Does anyone know a source of the Reagan quotation "The nine most terrifying words.."?

Eldridge Rieves: That was a part of a joke at least 30 years old (that I know of). Not really an identifiable quotation. Probably impossible to know who said it first. According to several sources (see below), it first started appearing in print in the 1970s. Here are a couple of versions, both from the source below:Yale Book of QuotationsBy Fred R. ShapiroNew Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2006Pg. 825:George F. WillU.S. journalist, 1941-The American condition can be summed up in three sentences we’re hearing these days:“Your check is in the mail.”“I will respect you as much in the morning.”“I am from the government and I am here to help you.”Quoted in Frederick (Md.) News, 19 July 19766 May 1976, Arcadia Tribune, pg. D4, col. 4:Rep. John Rousselot calls the following the three greatest fabrications of all time:-- My check is in the mail.-- I gave at the office.-- I’m from the federal government. I’m here to help you....Show more

Troy St! aton: Reagan gave a close approximation in his first inaugural address:"Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."- Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address, 198151From Shmoop History/Reagan Era...Show more