Of all the actresses on the planet Earth, Jane Fonda has been chosen to portray former First Lady Nancy Reagan in an upcoming movie. 

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The movie isn't about Nancy Reagan, or even her husband, former President Ronald Reagan.  It's "The Butler", based on a Washington Post feature story about Eugene Allen, the longtime White House butler whose career started with Harry Truman in 1952 and ended in 1986 with Ronald Reagan.

The movie will feature Forest Whitaker in the role of Allen, and Oprah Winfrey is in talks to play his wife.  Director Lee Daniels is talking with Liam Neeson and John Cusack for supporting roles as Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, respectively.

The role of Ronald Reagan hasn't been cast yet, but Fonda has signed to play Reagan's wife Nancy in a handful of scenes.

Casting the ultra-leftist Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan can only be interpreted as a deliberate one-finger salute to the memory of former President Reagan and his wife's devotion to him and his causes.

There are hundreds of fine actresses with stellar abilities and resumes who could play this role convincingly, so why Jane Fonda?  Why her?

Elementary.  It's guaranteed to generate controversy, and pre-release controversy always sells tickets.  When no other answer suffices, it's usually the money.

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