Inauguration Question

[Mandy]

I was just listening to the reporters on TV talking about different things that would be happening today and for the next few weeks, and they mentioned a letter that Ronald Reagan left in the Resolute Desk for Barack Obama.
Does anyone know anything about this letter?
I googled it but came up with nothing.

 

[Stacey42]

I can't imagine how he could have known.....

 

[Mandy]

I can't imagine how he could have known.....

I'm assuming the letter is for "the first black president", not Barack by name.

 

[Stacey42]

That makes more sense.I haven't heard anything about it. What channel was it on? I'm flipping between ABC & Fox at the moment.

 

[Mandy]

It was on Fox. I'm going to try to do more research.

 

[Leila]

There's a tradition for the outgoing president to leave a letter for the incoming president. I believe Reagan started the tradition (so he left one for Bush the first, who left one for Clinton who left one for Bush the second):

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iie42QpG9LVj6b8ZQZhfM5w84xKgD95QTKP00

 

[Mandy]

Well the guy said that Obama would be reading the letter left for him from Ronald Reagan.
So...I don't know if thats true or if he got his facts mixed up but it intrigued me.

 

[kscwgirl]

I think he got confused.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_bush

 

[Mandy]

Stupid reporters. I thought it would have been cool had Reagan left a letter.

 

[Angela Spangler]

It's not a letter from Reagan. It's a letter from Bush to Obama. Sort of a tradition that began with Reagan to Bush Senior.

 

[Andrea Gourley]

Unless he had a crystal ball and could predict the future

 

[kscwgirl]

Unless he had a crystal ball and could predict the future

Well MLK was only off by 4 years. LOL

 

[MelissaL88]

Maybe Nancy found a way to contact Ronnie from beyond...

In all seriousness...the girls above are correct. Ronald Regan started the tradition by leaving a note for Bush 41, etc. Bush 43 is just continuing this new tradition.

 

[Andrea Gourley]

It's just like when you move house. We always have left a card and a bottle of wine for the new people who move in wishing them as much happiness that we have had. He's just moving into a bigger house!! I do think it's a nice tradition

 

[jsikardi]

Let me know when you're ready to pack up, Andrea - your offer of wine sounds like incentive enough for me to buy your house!

 

[Stacey42]

Speaking ofthe media getting things wrong. I was watching one of the local channels around 10am adn they kept going on about how "20 years ago Obama couldn't have sat at a lunch counter."

Really? 20 years?

And they kept making the mistake, bouncing it between the newsroom & the reporter on site. Then they went to commercial, came back and never mentioned time again. I was at least expecting a "Sorry, we meant about 40 years."