A nice piece by Ben Quayle in Politico:

President Reagan's jelly beans

By REP. BEN QUAYLE

When I was a child, President Ronald Reagan was the nice man who gave us jelly beans when we visited the White House.

I didn’t know then, but I know it now: The jelly beans were much more than a sweet treat that he gave out as gifts. They represented the uniqueness and greatness of America — each one different and special in its own way, but collectively they blended in harmony.

As many people have said, Reagan was the great communicator. He had the uncanny ability to lift all of us up when we were down.

When I was a fourth grader, I remember watching his address to a nation in mourning following the Challenger tragedy. Twenty-five years later, his words have the same power: “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them this morning, as they prepared

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