UnMittigated gall . . . not really, but I needed a catchy title

I couldn't help but chuckle when I got my first direct mail piece from Gov. Mitt Romney. Despite his past, documented efforts to distance himself from Ronald Reagan, the first three sentences/paragraphs talk about Reagan. The first sentence is, "One of the things I admired most about Ronald Reagan was his unfailing optimism . . ." I couldn't help it when my mind wandered to the "what-he-was-really-thinking" letter, "but one of the things that really annoyed me about that amiable dunce was . . ."

I know, I know, it's politics; but the prominence given to Reagan by Romney is ironic. Perhaps Romney's admiration of Reagan is akin to the stereotype of "ex"-smokers?