^{Reagan with the 1987 champion Hurricanes. "I was the smallest man on the platform & I'm 6'1" & weigh 190," he recalled in his diary.}

Ronald Reagan would have turned 100 today and Republicans have spent the past week in effusive remembrance. Here's the story the St. Petersburg Times carried today about Reagan's lasting influence.

Sen. Marco Rubio: "President Reagan was a man who inspired millions of Americans to serve their country and fulfill its promise as the shining city on a hill. His genial demeanor, resilience, no-nonsense approach to governing and rock solid principles attracted flocks of young Americans to the Republican Party, and I am proud to include myself in that number."

Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge: “This weekend as we gather with family and friends watch the Super Bowl, I’ll also be tuning-in to the centennial tributes to our 40th President. Indeed President Reagan’s leadership inspired so many Americans to look past current problems to see a better tomorrow, to pursue our dreams, to accomplish a goal or to start a business, and be proud to be an American.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota (via Twitter): "Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it" - Happy Birthday President Reagan."

Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation: “At a time in our country's history when the American people needed a principled leader to inspire a nation and protect us from harm, we were blessed to have President Ronald Reagan. ... As we face today’s challenges, we need to keep in minds the words of President Ronald Reagan. Never in recent history has there been a more influential person on the United States of America, and in turn, my own personal political positions, than President Ronald Reagan."

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami: “As a refugee from Cuba’s Communist dictatorship, my family and I learned at a young age what it is like to see freedom ripped away and a nation plunged into despair.  On this 100th Anniversary of the birth of President Ronald Reagan, I recall the tone, tenor, and tenacity with which he stood up for freedom and democracy here in the U.S. and around the world, and with which he tackled our nation’s greatest challenges."

Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta: “If President Reagan were alive today, I believe he would remind us again that there is no choice between left and right, only between up and down. He would appeal to our better instincts to work together and solve the problems of our time, not by expanding government but by expanding economic freedom. He would remind us that government isn’t the answer; the American people are."

Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden: "Today we celebrate his principles, vision, and love for America, 'a shining city on a hill.' "