CNN

[...] course, its perfectly acceptable to spend $1 million of taxpayer money to celebrate Ronald Reagan's birthday. Perfectly [...]

He gave Iraq WMD's and chemical weapons.

So would we even be over there, wasting millions of dollars and the lives of our troops if it wasn't for him?

the trickle down king is this king russes idea how funny

Reagan removed the solar panels that Carter symbolically placed on the White House roof. Imagine our country today if he had embraced this ideology and pushed our country towards energy independence instead of thie ridiculous trickle-down economics that has nearly led our country to ruin.

A real president who deserves the honor. Not like the current 'tingly leg' one.

@ Gerry – "Hey, thats just what this country needs, a ONE MILLION DOLLAR birthday bash for the president who was SO THRIFTY he crushed the Air Traffic Control Union and put a bunch of people out of work..."

And the airlines continued to function using non-union workers and continued to deliver the safest air travel in the world. Guess the union wasn't that important to anyone but the union members who were trying to extort the airlines and inflate the cost of flying.

Kind of like how the U A W has succeeded in extorting the domestic car industry and inflated the cost of American cars.

That said, this is a waste of money and should be privately funded, not publically funded.

Democrats are idiots(for voting for this), Republicans and these criminal Reaganites are the reason America is in the bad shape it is in

All these wealthy Republicans are just going to run with this and use this as leverage for their 2012 campaign

Republicans only care about the wealthy, that was the purpose of the Reagan administration, to put the nations wealth into the top 1% and so far it has been a success

And dont you love how they cry about wasted tax dollars yet they have no problem wasting a million bux on this

Republicans are the true scum of the earth, people like Ronald Reagan need to be called out on what they are

Oh Jesus, can we get off the Reaganism already?

I think Ronald Reagan would be ASHAMED of what the republican party has become, if they want to celebrate his birthday, let them take it out of their salaries, not the taxpayers.

@ Gerry – "Hey, thats just what this country needs, a ONE MILLION DOLLAR birthday bash for the president who was SO THRIFTY he crushed the Air Traffic Control Union and put a bunch of people out of work..."

And the airlines continued to function using non-union workers and continuied to deliver the safest air travel in the world. Guess the union wasn't that important to anyone but the union members who were trying to put a stranglehold on the airlines and jack up the cost of flying.

Kind of like how the UAW has succeeded in putting a straglehold on the domestic car industry and jacked up the cost of American cars.

That said, this is a waste of money and should be privately funded, not publically funded.

Reagan the most overated president ever, he left office leaving a 5 Trillion deficit when the previous 200 years of American Presidents left a 1 trillion deficit

He began arming Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden who later became our enemies

He began deregulating Wall Street and all the banks which led us to the mess we see today

He cut profgrams for poor people because basically he didnt give 2 craps about anyone who wasnt wealthy

Ronald Reagan was the biggest piece of garbage in American history, worse then Bush Jr and his father who were just following in his foot steps

Republicans have done a good job of proping Reagan to be a saint but we can thank him for pretty much all our problems

JEFF March 10th, 2009 11:42 am ET
Ronald Reagan was a "do nothing" President. Name one thing he accomplished……..can't think, thought so.
-------–

How about - "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall"!

I love how Dems are screaming about this. Remember, Dems controll Congress. If this $1 mil gets spent, it is because of Dems, not Republicans.

WORST president EVER.

Well, Teddy just had a big birthday bash and you Libs were okay with that...

@ Gerry – "Hey, thats just what this country needs, a ONE MILLION DOLLAR birthday bash for the president who was SO THRIFTY he crushed the Air Traffic Control Union and put a bunch of people out of work..."

And the airlines continued to function using non-union workers and continuing to deliver the safest air travel in the world. Guess the union wasn't that important to anyone but the union members who were trying to put a stranglehold on the airlines and jack up the cost of flying.

Kind of like how the UAW has succeeded in putting a straglehold on the domestic car industry and jacked up the cost of American cars.

Please help my son,he believes Reagan should be on Mt.Rushmore.

Here's a earmark we can do without! Do we celebrate the birthdays of Presidents such as FDR, Harry Truman? Nope, we gather Lincoln, Washington, etc. and celebrate President's Day. I don't think Ronald Reagan, the poster boy for trickle down economics, deserves to be honored, quite frankly.

I have no objection to honoring all of our Presidents by having one special day for them. All of them, even the bad ones, did serve this country. But this is just ridiculous!

Thanks to President Reagan we got another 28 years of prosperity and the American dream for all Americans who were willing to work for it. Reagan saved us from the destruction of Carter, sadly there are no true republicans left to save us from the destruction of O'Carter 2.

Yes, Ronnie would be against this, he is the exact opposite of the man in the White House now, against government waste and not full of himself.

Who said this:

"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem"

Any chance you Republicans who believe this are not going to support a Reagan Centennial based on the man's own philosophy?

I didn't think so.

Reagan is recognized by a slew of very intelligent historians as this country's 8th greatest president (that puts him well into the top 20%, people).

He was elected with a clear mandate for radical economic policy to tackle high inflation and unemployment rates. His tax cutting, budget slashing, laissez-faire strategy known as “Reaganomics” became extremely popular as the US economy recovered RECOVERED – from the high interest and unemployment rates brought on by the Carter administration.

He re-established the legitimacy of American militry power around te world, thwarting a Cuban invasion of Grenada and scaring the Iranians into releasing our hostages, which they did the very day he was 1st innaugurated. The release was NOT because of Carter – but the capture of them certainly was.

He managed to grasp the historic opportunity brought about by Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in the Soviet Union to help bring an end to the Cold War. The Berlin Wall fell because of HIM....and eastern Europe once again saw the sunlight of freedom.

This country was much better off after Reagan left office than we were before he took office.

We SHOULD recognize his birthday...and $1 million equates to about 3 cents per American...not a lot to pay

WHY?

Where are the Republicans they stated they were looking out for the American tax payer correct. What a joke Congress please forget this horrible idea and get back to work.

With the country suffering from an economic crisis and there being homelessness, unemployment, and families going hungry each day, spending lots of money for a birthday celebration is inappropriate.

Let me get this straight this country is borrowing money up the you know what from China. We have been told it will get worse before it gets better. The people in Congress have been there to long this country is really hurting and they can come up with more waist-full spending. I say recall all members in Congress and elect new members ASAP.

Obama's inauguration was primarily funded by private donors, so that comparison is a non-starter. Not the biggest fan of Reagan but know that some people are. If they would like to honor his 100th birthday, would it be that hard to solicit private donations? Guessing it would amount to more than $1M (as someone already mentioned).

This is just another example of how the republicans spend money on what they want to – not what the american people need...and they criticize democrats for doing the latter.

Hypocrites indeed.

Well, all you Reagan bashers either were not born, were too young, or were still stoned from the 70's when Reagan was in office. Reagan brought America out of the hole that Jimmy Carter had put it in. The country GREW thanks to Reagan's policies. Other countries were reminded that America was a SUPERPOWER, not some weak. pitiful country that Carter had sunk it to. In fact, if the last 50 days have been any indication, we're gonna need someone exactly like Reagan, if not better, to get America out of the mess Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are putting it in.

However, you can bet your bottom dollar that if it was a celebration for JFK that all the people bashing here would be praising it as a must do event. To argue their point though, JFK did show future presidents (like Clinton) that it's ok to screw around in the White House.

So for those who are against celebrating Reagans 100th birth anniversary. What did you have to say about
Lincoln's 200th. It's funny because Obama supporters are against any Reagan acknowledgement but we all know that regardless of how Obama does during his term he will be acknowledged for centuries to come.

Its funny how you all claim that we have more important things to spend money on, but you all weren't saying that when the Obama Inaguration was the most expensive in our nations history, but I suppose thats okay because he is a democrat, right? I think not.

So for those who are against celebrating Reagans 100th birth anniversary. What did you have to say about
Lincoln's 200th. It's funny because Obama supporters are against any Reagan acknowledgement but we all know that regardless of how Obama does during his term he will be acknowledged for centuries to come.

Why not declare him a saint and a legend, rename the whole country after him, and get this all over with?!

Politicians of all stripes love to fawn over each other. I love Ted Kennedy's politics (generally), but his birthday bash a few days ago was too much. Enough politician worship in this country. We are not a cult-of-personality state! Ronald Reagan is NOT our "dear-leader".

And stop naming things after dead presidents of EITHER party. There seems to be a gross renaming contest between JFK and Ronald Reagan now. This is NOT what the founders envisioned when they rejected the King of England. If these politicians had any shame they would forbid their names to be attached to airports, roads, bridges, firehouses, schools, windmills, hog farms, etc., etc., once they are dead. In fact, let's make this a law. Obama can sign it and head off the inevitable renaming ceremonies that will be deemed his due by Congressional dim wits in 4 or 8 years.

None of you politicians are that great, so get over yourselves!

Why should tax dollars pay for a republican commercial? It's a waste of money.

Great, so the guy who started the whole economic problem by borrowing and spending that got us in this mess will get his day . Just what we need. I wonder whose economy this will stimulate.

Why?

He was a terrible president. Look at all his foreign policy blunders (especially in South America) and compare that with what his one achievement; a fall of the soviet union which was years in the making and was affected more by soviet management than by reagans policies.

As a fiscally conservative and socially liberal independent I cant find one reason to think that he was even a good president let alone one deserving of a memorial.

BTW why do repubs like him? Only thing close to a true republican president we have had in the past 30 years was George HW Bush.

Are they nuts? First they howl about spending money, and then they want to spend money needlessly. It would be funny if it were'nt so sad.

Reagan was no friend to the working men and women of this country. Do you remember the air traffic controllers strike? Let the rich have their big hoopla without us.

This is shameful and a disgrace. Here we have the Republicans screaming, hollering and stomping their feet at wasteful spending, earmarks, stimililus bill opposing President Obama every step, but more than happy to spend a million dollars to celebrate Reagans centineal birthday? You got to be kidding me., someone please tell me this an early April Fools joke. No it has to be be real only a political party filled with fools like the GOP would do something as absolutely hypocritical as this. No wonder they have become the Party of Hypocrites. Whats next a big million dollar birthday bash for their party leader Rush Limbaugh?

Decent actor, lousy leader! I lived in CA when he was governor – no big shakes. Then as president...... let's just say that those were NOT some of my favorite years. And I still remember when "they" held off on releasing our hostages (the release that Carter had worked so hard on) unitl right after Reagan took office – downright stinky!!!!!

Just say, "NO". No taxpayer dollars for this little soire – donations only.

Waste of money for a president that gave us the Savings and Loan failure, Back Friday, and Iran/Contra. If it wasn't for Regan giving Saddm Hussien WMD we would not be in Iraq wasting MILLIONS!!!

I remember Reagan... he said no new taxes, but he cut our tax deductions, thus in essence... raising taxes. People stopped buying cars cause they couldn't deduct the interest. And our student loan money got smaller than we asked for, too.

I know people like to wax fondly about this guy... not a bad thing to wax fondly about an ex president, or celebrate his birth especially when his widow is still alive. But, it really wasn't all that wonderful.

@Tulsa L March 10th, 2009 10:55 am ET
NO absolutly not………with the economy as bad as it is we do not need to spend $1 million dollars to celebrate the 100th birthday of a President that is no longer with us………I can't believe the Republicans could vote of this when they would not vote for the stimulus bill that would help the now living but suffering people of this country……..that tells me they think more of their dead than they do the living *** I AGREE*** Congressional Budget Office Should pay for it out Of their Pocket !!

Ok the repugs can't have it both way. First they complain about wasteful spending and now they want to throw money away on this nonsense..............He is not alive and we honored him very much when he was......................The country is in a recession depression............REMEMBER..............

I'm so sick of all the WASTE these idiots are planning at our expense in Washington!!

I can't understand WHY we are celebrating Ronald Reagan when we have MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES facing our nation right now.

What is GOD'S name is the GOP thinking?

Once again, this proves how far removed the GOP is when it comes to fixing our economy, healthcare, education, etc.. They IGNORE these crisis by planning a Centennial Celebration honoring a former President who is dead and buried, God rest his soul. Let the man rest in peace.

Ronald Reagan is the PAST, we need to start focusing on the future. This is a continue cycle by the GOP, they continue to chase their own tail rather than working with the President on FIXING our economy, they would rather "plan a flashing bash" for a dead President.

Go figure.

Hey, if we can waste hundreds on millions on the coronation for Obama why not spend a much smaller amount remembering a man who actually did put America first. Maybe the Obamas can send Nancy some dvd's and commerative plates.

Reagan was really not that great of a president - with all due respect to a president who is no longer with us. Not sure why the Republicans are so hung up on this. Trickle down economics did not work.

We have enough buildings named for Reagan in the D.C. area and around the country.

Republicans need to move into the present and for once start looking toward the future. $1 million is too much of taxpayers' money to spend.

NOT JUST THE MONEY -

Our representatives in DC have more important things to work on. Let a private entity organize and collect the funds for this folly.

Reagan's brilliant idea was this: if you give the rich all the money they will in turn give the rest of us (ungrateful peasants) jobs.

Too bad he never looked at the facts:
a) Most jobs are from small businesses.
b) Rich spend money where it will return more to them. Giving money to rich now is a terrible idea because they will send it all to China and India where the factory growth is. They won't even deny this if you ask them. Ask them.

Reagan's ideology is dead and should have never been born.

People sound like morons when they try to paint Reagan as a bad President. It's like people that claim to hate pizza. Whatever, pizza is awesome and everyone knows it. I don't think spending any taxpayer money on it is necessary though. Surely there would be no shortage of donors willing to chip in to honor Reagan, and if they did have an open donation-only fund, there would be a lot more than a million bucks in it.

Nobody is going to remember what he did! What did he do for America? I know he's done a lot of things, something like the Iran Contra... I know he was good, but what did he do again?

Those of you who are calling conservatives hypocrits need to re-read this article. Look carefully at the vote total. This is a majority vote, who is in the majority in the house? You guessed it...Democrats! Who opposed it? At least one republican! This is a joint effort led by democrats! READING (the entire article) IS FUNDAMENTAL! For all of you who claim he did nothing forget he dismantled the USSR WITHOUT a war!

What is it with these koolaid drinkers? They just can't get enough of this guy. Do they really think Reagan would have wanted all of this? Their cultish obsession borders on the homoerotic.

They really need to let it go. Reagan started this trend of privalization of all things government, and look where it has gotten us. He convinced a large portion of Americans that government is bad, which is absolutely ludicrous. He is the reason our intrastructure is crumbling, schools are falling apart, our defense is outsourced, and the age of imperialism rose up.

Personally, I find nothing to celebrate.

He fought against unions, promoted capital as more important than labor, set cevil rights backwards. He did not seek to lift up the weak and the poor, so I am glad that my vote is not required for the celebration, because it would never be given.

Although I was a fan of Reagan's, this is an example of government spending money foolishly. This should be done with private donations. Whether or not panel members are compensated, $1 million for travel and related expenses is not acceptable. I can only imagine how many idiotic ventures such as this are being paid for from public funds. No wonder we're in trouble.

What a waste of money! They should raise money from private donors to pay for this – especially in this time of economic crisis!

Ronald Reagan was/is over-rated.

Let's forget about dead presidents and support the one we have. Obama definitely needs all the support he can get. Reagan has been dead a long time, let him stay dead.

Wish we had Reagan now, he would lead us out of this mess, instead of doubling down on Socialism and Marxism, and ruining our country for centuriies to come.

This is a HUGE waste of time and resources for a person who couldn't care less and was completely insensitive to poor people and social issues. My mom said to never say anything bad about the dead, but in this case I think she would make an exception.

@greg in jax -

Typical liberal misinformation....Reagan got the country going and boosted the economy..how? By not getting involved. Obviously, you've had little dealings with the government, and how they run things.....or, you're one of those entitlement slugs that milks the taxpayers....which is it?

I think Reagan would be ok with skipping the celebration and returning this money to the taxpayers.

This was a President that didn't sympathize with health and science technology......enough said.

A centennial for a mediocre president like Reagan? I guess in a few years we can look forward to one for GW Bush too, a truly horrible president. You've got to love the republicans standards.

This is the kind of hooey the republicans are focusing on? Do they realize we're in the middle of a pretty destructive financial crisis?

Sheesh.

Every time I think about Ronald Reagan I think of the song by Simply Red called 'Money's Too Tight To Mention'. If you haven't heard it in a while the singer sings about Reaganomics, Nancy and being unable to get an unemployment extension. It was written during the Reagan years and is dead on to this faulty administration.

Reagan would be turning in his grave he knew that $1 million would be wasted by hypocritical self-proclaimed conservatives who are the strongest proponents of wasteful spending and expanding government. Kudos to Flake and Paul for voting their conscience.

Yes, we should take the time in 2011 after surviving this wreck of an economy, to remember why we went thru what we went thru: The GOP's christ figure told us to trust corporate America no to horde and not to use all of its considerable power to place a stranglehold on the nation's wealth and the means to get some for yourself. So I don't have a problem with this. We can use it as an opportunity to reflect on how silly and naive trickle-down economic voodoo babble really is.

I agree with some of the other commenters – if they want to do this, do it with private donations ONLY!!! Not taxpayer dollars.

How bout NO!!!!!

And the million wa sjust for travel expenses for the committee. So the price tag for this lil shin dig starts at a million.

Ronald Reagan's only accomplishment was the "Trickle Down Effect" policy, and, that only benefited the wealthy. The wealthy have something to idolize in this guy, let them pay to celebrate. Morons.

Excuse me?!!! Aren't we trying to cut back on spending?????

How dare you people complain about 1 Million Dollars to celebrate a President of the United States. Like him or not he was still a president of this once Great Nation.

As a Taxpayer I say go ahead and celebrate the man. All you lefty Obama supporters cannot say anything compared to the amount of money and damage he has put on this country.

How much do you think those nightly parties they have been having in the white house have been costing the tax payers? Democrats are hypocrites celebrate the man he rose to one of the most powerful positions in the world. What have you done lately outside of waiting by your mailbox for your Obama money.

Ronald Reagan was a "do nothing" President. Name one thing he accomplished........can't think, thought so.

Complete waste of money. This is being done to appease the right wing Reagan worshippers and it's not going to work.

Regan was a loser, he cut critically needed programs that disenfranchised many, and helped few. He turned his head away from the AIDS crisis, and had one of the worst economic records.

He was a dolt. This proposal confirms that the flapping, flailing republicans are now scraping the bottom of the barrel to find their "celebrity", who is dead, and wasn't held in that high of regard when he was alive. What's next, pull him out of the grave and hold him up to be the next republican candidate for president?

I think this is a waste of money. We are in a recession you shouldn't be spending money like this. Its shamefull..

With over 4 trillion spent by POTUS, whats another $1 million. Just a drop in the bucket. The left needs to shut their whining. When we commemorate BO's bday I'm sure the price tag will be around 50 times that amount. Just look at all the extravagance at the inauguration we just had. Wa Wa Wa Wa.

How about spending that one million instead for a memorial to the thousands of Iranians killed by the weapons that Reagan sent to Saddam Hussein to fight the Iran/Iraq War?

Ouch, history hurts!!!!!!

This should be paid for by donations and NOT taxpayer dollars.

Irony has finally trumped itself! In the midst of an economic meltdown of epic proportions, a meltdown set in motion by a combination of de-regulation, demonization of government, and good old human nature ( greed ), the very forces opposing all efforts to correct the imbalances, and railing against all government spending as wasteful, now propose to spend wads of taxpayer funds honoring the man who started us down this very steep hill. Wasn't naming an airport after the man who disrupted commercial aviation for years by firing air traffic controllers enough?

@ Thomas March 10th, 2009 11:18 am ET

I agree with what you said except the part about voting for him, and feeling better when he talked. I thought he was a terrible president at the time, not just in retrospect.

This is disgusting! Yeah, let's celebrate the man who created this whole economic mess. It was Reagan who pushed deregulation, tax breaks for the rich and trickle down ideology. Yes folks, he was the beginning of it all. Instead of celbrating this B actors life, we should be condeming his ideology that got us where we are today. You know sometimes history takes a few years to unfold the secrets and truths. Now we ALL know!

That's great. That's just great. This guy doesn't deserve anything. Oh well, he is the only thing the Republicans care about anymore besides money.

I realize that one million dollars is just a drop in the bucket by Washington standards but I still have to wonder why this isn't being paid for by all the rich people Reagan made even richer. It seems only fair.

Oh, right...

Reagan is overrated.

Don't waste taxpayer money on anything to do with this man – he and his administration disregarded the sick, the poor, the otherwise disenfranchised, and fooled a nation into believing that conservatism was good for the country, a mistake we are paying for today in spades.
The Reagan cult is laughable.

You have got to be kidding!!!!! All of the building in DC that could be were named after Reagan. Also the airport. The only thing that I got during the Reagan years was a tax hike because they took away most of my deductions and gave them to the rich. The last 3 years he seemed to be in a fog and Nancy ruled the country. Why not name the buildings Nancy and Ronald Reagan together. She was a very loyal lady. DO NOT SPEND A DOLLAR FOR A BIRTHDAY FOR HIM OR ANY OTHER FORMER PRESIDENT. Help my sons keep their jobs and give them decent salaries.

he was a lousy president why spend money...

Let the rich who profited by Ronald Reagans "Trickle Down Effect" policy pay for his centennial celebration...afterall, they are the ones beholding to him.

What I see here is 1) Conservatives who acknowledge this is a waste of money, and 2) Liberals full of HATE. I thought liberals were the ones with the hearts...... I guess I am 100% wrong.

PLEASE! QUICK! Someone tell me what is SO GREAT about Ronald Reagan!! Because I've never, ever understood how people can be so enthralled with him!

@ Thomas March 10th, 2009 11:18 am ET

I agree with what you say except for the voting for him part, and the feeling better when he talked. I thought he was a terrible president, even at the time, not just in retrospect.

One more thing.......... I read the far-right comments ....... you people have no problem spending millions on Reagan!

Hypocrites.

NOT taxpayer's dollars.

If people want to contribute to a fund for this, OK. Make it an option, not mandatory.

It was optional to contribute individually for Obama's inauguration party. The ones that did not want to contribute did not have to.

Another fine example of wasteful spending....led by the Republicans of course! Just another "earmark" to help stimulate the Republican Party. BAD IDEA!

Will they borrow the money like ronnie did ... back in the day?

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you celebrate Ronnie's birthday." Scary indeed.

Talk about waste. Why not use the funds to help people less fortunate, or people who are down on their luck. Why waste time, money, and brain cells on someone who's exit from the stage happened years ago. Put the funds, time, and effort into helping the living who need help.

If someone wants to honor Reagan or anyone, they should take donations and do it without taxpayer money.

Way to go Paul and Flake for trying to stand up for the taxpayer.

But these are the same people who crying about earmarks and large spending. So, what do we call this? Helpful spending for the dead. This country is a joke and so are are those bunch of heathens in Washington.

We the people need to take a stand against all of them!

It's time to stop the wasteful spending! When will Washington wake up and really have the best interest of the American people? I am so ashamed of our government for what has been done to us and what is still going on!

Let the politicians pay for this out of their bank accounts – not the American taxpayer!

Say NO to this kind of pork, Republican hypocrites! Let's give the $1 million to a better cause!

Did they have a centennial costing this much for Lyndon Johnson who spent 3 trillion dollars on the "Great Society" that did absolutely nothing for the country. The way Obama is going, he will certainly rate a centennial celebration also. I just hope the Chinese leaders that rule our country will allow it. They should, he will have handed them the largest land mass ever taken without a shot being fired.

hmmmm, wonder if all those in the "new TENT cities", will attend ???? what a waste of money, give it to those IN these tent cities !

As an Obama supporter, I think it's wonderful to pay tribute to Reagan, a wonderful president, although I don't agree with him on many things. Reagan was the last of the true Republicans; a staunch fiscal conservative who actually practiced what he preached. I was just a little kid in the 80s, but my parents really liked him and Nancy a lot.

All you idiots complaining need to step back and remember how it makes us feel when Republicans complain about Obama. So just relax and feel happy for them.

Actually "trickle-down" "Reaganomics" works perfectly well. What it doesn't do is give the whiners and losers a free ride.

Let's all remember who voted in favor of this and, when we go to the polls in November and, if and when, these thoughtful people are up for re-election, vote them out.

Ronald Reagan was the epitome of an empty suit.

When the talked we all felt better, but when you really analyzed what he said and what he did, the good feelings went away.

I voted for Reagan, but in studying his presidency, he was not a very good President. He was a charismatic President, but not a good President.

Emotionally he made us feel good
Logically he disappointed us.

Spending lots of money does not make you a liberal. For those of you who think that is the qualification do not know what a liberal is. Under Proud American's definition of a liberal, George W. Bush would be the biggest liberal around!!! Good for Regan, he deserves the recognition. Plus, $1 million is microscopic compared to our GDP. Not an issue!!!

Ronald Reagan was a likeable dullard who opened the doors for 30 years of the most vile and destructive policies to be enacted. hardly worthy of all this adulation.

uh........what? I hope this means I'll get the day off from the job I don't have.

Yet another shallow attempt by the GOP to collectively wrap themselves in the mantle of Reagan. While I do not agree with Reagan's policies, for the most part one could disagree without being disagreeable.

THAT is the lesson the GOP could best learn from Reagan, not trying to attach their petty bickering spiteful and near hatred for anything not Rush-approved to his coattails.

Let the man rest in peace, he'd be embarassed by his party as it stands today.

You think maybe that million bucks could go to saving a few small business from bankruptsy and laying off employees? I mean, we love the guy, but obviously he will not be bringing the ecomony out of this bottomless pit. Geeez!!!

To the republicans always opposing Obama. The last time I checked, this did not create any job or boost the economy. Well I hope they will allow democrats celebrate Kennedy too.

Pls did McCain and Canton (Dr. NO) vote in favor of this spending? CNN pls update us.

Nicholas
Nigeria

Hey, thats just what this country needs, a ONE MILLION DOLLAR birthday bash for the president who was SO THRIFTY he crushed the Air Traffic Control Union and put a bunch of people out of work, not his problem, he was a Republican fat cat.. A president who when gov. of California shut down all the medical/dention facilities for the criminally insane, and turned them out on the streets for local law enforcement to deal with AND even though he was the president of the screen actors guild when he was a "movie star" was steadly trying to shut down every union he could shut down when he became a Republican President...

True to the Republican standard of living, It's just what the GIPPER would have wanted, ONE MILLION DOLLARS spent on a birthday bash.. Lets hope by then our economy (with the help of the worthless bunch of Republican pukes who are the NO team) will have recovered enough that we the people can afford some LITTLE tribute to him.

And the GOP talks about earmarks? Let them buy him a cake at some DC bakery or better yet, from the Greyston Foundation that helps the community in Yonkers. $1 mill to celebrate an actor turned demi-god to them? ENOUGH... people are losing jobs... how many jobs could $1 m create..... stop the party planning and think about how to give CPR to the global market... than maybe someone will want to vote for you.....

Waste ,wasre and more waste, When will it stop?

You think maybe that million bucks could go to saving a few small business from bankruptsy and laying off employees? I mean, we love the guy, but obviously he will not be bringing the ecomony out of this bottomless pit. Geeez!!!

Hey, thats just what this country needs, a ONE MILLION DOLLAR birthday bash for the president who was SO THRIFTY he crushed the Air Traffic Control Union and put a bunch of people out of work, not his problem, he was a Republican fat cat.. A president who when gov. of California shut down all the medical/dention facilities for the criminally insane, and turned them out on the streets for local law enforcement to deal with AND even though he was the president of the screen actors guild when he was a "movie star" was steadly trying to shut down every union he could shut down when he became a Republican President... True to the Republican standard of living, It's just what the GIPPER would have wanted, ONE MILLION DOLLARS spent on a birthday bash.. Lets hope by then our economy (with the help of the worthless bunch of Republican pukes who are the NO team) will have recovered enough that we the people can afford some LITTLE tribute to him.

Who cares anything about Ronald Reagan? He was a B actor and a D President. Why honor anything about him?

why? it is his policies of trickle-down economics that have led us to the disaster we're in. he should not be given this honor. he was a better actor than a President. and he wasn't a very good actor, either.

question:

what do you call a president that tripled our national deficit?

answer:

the conservative political icon, the late president ronald reagan

All you liberals that are calling this a waste of money...I have two words for you, seeing that you're suddenly worried about wasting money...

BARACK OBAMA...

Reagan got this country on the right track, and Obama's steering us into the bottomless gorge of socialism...if you idiots are so worried about overspending, why'd you vote for OBama?

Incredible… The "great communicator" who could not utter two coherent sentences together without a script; A third-rate actor who did not serve in WWII is now going to have his 100th birthday celebrated.
What is next: A statue to Jesse Helms? Or name a Federal building “Joe McCarthy?”

Email your Representatives in DC and express your views. THEY do not read the blogs.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO – a million NOs

Reagan was the beginning of the ruination of our financial systems.
Not One taxpayer dollar should be spent on any celebration
related to him. If the GOP wants to honor him than they should
foot all costs.

i love how everyone is blaming the Republicans for voting for it, when Congress is dominated by democrats.

also

When are the REPUBLICANS GOING TO LISTEN TO RON PAUL!?

The legacy of "trickle down" economics lives on.

He would not approve of this. Big government, more spending–shameful.

george w bush doubled the national debt in 8 years.

ronald reagan tripled the national debt in 8 years.

and these are conservative political icons.. lol.. wow!

As a conseravtive, I say nix this. In addition, nix the $900M to rebuild Gaza, the $700K to rebuilt Babylon, nix the doubling of foreign aid, nix the 9000 pet projects in the omnibus bill. I can go on and on!
We can celebrate Reagan another way! Just have a memoral service at the Nation Cathedral and let the media broadcast it!

In this economic crisis, can we really afford to spend one million dollars to celebrate Regan's 100 birthday? If he was alive, maybe, but I have my doubts on that too.

What is going on in America?

Stop wasting my tax money and spending my kids' future!! We can barely cover our household bills and the fear of a layoff is looming and THIS is what I read in the news! Bad idea.

No way no how. What we the people are going through now is in part because of his action when he was president: deregulation/ busting the unions/ trickle down economics/ win at any cost/ religious ideologies in our politics. Let the far right wing of the Republican party pay for this if they need to celebrate him. Not a penny of tax money should go to this; but the Republicans all will vote for such spending yet not vote for any spending for us the people.

I say no! no! no!

$1M for this ridiculous celebration? How about $1M for the living.

Republicans is about public perception.
Because of Abraham lincon now it is Reagan.......What has America become?

This is ridiculous DId we have the centennial of the birth of Eisenhower? Truman? FDR? What makes Reagan so special?

I realize that the GOP is looking to hold on to some sort of "those were the days" mentality, but come on....at a time when fiscal responsibility is at an all time high, I doubt that Reagan would approve, especially since he is not alive to celebrate this birthday. Get a grip for the Old Gippers sake.

What a waste of government resources. Don't they have OUR problems to talk about?

B-rated movies from 40 or 50 years ago do not matter.

He was a great president but didn't we build enough libraries to honor him? What is the matter with celebrating centennial + 2 when the economy is better? The centennial is as made up as valentine's day.

okay and this is more important to pay for out of our tax money then spending money on a good program or something else to help us now, I mean i know he was an honorable president but just create a day for him like we have done with many of our past presidents instead of tossing out 1 million for a man who's not even going to see this event.

Who cares when he was born. He set the stage for all of this nonsense we experienced under dumb dumb W....it is frustrating that they paln to spen $1million of tax payers money while these same taxpayers are being foreclosed on and are losing their jobs. That one million can save 100 people from losing their homes with a $10K loan or subsidy --absolute nonsense....centennial birthday what did he do for country?

Are these guys kidding? We are drowning in the results of the trickle-down theory, and Congress wants to plan a big party for this guy?

NO absolutly not.........with the economy as bad as it is we do not need to spend $1 million dollars to celebrate the 100th birthday of a President that is no longer with us.........I can't believe the Republicans could vote of this when they would not vote for the stimulus bill that would help the now living but suffering people of this country........that tells me they think more of their dead than they do the living people that put them in office........what a stupid bunch of dim wits we have in Washington.......

You mean to tell me the members of the House of representatives have no other legislative matters to attend too during one of the worse economic crisis in recent history so instead they vote for a party!!!

Post the names of everyone who voted for this and lets get them ousted!

Aren't we struggling with the economy? Why are we spending this amount of money on a celebration of a person, who would probably agree to put the money some place else? Hello!!!

Obama's record inauguration expense dwarfs that cost not to mention all the pork in the stimulus!

Pathetic liberal media.

This country is going to split in two soon!!!

Let's hear all the budget hawk conservatives crow about this wasteful spending. ::crickets:: That's what I thought. I have no problem with this, but I'm afraid if he was a Democrat, this would have passed on a strict party line vote with cries of liberal agenda pushing flying from the right.

Let's hope they remember IranContra, Edwin Meese and the millions who died of AIDS while this horrific president did nothing. Do we really need to celebrate that?

You are kidding right? 1 million dollars to celebrate RR's 100th birthday? Are you serious, in this economy? This same newspaper has an article about 1 in 50 children being homeless in America. Even if you built one decent shelter...or fixed up an existing bldg...it would be a better use for the money...or buy books or open garden space for hungry people...sheesh!

In the name of Reagan, stop this government waste!!!

Hilarious... the socialists who reviled Reagan get to plan his Centennial. No thanks!

I love President Reagan, but we don't need to spend this money. He would not want us to.

nothing against the man, but really? in this time of economic need maybe we can save the million in expenses and someone can drop 20$ on a cake instead.

Aren't these the same Republicans who were just complaining about our White House hosting people and having parties?

I don't see why we should celebrate Reagan at all, unless you want to celebrate the end of that moronic idea of "trickle down" Reaganomics.

$1 million better spent elsewhere. How does this project create jobs? If you want to celebrate St. Ronnie, go to his gravesite and do it there.

How sad it is to see how far the Presidency has fallen. From Ronald Reagan to Barack Hussein Obama, who slavishly follows far left ideology and insults our allies.

things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm....

Earmark opponent Jeff Flake and former presidential candidate Ron Paul were the only Republicans who did not vote in favor of the measure, which passed 371-19.

guess those 'special projects' are okay with repukes if it's THEIR speical project.

Two people will go down as America's best leaders.....Obama and Reagan. Go figure why!

For crying out loud!!....nixt to memorializing every President that comes down the pike.

More waste of money.

We have a HUGE CRISIS........ please get to work!