WESTBROOK, Minnesota (STPNS) -- Last week I was reading an op ed piece in the Star Tribune by Dana Milbank of the Washington Post.

    Recently the news broke about a vial of Ronald Reagan’s blood being auctioned off on line. Some blogs explored the possibility of cloning the late president.

    The  price of the sample jumped to $30,000. Well the seller caved in to criticism and donated it to the Reagan Foundation before  (in the words of the writer) mad scientists got the chance to perform a Dolly-the-Sheep experiment with the 40th president.



    It’s interesting to note that almost all of the Republican candidates have aligned themselves with the former president.

    The writer points out filling the mold, by mapping the Reagan genes, they may wish to consider some genetic flaws before making a clone compatible with today’s Republican party.

    AFL-1 Reagan was very susceptible to workers rights. He said the right to join a union is, “one of the most elemental human rights.” He also supported collective bargaining.

    EPA-4 He signed a law establishing efficiency standards for electric appliances. He updated Safe Drinking water standards, and punished states that did not comply.

    SSA-1 and MDCR-1 In 1983 he expanded Social Security and imposed taxes on the wealthy recipients. He also signed the largest expansion (at the time) of Medicare in its history!

    DEBT-1 DEBT-2 DEBT-3 Reagan increased taxes several times after his initial tax cut. He also signed 18 increases in the debt limit.

    SPND-1 SPND-2 SPND-3 He expanded the federal government, grew the work force, and the federal budget, and added the Department of Veterans Affairs (one  of the largest Cabinet agencies) plus he pursued a military buildup that would be impossible under  proposed spending limits.

    EITC-1 Reagan had a compassion chromosome that led him to champion the Earned Income Tax credit for the working poor. Budgets proposed by today’s Republicans would eliminate or severely cut the credit. Reagan said Bus Drivers should not pay more than millionaires — one of President Obama’s tax proposals opposed by the Republicans.

    DEAL-4 Reagan compromised on arms control, the size of government, taxes and other matters of principal. He criticized “radical conservatives” for whom ‘compromise’ was a dirty word.”

    It seems odd that what Reagan was in favor of is mostly known as liberal policy today. Of course he was a Democrat before joining the Republican Party.

    Well if the present day Republicans want to embody the chromosomes of Ronald Reagan, they are going to do a lot of genetic engineering!

    I always thought deep down President Reagan was a very good man, even though I did not agree with some of his ideas. But after reading this column my opinion of him has been elevated to a much higher level.

    I guess when you look back through the past fifty years or so things in both parties have changed dramatically. Back in the sixties and seventies the radical left of the Democratic party seemed to take over much of the party thinking.

    Since the Reagan years the ultra right wing of the  Republicans have taken a strong hold on that party.

    We know that extremism in almost any situation is not a good thing.

    If this country is to survive, our political parties need to step up and say enough is enough. Both parties need to move closer to the middle, and learn to get along.

    I  am sure most of our legislators are good people with good intentions, so maybe these people need to get together  in a social way. Perhaps these people should gather together on occasion to work side by side for a charitable cause, like Habitat for Humanity. Although I don’t know if I would allow them to use power tools unsupervised.

    

Have a great week and do good!