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# Posted 12:32 AM by Ariel David Adesnik

REAGAN THE FANTASY LIBERAL: Just like Wes Clark, Maureen Dowd is trying to attack Bush by comparing him (unfavorably) to Reagan. Yet in order to come up with such an unfavorable comparison, Dowd and Clark have to cherry pick or simply fabricate the rare dovish moments in Reagan's presidency.

I'm opposed to this for two reasons. First, for better or worse, Bush hasn't come close to Reagan in terms of hawkishness or intransigence. Second, liberals should not abet conservative efforts to launder Reagan's record. Third, I've spent this whole week being pissed off at what a poor knowledge of recent history most journalists have, despite the fact they lived through it themselves.

I'm so pissed off that I am allowed to defy basic axioms of mathematics.

UPDATE: Finally, Howard Kurtz provides some perspective on the media's incredible ability to forget how much it hated Reagan.

UPDATE II: Jim Hoagland is also trying to correct a lot of the misperceptions that are out there.

UPDATE III: Now Kevin Drum is joining the Reagan-better-than-Bush crowd. I don't get it. As someone who spends his days reading newspapers from and books about the 80's, I find it amazing that anyone could describe Reagan as more flexible or more responsive to criticism. I have two words for you, people: IRAN-CONTRA.

UPDATE IV: Actually, Iran-Contra is probably one word, not two. But as noted above, I am exempt from the laws of mathematics.

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