Rewriting Ronald Reagan

There's an interesting, contrarian essay in The Washington Monthly about Ronald Reagan's legacy. Joshua Green surveys the recent spate of adulatory books about Reagan that have been written by conservatives. He argues:

A sober review of Reagan's presidency doesn't yield the seamlessly conservative record being peddled today. Federal government expanded on his watch. The conservative desire to outlaw abortion was never seriously pursued. Reagan broke with the hardliners in his administration and compromised with the Soviets on arms control. His assault on entitlements never materialized; instead he saved Social Security in 1983. And he repeatedly ignored the fundamental conservative dogma that taxes should never be raised.

He concludes, "The fact is that Reagan, whether out of wisdom or because he was forced, made significant compromises with the left. Had he not saved Social Security, relented on his tax cut, and negotiated with the Soviets, he'd have been a less popular, and lesser, president. An honest portrait of Reagan's presidency would not diminish his memory, but enlarge it."

Which leaves you wondering: So why did liberals and the left hate the guy so much?