Later, when the so-called "Iran-Contra" matter emerged and began to spin out of control, it was Nancy Reagan who recognized that the president was being ill-served by some of his top aides, including a rather boorish chief of staff, Donald Regan. Ultimately, President Reagan showed Regan the door and survived the crisis.
Every administration has a special tone or feeling to it. With Jimmy Carter the ambience was, at least on the surface, rather laid-back, perhaps excessively so. With George W. Bush, it was a mixture of Texas boots and GOP bluebloods. The Obama administration is still casting about for its signature mood.
With the Reagan administration, the air was unquestionably one of confidence. Although he was the oldest man in American history to be elected president, Reagan seemed always upbeat, energetic and thoroughly in command. And it couldn't have come at a better time -- following the 1970s, when the White House always seemed to be plagued by a new crisis.
Who can doubt that it was Nancy who helped a man in his mid-70s to perform a job fit for a much younger person? She insisted that he get proper rest and relaxation, and even more important, unending moral support.
No man or woman can be accomplished in this hyper-competitive world without a spouse who stands behind him or her 100 percent -- especially in politics and government.
Nancy Reagan always had her husband's back -- and thus America's back, too. She never deserved the snide treatment from media and others. As politicians invoke her husband's name in the coming days of patriotic holiday festivities, they can help reverse the injustice done to this great lady by thanking her, out loud and without apology.
Matt Towery is author of the new book, "Paranoid Nation: The Real Story of the 2008 Fight for the Presidency." He heads the polling and political information firm InsiderAdvantage. To find out more about Matthew Towery and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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