Branstad remembers Nancy Reagan

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad recalls squeezing into an Iowa hotel phone booth with Ronald and Nancy Reagan to prep the future president before a 1976 address to local political activists.

Branstad recalled the scene Monday during his weekly news conference as he remembered Nancy Reagan, the former first lady who died Sunday at 94.

'She was always very gracious and really, certainly someone that was fun to be around and I think represented our country very well. So she's going to be greatly missed,” Branstad said.

Branstad said he prepped Ronald Reagan for the then-presidential candidate's address to a district convention in 1976. Branstad said that to escape the large crowd, he and the Reagans squeezed into a phone booth in the Savery Hotel.

'I could kind of see just in Nancy's face that she was kind of worried,” Branstad said. 'But I gave the briefing, and Ronald Reagan came out and gave a wonderful speech to the district convention.

'Even though all the party's leadership - the governor and pretty much all the people in the Senate were all for (Gerald) Ford - we were able to basically get about half the delegates from Iowa for Ronald Reagan. So it was a great experience.”

Branstad remembered Nancy Reagan as being 'very committed to protecting her husband in all ways” and someone who was tuned into politics.

'Ronald Reagan was such a nice guy and really built such great relationships with a lot of people. Nancy, I think, had a very good political antenna and wasn't afraid to whisper in the president's ear if there were changes that should be made or people that she felt were not being loyal to the president,” Branstad said.

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds called Nancy Reagan 'a great role model” who led 'with class and dignity.”

To honor Nancy Reagan, Branstad on Monday ordered all flags in Iowa to be flown half-staff immediately until sunset on the day she is buried.