Political Quotes

“I have a wonderful personal anecdote about President Reagan. He visited Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1984. It was a monumental visit because he joined Pope John Paul II in Fairbanks for a summit there. The President and Nancy Reagan arrived in Fairbanks on their way back from China. The following day, the Pope was arriving on his way to Korea. As we do in Alaska, we can facilitate great unions because of our strategic location at the top of the globe. So they were able to meet at the Fairbanks International Airport. During his stopover in Fairbanks, the President spent his time at my parent's home out on the Chena River. They were there for a couple of days. It would not be much of a story except that the home was brand spanking new. It had not yet been furnished. So in an effort to make sure the President and Mrs. Reagan were comfortable, the community literally furnished the home, complete with very fine Alaskan artwork. It was perhaps a showcase home for a couple of days. Everything from the city's artwork to the china ultimately had to be returned to wherever it came from. The community went all out for the President and Mrs. Reagan. Because this was a new house, there were some kinks that still needed to be worked out, specifically the water. It didn't have hot water. Apparently, after a long flight, it is quite nice to stop and take a shower, or perhaps Mrs. Reagan needed a warm bath. But there was no hot water. A call was made to then-Senator Murkowski at about 3 a.m.…”