As this is written, our 40th President, Ronald Reagan is safely home. His body is entombed behind his Library in Simi Valley, California. His spirit is, as he would say, "with the big fella upstairs."

I believe Ronald Reagan was the greatest President of the 20th century. Even his detractors put him in the overall top 5. So where does he place, and why?

Let us return to the year of 1980. Gasoline had gone from $.50 per gallon to a dollar. (double) On top of that, it was not always available. Mr. Carter, in his bureaucratic zeal, had involved the federal government in the distribution system. The result was, of course, less and more expensive gasoline. GM and Ford were bleeding red ink, and Chrysler had been rescued from bankruptcy the year before. Inflation was 15%, unemployment was 10%, and home mortgage rates were 11%. Our embassy staff in Tehran was being held hostage by Islamic militants, and a half-hearted attempt to rescue them had failed. The Soviets were on the offensive in Afghanistan, and we had boycotted the Summer Olympic Games in protest. Ted Kennedy even decided (a mere 11 years after Chappaquiddick) to oppose the incumbent President of his own party. The Republican Party was a shambles. Nixon had resigned in disgrace only 6 years before. The Democrats had nice majorities in both houses of Congress, and the national debate was about America on the decline. No one seemed to have an answer.

On to this stage stepped the former actor, former Democrat, admirer of FDR, and former Governor of California, Ronald Reagan. He had almost defeated Gerald Ford (the sitting President) for the Republican nomination in 1976. Now at 69 years old, only his most die-hard supporters thought he would do anything except be content to stay on his beloved ranch, chopping wood and riding horses. Born in 1911, he had seen four major wars. He had seen the income tax start at 2% only on the very wealthy, to a top rate of 70% applying to all but the poorest of citizens. He had seen an America go from being the pre-eminent power on earth to a shadow of its former self. He decided he needed to do something. He said that government was not the solution to our problems, but was the problem. He said we needed to cut taxes. He said we needed to increase defense spending. He said that America's best days were in front of us, not behind. He talked of America being a "shining city on a hill." The media roundly criticized him as "too old and out of touch", "a grade B actor", and "a wild cowboy unfit for high office". The "polls" predicted a Carter victory, or at best "a dead heat". On election night, before the polls closed on the east coast, Mr. Carter had conceded defeat. Even with some people turning around to go home and not voting at all, Mr. Reagan achieved a majority of the popular vote, in a three-man race. He carried 48 states in the Electoral College. With him, the Republican party took control of the Senate for the first time in 40 years. The people had spoken.

He single-handedly changed the debate. Our hostages in Iran were released the same minute he took office. (He had warned them he was coming) Suddenly, there was no question we would cut taxes. The only decision was how much and how soon. Now, there was no question we would increase the defense budget. The only question was how much and where to spend the money. He gave the Federal Reserve free reign to control the money supply. He ended price controls on gasoline and other fossil fuels. He fired 11,000 air traffic controllers that dared to strike, although their union had endorsed his candidacy. He placed quotas on Japanese cars, thereby forcing them to open factories here. He was almost killed by an assassin's bullet, but survived. He was criticized for not working hard enough. He liked to take a nap in the afternoon. Unless he was giving a speech, he tried not to work past 6pm.

In 1984 he ran for re-election, and won 49 states, and over 60 percent of the popular vote. The people again, had spoken.

He had some notable failures. Iran-contra, increased deficit-spending, two tax increases in 1982 and 1986. He did not eliminate the departments of Energy and Education. He was not able to get rid of various "great-society" programs. During his tenure the federal government almost doubled in size.

Ask Mikail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher who is most responsible for ending the Cold War and the subsequent breakup of the Soviet Union. Their answer: Ronald Wilson Reagan. They should know, they were there. Vladimir Putin (the current Russian President) was a bureau chief for the KGB in the 1980s. He credits Reagan also.

Simply put, Ronald Reagan left America, and the World, a better place than he found them. No other epitaph is needed.

On a personal note, I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Mr. Reagan in 1977. He was very personable, and very sharp mentally. As a former radio announcer he was quite a sports fan. When my friends and I told him where we went to college, he proceeded to tell us who our basketball team had lost to in the NCAA tournament that year. He knew where our golf and baseball teams had placed, and that we did not have a Division I football team. He had just given a 30 minute speech. No teleprompter, no notes. He did not, at the time, have any staff with him. Pretty sharp for a guy the media liked to say had no ideas of his own. Later, he signed a photo for me after riding down the driveway of his ranch on a horse. I know that Ronald Reagan was simply one the finest human beings to ever walk on planet earth. We are all better, because he chose to serve us.

I leave you with a few of his quotes.