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I had a soft-spot in my heart for Ronald Reagan, if only because he was a sportswriter in his youth.

Several things about Reagan are unusual in a public man. He was not a typical politician at all, but a private man in public life.

As his vice president for eight years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life.

I think Ronald Reagan was one of the great presidents, period, not just recently. I thought he had the demeanor. I thought he had the bearing. I thought he had the thought process.

President Obama had a few historians at the White House for a couple of dinners. I was lucky enough to be one of those asked, and he was very interested in Ronald Reagan, and I came away feeling that.

With Ronald Reagan in the White House, somebody had to look out for those who were not so fortunate. That's where I came in.

Ronald Reagan was older than I was when he ran for president.

Reaganism as a political movement has enormous resources behind it and it seeks - through stagecraft and through a tremendous level of effort toward propaganda - to present an image of Reagan that is so much larger-than-life that it sort of blinds us all, and keeps us all in a warm, happy, nostalgic state, thinking of a man who can do no wrong.

I had the pleasure of knowing Ronald Reagan before he became Governor of California. He was a truly great human being and we usually spent our time together reminiscing about mutual friends.

I've really had two heroes in my life. My father and Ronald Reagan.