Guileless Reagan, guileful Gross

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary James Baker told "Meet the Press" yesterday that Ronald Reagan was a man completely without guile. "What you saw with Reagan was what you got," he said. Reagan ended up being one of America's favorite presidents. Light years away in Prague is the CR's favorite politician, Stanislav Gross. Unlike Reagan, guileful Gross played no role in bringing down Communism, isn't a great communicator, and rarely takes responsibility for his actions. Yet he could soon be running the country (some say he already is) that Reagan helped to liberate. Miloš Zeman suggested on Czech Radio that Gross will be the head of an ODS-ČSSD cabinet after the next parliamentary elections. Václav Klaus, the theory goes, would gladly appoint him to the position, because Gross as premier would make Klaus look, well, Reagan-like in comparison. interior minister state