Crane lauds old presidential foe
County leaders remember Reagan: A man who restored optimism

By MIMI TORRANCE
STAFF WRITER

Lake County officials are mourning the loss of former President Ronald Reagan.

Although Congressman Phil Crane of Wauconda ran against Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination in 1980 primaries, he believes the country lost a great man.

"He is one of those heroes that will be here for a long time. He was one of the greatest presidents ever," he said.

"He inherited a woeful economy from Carter. Our economy was going down, and he got it turned around. I think the world benefited a lot from his leadership," Crane said.

Crane empathized with Reagan's family. "We lost a daughter to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He'll be joining her."

The congressman, who used to teach history, also threw in a factoid about Reagan because kids should know these things. "He lived one day longer than John Adams. Ronnie is the oldest president," Crane said.

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, was saddened when he heard the news. "I remember him as a person who restored optimism to the public in this country. To Ronald Reagan, America was a city on a hill, and our best days were ahead of us. When he was in office, oil prices went down. There were lines on Washington Street with signs saying no gas. People were lined up," Kirk said.

"Then we won the cold war that had been going on for 40 years. There were elections in Romania and Russia," he said.

"For people who are over 35, Reagan was a part of our lives. People believed that America's greatness after World War II had passed, but Reagan turned that around. He was an optimist, and at heart, every American is an optimist," Kirk said

State Sen. Terry Link, D-Vernon Hills, did not always agree with Reagan's policies, but he admired the fact that Reagan was a people person. "Politically, I disagreed with him, but I feel that he was one of the presidents to related to everyday persons," Link said. "He made the public feel comfortable."

State Sen. Adeline Geo-Karis, R-Zion, will miss the 40th president. "He thought America was the greatest, a real optimist. He was underestimated," she said. "I would trust him with my life. He left a great legacy."

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