Tom wrote a bit about President Ronald Reagan in his newspaper column (which ran from 1985 to 1993). We think the following quote is fitting as a tribute:
Look, Reagan's specific economic policies in the '80s are debatable as hell. But it's not debatable—and I'm a Democrat—that Reagan uplifted our collective ... sodden spirits—and got us back to believing in our entrepreneurial, optimistic, feisty selves.