The Urim and Thummim

Ahead of tonight's debate amongst the 10 (it can't quite be "between" such a crowd, can it?) Republican candidates for president, we were interested to see this announcement:

(2007-05-03) — A librarian at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where 2008 Republican White House hopefuls will meet for their first debate Thursday night, said today that the famous Reagan mantle is “for reference use only, and will not be loaned out to any of the current crop of candidates.”

The Gipper’s mantle and its companion legacy have not been seen in public since the former conservative standard-bearer wrote a letter announcing to his fellow Americans in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The Reagan mantle and the legacy are not items that anyone can just casually pick up and carry around,” said the unnamed librarian, “although it was President Reagan’s intention that they be kept in circulation, so far no one able to bear them has appeared.”

As for the 10 Republican presidential candidates, the librarian said, “They may come. They may look and talk, but they can’t touch this.”