderful time with President Reagan. The first thing we think about, those of us who had any opportunity to get to know him--a great many of us--was that Ronald Reagan was a very friendly man.”