After I finished working Friday, I had occasion to watch a repeat of the Reagan funeral on PBS, immediately followed by live coverage of the interment in Simi Valley, Calif. It was truly absorbing TV, absolutely fitting for a president and first lady who made their names in Hollywood and brought an unparalleled sense of the camera to the White House.

From beginning to end, every moment was calculated to provoke a gut reaction from the American people and to honor as much as possible the Reagan legacy. I must admit: It worked for me.

I, like most libertarians, have mixed feelings about Reagan. His leadership helped precipitate the end of the Cold War — and in dubbing the Soviet Union and evil empire he had the guts to call a spade a spade — but it’s likely that the aging machinery of that communist state and its Eastern bloc were due to crumble soon anyhow.

And the cost of his strategy of unprecedented military buildup to push the Soviets to the negotiating table is still with us in the form of a much larger national debt, which will take generations to pay off. Was it worth it? Did it work? The jury, I think, is still out on that.

On the matters close libertarian hearts — lower taxes, less regulation, smaller government — Reagan had a decidedly mixed record. Yes, he pushed through the biggest tax cut in history, but then he pushed through the biggest tax increase in history, along with two other tax hikes.

In the areas of deregulation and government spending, he didn’t do much at all. He folded quickly on Social Security reform and he never proposed a balanced budget to Congress. And as the Cato Institute’s David Boaz points out, after promising to get rid of two cabinet departments, he actually added two. And of course the Iran-Contra scandal will always be a mark on his presidency.

Still, this cursory examination of Reagan’s actual record skirts the importance of his rhetoric, coming at a time when so many seemed to question the existence of the notion of the American dream. He at least really believed and articulated from the depths of his soul a uniquely American conception of freedom. Tim Lee points to Reagan’s farewell address from the Oval Office as a prime example of this soaring and righteous rhetoric.

In this sense, the Reagan funeral was a magnificent encapsulation of his legacy. It hit all right buttons for me. The amazing scene of 4,000 of the most influential, powerful people in the world gathered in that magnificent cathedral to pay tribute to his life, accented by moving renditions of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Amazing Grace” was really awe-inspiring.

In spite of myself, I did tear up a couple of times. And then there was the interment ceremony in California, with that wonderful backdrop of the sun sinking behind the hills. The touching personal eulogies of Reagan’s children shed light on the life of an intensely private man. All through this, the camera was an all-seeing witness of the importance of Reagan to all of these people, and to the world. That is how it was intended, and that is how it was effected. It was a process fit for a king, and I half expected Ron Reagan to be coronated when it was all over.

The ultimate moment, however, came when the flag had draped Reagan’s casket was presented to Nancy. She slowly walked to the casket and laid her cheek upon it as she had done several times during the week. But then, knowing this was her last moment with her beloved Ronnie — for better or worse, the country’s last moment with their beloved president — she hesitated. She teared up and didn’t want to let go — nobody did. That’s when I lost it completely, and started blubbering like a baby. I wonder how many others did.

It took the coaxing of her entire family to get her to step away. And yet the country, and certainly the alleged Reagan heir Dubya — deserted Reagan’s legacy if not his casket long ago. Reagan may never have proposed a balanced budget, but Dubya’s never even vetoed a single bill. I guess every dollar Congress has appropriated in the last three years was perfectly justified.

From foreign policy to trade to civil liberties to just plain decency and honesty, Dubya’s no heir to Reagan’s memory, he’s a traitor to the man’s legacy. But he’s worse, because in mid-treacherous stride, he has the gall to pretend that he has inherited the Reagan mantle.

Reagan said his greatest accomplishment was that he made Americans believe in themselves again. At the ineffable, intangible level at which we live our public life that may have been true, as grandiose a claim it is for a politician to make. Dubya didn’t fumble the ball after 9/11, but what has he done since then? A long chain of abuses culminating in Abu Ghraib have shattered the country’s sense of faith (however misguided it was to begin with) in his leadership.

Where Reagan appealed to Americans’ sense of optimism and love of liberty, Dubya’s appealed to their fears. At least Reagan’s heart was in the right place, and at least he tried. At least he tried.