Ronald Reagan actually said...

You know the meetings between artists and politicians are fraught with peril.

You were our ambassador of the heart, and for that I want to thank you both for myself and for all of America.

I must say it's an honor to play host to the man who, as one British critic put it, is simply the greatest pianist dead or alive.

And I'm glad that this is such a small, intimate gathering, because what I really wanted was the chance to thank you personally for being ou...