It's a sad day for America as the Great Communicator and the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, passed away. He was 93. No one could believe an actor could become President, but it happened, and to the surprise of many, he was an effective leader who used his skills as an actor to convince the American people that he was up to the job. Yes, Iran-Contra happened under his watch. And deficits began to mount during his two terms in office. But he was popular as he won re-election convincingly, winning 49 out of 50 states. Californians liked him when he was governor from 1967-1975. He managed to push the Germans and the Communists to tear down the Berlin Wall and make peace with the Russians and their leader Mikhail Gorbachev. His influence is far and wide, most evident in the policies of our current President, whose values and core beliefs mimic Reagan's moreso than his father's. After leaving office in 1989, he led a quiet life with his wife Nancy, but it wasn't until 1994 when he wrote a poignant letter stating that he had Alzheimer's Disease when news of his life faded in the sunset. He stayed in his California compound and only seen rarely since. This morning, news came out that Reagan's condition had worsened. The source had stated Reagan would live for a few weeks or months. Instead, pneumonia ended Reagan's life at 1:09 pm.

As his re-election campaign so often said, it's morning again in America, but more accurately, there's mourning again in America as it loses one fine President.