Fred Kaplan discusses Ronald Reagan's attitude towards the Soviet Union as "an evil empire" and reminds all that Reagan retreated from that position. Frankly, I think Ronald Reagan has long since become a mythical being and that no one on either side of the political spectrum is as interested in accuracy about him as Fred is.
[P.S. Added 15 minutes later: And I should also have linked you to the book excerpt by James Mann that Kaplan mentions in his piece.]