Politics & Entertainment Week

We end Politics & Entertainment Week with a final look at the ultimate actor turned polititician, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

Known to some as the "Last great lion of 20th century," Ronald Reagan brought Hollywood to Washington.

Sure, Marilyn sang "Happy Birthday" to JFK, but as far as we know she wasn't lobbying any particular political agenda.

Reagan, on the other hand, brought us Reaganomics, praised by some as the most ambitious reform policy since the New Deal. "Ambitious?" I suppose. The national debt rose from $1 trillion to $3.5 trillion under Reaganomics and has continued to grow to near $5.5 trillion, but is also seen as the cause of the fall of the Soviet Union (they couldn't afford to spend as much on defense as we could and their economy was destroyed).

Musical maverick Lowell Shyette, in paying tribute to "The Gipper" with his song Ronald Reagan, Mr. President, quotes Reagan's 1987 speech at the Berlin Wall, "Mr. Gorbechev, tear down [that] wall."

Having survived a 1981 assasination attempt by John Hinckley, Ronald Reagan turned 91 this year, though he suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

[Ronald Reagan passed away on June 5, 2004]