Saw him off and then took off for Camp David.
[Saturday, May 9–Sunday, May 10: Ron, Doria, Patti, and family and friends celebrate Mother’s Day weekend. Monday, May 11: meeting with task force on Social Security; reception for congressmen who favored budget cuts. Tuesday, May 12: meetings with Senate Republican leaders and with governors regarding block grants.]
Wednesday, May 13
Word from Habib in Israel holds out a little hope that we can avert a nose to nose between Syria & Israel.
[Met with Democratic senators regarding crime.]
Word brought to us of the shooting of the Pope. Called Cardinal Cooke & Cardinal Crowell—sent message to Vatican & prayed.
Thursday, May 14
Cabinet met 90 min.—working lunch. Subject—the way the Bureaucrats are slipping in cost overruns which are increasing the ’81 bud. deficit. There is no question but it is the usual warfare the perm. structure wages to protect its turf. It’s a war we must win.
5:45 a reception for the Sens. D. & R. who voted for our budget. Then upstairs to dress for my 1st time to go out on the town. The Tom Jones’ had a dinner at Georgetown Club for all the Californians (& others) who were in town for the Wrathers premiere of “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.”
It was wonderful to see all of them and get homesick all over again. I was surprised to find my back tingled a bit when I got out of the car & went up the steps with a crowd of people across the street in the dark.
Friday, May 15
Met with Botha—F. Minister S. Africa. Then with the F.M. of Romania. An N.S.C. meeting with Lebanon on the table. Latest message from Habib does not sound good although he said to make no decision for a few days. Begin was more flexible than Assad of Syria (bolstered by Soviets) Habib going to Saudi Arabia to see if they’ll lean on Assad. Sometimes I wonder if we are destined to witness Armageddon.
[Mrs. Reagan’s plans for U.S. Navy ship christening.]
Saturday, May 16—Armed Forces Day
Nancy up at the crack of dawn to leave for Miss. & the launching.
Why am I so scared always when she leaves like that? I do an awful lot of praying until she returns. She returned and I’ve said my thank you. While she was gone I got a call that Prince Turki [al-Faisal] of Saudi Arabia was in N.Y. If we could persuade him to come here & meet me (he’s a nephew of Crown Prince Sahd) maybe we could persuade him to fly back to Saudi A. and see if they would lean on Syria while we continue to talk to Begin. Meeting a success we’re sending him back by mil. aircraft.
Sunday, May 17
Change signals on Prince Turki—he left for Saudi Arabia today by commercial plane.
An easy morning with the Sunday papers—my exercises and then boarded the chopper & Air Force 1 for South Bend Ind. Had lunch on board with Walter & Lee Annenberg. Father Hesburgh met us at the airport and we drove to Notre Dame. It was commencement for 2000 graduates but there must have been 15,000 all told in the auditorium. Pat O’Brien was there also to get an honorary degree. It really was exciting. Every N.D. student sees the Rockne film and so the greeting for Pat & me was overwhelming. Speech went O.K. and I was made an honorary member of the Monogram Club. When I opened my certificate I thought they’d made 2 copies—they hadn’t, the 2nd was to “The Gipper.” He died before graduation so had never been made a member.
Got back to the plane wringing wet—Cap & Gown plus an “iron” vest makes for heat. Discovered a service I hadn’t been aware of—a change of clothing is always carried when I go on a trip. Change in this case meant a welcome dry shirt.
[Watched 60 Minutes; called Senator Dole (R-KS) about tax plan.]
Monday, May 18
We may have a chance in Lebanon of heading off a war. The Saudis sent an emissary to Syria. Our problem now is 2 pol. leaders Assad & Begin & finding a way that saves both their faces & doesn’t look like the U.S. managed this.
Met with Volcker of the Fed. Reserve. Int. prime rates went to 20 today. This is “chicken little” stuff in the money mkt. based on pessimism that Cong. won’t give us what we’re asking so inflation will go up.
Bill Smith came in with a task force report on immigration. Our 1st problem is what to do with 1000’s of Cubans—criminals & the insane that Castro loaded on refugee boats & sent here.
Finally an interview with Teddy White. Yes now I’ll be in a book called “The Making of the Pres.”
Tonite we went to the Lisner Auditorium for the benefit performance by the Joffrey Ballet. Ron is featured in much of it—the old show biz story. One of the principles strained a muscle & Ron replaced him. He was darn good. He has a grace that is remindful of Fred Astaire—a little extra flair that makes it all look easy.
[Tuesday, May 19: luncheon with NASA astronauts. Wednesday, May 20: meetings in anticipation of Ottawa summit and visit from German chancellor Helmut Schmidt; official send-off for group of U.S. ambassadors; reception for National Advertising Council; birthday party for Ron. Thursday, May 21: meeting with Schmidt, regarded as a show of friendship. Friday, May 22: finds agreement with Schmidt on “future course with regard to Russia.” Leaves for vacation at ranch in California.]
Saturday, May 23–Tuesday, May 26
The weather was beautiful (most beautiful this morning when we had to leave). We rode in the mornings—Little Man, Fancy & Gwalianko. Nancy of course on “No Strings.” Fancy is the new mare Mrs. Weldon gave us. She’s a beautiful chestnut—A little uptight at trail riding because she’s spent her life in the show ring.
In the afternoons (short ones Nancy saw to that) we hacked away at the snowstorm debris—broken limbs & downed trees. We cut out the wood suitable for fuel and then piled the brush for burning next winter. Dinner by the fireside & early to bed.
Now we’re back in Wash. & off to West Point in the morning.
Wednesday, May 27
Up at 7:15 & on Marine 1 at 8:15. Boarded A.F.1 at Andrews & flew up to West Point where we helicoptered & drove to the stadium. Can there be anything more stirring than a West Point graduation? The speech was well received and I shook 900 hands. We then returned to the White House & problems. We’ve called Habib home for consultations. He felt he’d be sitting in one or the other of the 3 capitals doing nothing which might make our peace efforts look like a failure. This way it gives an appearance of continued action which we hope will keep all sides from taking a precipitate flyer. He’s done a great job and kept things that were about to blow, quiet for 3 weeks.
[Received word of a bomber crash on the deck of the USS Nimitz.]
Thursday, May 28
Latest on Nimitz disaster 14 dead 44 injured. Had an N.S.C. meeting. Gave the go ahead to a plan for the Caribbean & Central Am. to help the smaller cos. economically, social reforms etc. plus mil. aid to protect against Cuban exported radicals. We’ll involve or ask to be involved Canada, Mexico, Venezuela & others. I proposed that the answer to the Haitians continuing to come here as illegal aliens for ec. reasons should be a program to upgrade Haiti’s economy so it could provide jobs for its people.
Cabinet meeting. Demo’s. finally have come up with a counter proposal to our tax program. They want to include a reduction of the inc. tax rate on unearned income from 70% to the 50% top rate on earned income. We wanted that in the 1st place but were sure they’d attack us as favoring the rich. Several of their other proposals are things we wanted. Decision is, I’ll reluctantly give in provided they’ll accept the 3 yr. across the board cut which will be 5–10 & 10 instead of the 10–10 & 10 we originally proposed. I’ll hail it as a great bipartisian solution. H--l! It’s more than I thought we could get. I’m delighted to get the 70 down to 50. All we give up is the 1st year 10% beginning last Jan. to 5% beginning this Oct. Instead of 30% over 3 yrs. (36 mos.) it will be 25% over 27 months.
[Dinner party at the home of Dillon Ripley, wildlife expert and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.]
I almost forgot to mention the 1st meeting of the day. Mrs. Scharansky & a young Jewish refug
ee from the Gulag (10 yrs. in prison) came to see me. Mrs. S. married her husband 10 yrs. ago. She had a visa to leave Russia for Israel the day after the wedding. She left—the authorities told her the Groom would be allowed to leave very soon to join her. He is in the Gulag—was never allowed to leave—is said to have been an American spy which he never was.
D--n those inhuman monsters. He is said to be down to 100 lbs. & very ill. I promised I’d do everything I could to obtain his release & I will.
Friday, May 29
[Photo session with diplomatic appointees.]
Then met with Am. Habib who has been performing miracles in holding off a Syrian-Israeli war for 3 weeks. He has the Sandis involved pressuring the Syrians to be reasonable.
He’ll go back after the weekend.
Saturday, May 30
How good to sleep in and not get up til the papers have been read.
Al Haig called—the Saudis have persuaded a combined force of the moderate Arab nations to go into Lebanon as a deterrent in place of the Syrians. This could give the Syrians a face saving way of withdrawing and that would mean peace.
Tonite a dinner for 18 here at the W.H. It was very nice—Frank & Barbara, the Michels, Isaac Sterns, Geo. Murphy, the Kissingers etc., Bill Paley, The Wyeths.
[Sunday, May 31: lunch with friends in Virginia.]
Monday, June 1
Quite a day! Met with Sen. Simpson re immigration. He had a great collection of fraudulent S.S. cards, drivers licenses, union cards etc.—Oh also phony food stamps. How can we curb this kind of counterfeiting? Then it was Sen. Ted Kennedy’s turn. He’s interested in gun control but not as rabid about it as I thought.
[Negotiations with congressional leaders over tax bill.]
Later an N.S.C. meeting. I okayed reversing the Carter policy against selling arms to our friends. Venezuela wants to buy F16 fighter planes. Also said yes to a plan to enlist Canada & Mex. in aiding Central America & the Caribbean nations. Ec. help, social reform & help in resisting revolutions exported from Cuba.
Moving to the middle east. I approved naval maneuvers in Mediterranean waters that Khadafi of Libya has declared are his territorial waters. I’m not being foolhardy but he’s a madman. He has been harassing our planes out over international waters & it’s time to show the other nations there Egypt, Morocco, et al that there is different management here. * Nancy went to Wolf Trap—Bob Hope performing—a big benefit opening. Security wouldn’t OK it for me. She came home with evidently “a bug” that’s been going around—a kind of 1 day intestinal disorder. She was up most of the night & thoroughly miserable. That rules her out for visiting Jim Brady tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 2
[Meeting with Republican leadership, mainly on tax plan and block grants.]
Cabinet meeting re the selling of 100,000 tons of butter from govt. stockpile. Only real customer would be Russia. The world price is $1 a lb.—Ams. are paying $1. I’ve proposed finding what we can do toward giving it to hunger areas instead. I haven’t given my answer yet but feel it will be against selling even though we’d get a couple of hundred million $.
Met with Jim Brady at the hospital. He looks well and has muscle movement in his left arm & leg. He got emotional a few times but they say that is normal at this stage. The prognosis continues to be that he’ll have good recovery.
Nancy went to Wolf Trap opening Mon. Security said no to me going.
[Wednesday, June 3: Reagan feels ill early in the day, rallied later; met with people with multiple sclerosis, escorted by Frank Sinatra, and with the NSC; reception for European civic leaders.]
Thursday, June 4
A very good day. Met with Dem. Conservatives. Believe a majority of the 33 will support our tax program.
[NSC meeting on Cuba and upcoming Haig trip to the People’s Republic of China; received ambassadors; met with senators on tax bill; greeted old friends in the family quarters.]
High spot of the day however was lunch. Our guest was Mother Theresa. What an inspiration this quiet little Albanian born Nun is. She radiates joy because God, as she says, has given her the opportunity to serve the lepers, the poverty stricken & the hopeless.
Friday, June 5
A hectic ¾ of a day—one meeting or appointment on top of another with no time in between to shift gears.
Did however give a medal to Ethel Kennedy honoring Robt. K. It was voted by Cong. in 1978 and the former Pres. never presented it.
Off to Camp David.
Saturday, June 6
Had planned to have our 1st horseback ride at Camp David but it rained so I did my homework for the meeting with Pres. Lopez Portillo—Mexico.
Sunday, June 7
Weather broke bright & clear so finally our ride. I wanted to see the trail at least once because the Pres. & I are scheduled to ride on Monday.
Got word of Israeli bombing of Iraq—nuclear reactor. I swear I believe Armageddon is near.
Returned to W.H. at 3 P.M. More word on bombing. P.M. Begin informed us after the fact.
Monday, June 8
Pres. Lopez Portillo and party arrived. We had the Marine band on hand for the welcome. Then off by helicopter for Camp David. Learned he was looking forward to complete informality so told him we’d change when we arrived. He & I met for more than an hour discussing our idea of U.S., Mex. & Canada launching a program to put the Caribbean nations & Central America on a solid Ec. base & correct the social inequities which make them ripe for Cuban inspired revolution: Then a working lunch—a dozen of us out on the terrace.
[Horseback ride with President José López Portillo; barbecue dinner.]
Tuesday, June 9
[Further meetings with President José López Portillo and Mexican officials; state luncheon.]
Ended day with an N.S.C. meeting re the bombing of Iraq. P.M. Begin insists the plant was preparing to produce nuclear weapons for use on Israel. If he waited ’til the French shipment of “hot” uranium arrived he couldn’t order the bombing because of the radiation that would be loosed over Baghdad.
I can understand his fear but feel he took wrong option. He should have told us & the French, we could have done something to remove the threat.
However we are not turning on Israel—that would be an invitation for the Arabs to attack. It’s time to raise H--l worldwide for a settlement of the “middle-east” problem. What has happened is the result of fear & suspicion on both sides. We need a real push for a solid peace.
Jus. Dart called—a solid offer has been made for our home. We said yes but we’ll cry when it goes.
Wednesday, June 10
More meetings about the Israeli bombing. Under the law I have no choice but to ask Cong. to investigate & see if there has been a violation of the law regarding use of Am. produced planes for offensive purposes. Frankly, if Cong. should decide that I’ll grant a Presidential waiver. Iraq is technically still at war with Israel & I believe they were preparing to build an atom bomb.
Henry K. came to see me at 5:30 to report on his European & Middle East trip. He has an amazing knowledge of all the “players” and his report was most enlightening & helpful.
Thursday, June 11
I feel like I’ve spent the day in the U.N. The morning was pretty well taken with a labor leader meeting—those leaders who support our Ec. program. Then it was the Ec. Advisory Council. Art Laffer dropped a grenade on his colleagues when he said we weren’t going to solve the fiscal program until we returned to convertibility of money for gold. I would like to have heard the discussion among those economists after I left.
Then after lunch the U.N. phase started; 5 Arab St. Ambassadors, followed by the Israeli Amb. The 5 of course protested we hadn’t been hard enough on Israel. The Israeli deplored the harsh action we’d taken. I told all of them our goal was peace in the middle east. The bombing was the result of the suspicions & hostilities that exist there. We are going to keep on trying to bring peace to Lebanon & then between Arabs & Israelis.
Th
e truth is the Arab indignation on behalf of Iraq is a waste. Saddam Hussein is a “no good nut” and I think he was trying to build a nuclear weapon. He has called for the destruction of Israel & he wants to be the leader of the Arab world—that’s why he invaded Iran.
[Reception for supporters on economic package; ceremony at Marine barracks. Friday, June 12: received new ambassadors; signed POW/MIA Recognition Day proclamation; lunch with Vice President Bush; reception for Republican National Committee. Saturday, June 13: dinner party with the Regans and others. Sunday, June 14: church services; barbecue with Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham and others. Monday, June 15: met with Charlton Heston and members of the Task Force on Arts and Humanities; discussion with congressmen on tax bill.]
Tuesday, June 16
[Meeting with Republican leadership on Democratic opposition to budget proposal.]
Today was Press Conference. I don’t think I was very scintillating.
[Recognized Canadian help in Iranian hostage crisis; reception for eleven senators and their wives.]
It’s lonely. Nancy is in N.Y. for the Royal Ballet. I don’t like it here by myself.
We have just learned that Israel & the previous Admin. did communicate about Iraq & the nuclear threat & the U.S. agreed it was a threat. There was never a mention of this to us by the outgoing admin. Amb. Lewis cabled word to us after the Israeli attack on Iraq & now we find there was a stack of cables & memos tucked away in St. Dept. files.
[Wednesday, June 17: award from the Broadcast Pioneers; send-off for ambassadors; horseback ride.]
Thursday, June 18
Called Tip O’Neil—there is no question but that games are being played. The Dem. dominated Committees have put together their plans for implementing the Gramm-Latta bill. Some did alright but a number of them claimed savings by putting in unrealistic figures they knew would not hold up. For example one of them called for eliminating ? of the P.O.’s in the U.S. Now they know we’d have to ask for replacement of those which means their claimed savings doesn’t exist. I called attn. to this one in the Tues. Press Conf. & the next day Pickle called a comm. meeting to change it & stated publicly it was because of my press conf.—in other words he confessed they’d been caught.
The Reagan Diaries Page 4