Forgetful Mr Reagan

I'm always shocked when reports of a popular death are so, well, kind to the deceased. Affectionate, even. It's as if people didn't hate Reagan and Thatcher, and the Reagan and Thatcher era and all it encompasses, as much as I did.

The BBC, charitably I thought, kept reporting that he's been suffering from Alzheimer's for around 10 years, when it was obvious he was suffering from something from the date he took office, and before. Still, here's an ironic quotation from the Guardian leader:

"when he gave evidence on Iran-Contra in 1990 he used the phrases 'I don't recall' or 'I don't remember' a total of 130 times."