ABC’s Muir Tags Michael Reagan as ‘Conservative’ But Skips Ron Jr’s Ideology

Picking up on “a family feud” fueled by a decision by ABC News to promote Ron Reagan Jr’s new book in which he insists his father displayed symptoms of Alzheimer’s while in his first presidential term, ABC anchor David Muir, who failed to identify Ron Jr. as a liberal, reported “Ron's conservative half-brother Michael Reagan is blasting him.” Muir highlighted Michael’s devastating tweet: “My brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother.” After citing another tweet in which Michael charged “my brother seems to want to sell out his father to sell books,” Muir tried to attribute Michael’s disgust to a rivalry: “Michael Reagan, now angry with his brother, also has a book out this week .” Ron Reagan Jr. once hosted a show on MSNBC and is a regular guest on the left-wing channel where he reliably offers liberal commentary. In the January 16 Parade magazine he displayed his inability to refrain from taking liberal pokes at his late father’s policies. The excerpt, from My Father at 100 , included: His cherished tax cuts were passed. However, they were scaled back when it became apparent that trickle-down economics was, indeed, “voodoo.” (Something better to read. Parade has posted their December 4, 1983 cover story by then-President Ronald Reagan: “ How to Stay Fit: The President’s personal exercise program .”) From the Sunday, January 16 ABC World News: DAVID MUIR: Tonight, a family feud is brewing, Ronald Reagan's sons arguing over their father's mind during his presidency. In a new book, Ron Reagan Jr. says his father showed signs of Alzheimer's while he was President, even during his first term. He spoke to ABC's Elizabeth Vargas. RON REAGAN JR ON FRIDAY’S 20/20: There was just something that was off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. MUIR: Now, Ron's conservative half-brother Michael Reagan is blasting him. On Twitter he writes: “My brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother.” And he goes on to write: “My brother seems to want to sell out his father to sell books. My father did not suffer from Alzheimer’s in the '80s.” Incidentally, Michael Reagan, now angry with his bother, also has a book out this week. The brothers now feuding. — Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

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ABC’s Muir Tags Michael Reagan as ‘Conservative’ But Skips Ron Jr’s Ideology

Posted by on January 17, 2011. Filed under News, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry