After President Reagan's assassination attempt, the very first thing he said to the First Lady when she arrived at the hospital was, “Honey, I forgot to duck,” a reference to a one-liner used by boxer Jack Dempsey. There were many other attempts by the president to make light of the tragic attempt in order to try and give those around him a sense of ease and the country a sense of calm. Here are some other reported quips by the president: 

• To surgeons, as he entered the operating room: “Please tell me you’re Republicans.”
• In a writ…