The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  Word came in afternoon—the Senate passed the MX 59 to 39. The House later passed the Pershing II missile. Home & Mother.

  [Thursday, May 26: NSC meeting regarding Navy commander murdered in El Salvador; television interviews with foreign correspondents; visit from Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani of Italy and from movie executives who renovated White House theater; “another hour briefing on the Summit. Enough already”; had a haircut; taped radiocast; phone calls to various gatherings.]

  Friday, May 27–Tuesday, May 31

  The summit in Williamsburg on all our minds but 1st on Fri. had a press interview & then met with Prime Minister Nakasone of Japan—1st name Yasu. We met in office & then lunch in the St. dining room. He impresses me more every time I see him. At lunch we surprised him with a birthday cake. I can’t believe he’s 65. I had him pegged for 45. He’s off to Johns Hopkins U. for a speech & then on to the summit.

  I finished the day in Williamsburg with a 2 hr. prep meeting for the Summit.

  Sat. 28th—A full day what with touring all the facilities arranged for the Summit. Our table—at least 40 feet long was hand built by a craftsman as a gift to the govt. for use at the Summit.

  Had bilaterals with Pres. Mitterrand (France) & P.M. Margaret Thatcher, then a dinner meeting with the other 6 heads of state & the Pres. of the European Council, Gaston Thorn. I opened the subject of the I.N.F. deployment. After full discussion it was agreed that we’d have foreign ministers draw up a statement of approval of deployment & of negotiations to reduce & hopefully eliminate all such intermediate range weapons. We met on Sunday morning & out of the blue both Mitterrand & Trudeau said they couldn’t support such a statement. The discussion grew very brisk with Margaret, Helmut, Yasu & Amantore (Italy) all having at them. I got angry & did about 20 minutes. We were one hour late for lunch. In the afternoon meeting we started again on a new draft that tried to meet some of their language complaints without weakening the statement.

  While Ministers were working on drafts, we took up matter of an ec. statement & believe it or not the same 2 had objections to that. We stood firm—I thought at one point Margaret was going to order Pierre to go stand in a corner. It was hard to remember we had started the day with a prayer service in the tiny church. Maybe that’s what did it because we closed the day with both issues resolved, cordially restored & no winners or losers.

  Sunday night dinner was very pleasant at the old Royal Gov’s. palace. We discussed the middle east but didn’t make it an agenda issue.

  Monday morning meeting very productive—agreed to do more to cooperate on medical research etc. Rallied around our full ec. statement. At an outdoor lunch we met exchange students—1 from each of our countries. I filled our leaders in on Central Am. Later in day, met with Helmut Kohl—he’s solid & with us all the way. Monday night dinner (Nancy had arrived, thank Heaven) was something of a banquet. Press already hailing the Summit as a success. Tues. saw each of the heads of state off. (Mitterrand, Thatcher & Kohl) had left the night before. Thank you’s all around & back to the W.H.

  Wednesday, June 1

  [Met with leaders of the Red Cross, which was suffering financial problems.]

  Met with Gen. Rowny—he leaves in a week to resume the “Start” talks in Geneva. I’ve given him some needed flexibility.

  [Lunched with space shuttle crew, including Dr. Sally Ride, called her “a charming, likeable gal”; cabinet meeting regarding equal rights for women, Social Security, disability and hospice care; visit from leaders of Jewish War Veterans; diplomatic formalities; visit from former governor Mel Thompson (R-NH); photo session; videotapings; reception for David Rockefeller and investors in Latin America.]

  Thursday, June 2–Sunday, June 5

  [Memorial service for W.H. staffer; left for Camp David.]

  Thurs. afternoon at Camp D. we rode. After my last experience with Giminish I didn’t know what to expect, but God Bless Dennis Ayres (Park Mounties). My horse was entirely different & we had a nice ride. Giminish stayed a little tense but no acrobatics. Fri. morning we rode again & this time he was relaxed & just a darn good ride. Whatever it was I think he’s cured. We decided (correctly) not to ride Sat. based on weather reports & sure enough the skies opened Sat. afternoon plus lightning & thunder. We both got a lot of homework done. Sun. of course was magnificent—85 degrees & bright sun. Of course we left right after lunch & here we are at the W.H. Tonite to the Shultz’s for a B.B.Q. It was a very pleasant evening & we learned something. A stripper steak was covered with salt & laid in the fireplace on hot coals. Turned over once & it was ready for eating.

  Monday, June 6

  A busy day. A moving ceremony in the Oval office presenting a gold medal posthumously to a man who has been known for more than a year as “the unknown hero.” The Coast Guard has finally established that the man who kept passing the helicopter rescue rope to others in the “Air Florida” crash into the Potomac—Jan. 13 1982 was Arlin Williams Jr. Five people’s lives were saved but when the Copter went back for him he was gone. His mother, father, son (18) & a daughter (16) were present for the ceremony.

  [Met with finalists in National Spelling Bee; received report on American place in world marketplace; discussion of loan request from Nigeria; PBS’s Young Talent program, cohosted by Mary Martin and John Raitt.]

  Before that I met with Paul Volcker—? do I reappoint him as Chmn. of the Fed. Aug. 1 or change. The financial mkt. seems set on having him. I don’t want to shake their confidence in recovery. Cliff White came over from R.N.C. to talk about our staff battles. It’s a tough problem made worse by 2nd echelon spokesmen leaking stories in behalf of their top men.

  Tuesday, June 7

  N.S.C. meeting on Start negotiations. We’ve opened them up & given our negotiators more flexibility. We’re going to try & reduce warheads & missiles & throw weights.

  [Visit from President and Mrs. Houphouët-Boigny of the Ivory Coast; met with congressmen on the START talks; visit from Stu Spencer, campaign strategist, and from Max Fisher, oil magnate and advisor, with Jewish leaders, all offering support.]

  Don Regan came in—just between us for now he wants to resign. His family is pressing for it & I know it’s concern for his health. He puts in a 60 or 70 hour week. I think we’ll re-appoint Paul Volcker for about a year & a half. He doesn’t want a full term.

  Tonite—State Dinner but before that—a short meeting with Alexandre de Marenches—one time head of French Intelligence. He travels extensively & had depressing news about a number of areas & Soviet subversion in them. He picks Iran as a real danger spot.

  [State dinner.]

  Wednesday, June 8

  Sen. Malcolm Wallop came to the Oval office. He makes a good case that we are actually further ahead on laser technology & could carry out my idea of a defense against nuclear missiles much earlier if there wasn’t bureaucratic foot dragging.

  Met with bipartisan leadership of both houses to report on Wmsburg & to discuss “start” negotiations. Tip & Bob Byrd conspicuous by their absence. Good meetings—then adjourned to Rose Garden where I made statement on changes in our negotiations in “Start.” A lot of Ambassadors, the Scowcroft Commission, Joint Chiefs of Staff etc. present. It was broadcast world wide.

  [Received NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers; lunch with educators, supportive of administration findings; cabinet meeting on farm problems, worker safety; new poll shows improvement in job approval and other areas; Maureen staying at W.H.]

  Thursday, June 9

  Ambas. Hinton just relieved as Ambas. to El Salvador, stopped by. He’s a good man & did a fine job under extremely difficult circumstances. I hope he can convince some of our left leaning Congressmen how wrong they are.

  Geo. Bush reported on his phone calls to J. Loeb, our Ambas. to Denmark. We are replacing him—the news had leaked to him already—he was climbing the wall. He really had to be replaced. Finally on 3rd call Geo. told him I wanted him to serve as a delegate to the U.N. in N.Y. That calmed the angr
y waters.

  [Introduced new staffer, Lee Verstandig; flew to Minneapolis, briefing en route by head of Commission on Excellence in Education; visited high school; political dinner, noted hostile demonstration outside; chastised mayor of Minneapolis for “hosting a seminar of Soviets & Am’s. who see no threat from the left”; returned to the W.H.]

  Friday, June 10

  A short day. An N.S.C. meeting re security for our nuclear installations. Chmn. Dingell (D. Congman) has been trying for headlines on that subject.

  [Lunched with business leaders; left for Camp David; sat by pool.]

  Saturday, June 11–Sunday, June 12

  Did my radio broadcast—lunch & then a ride. Giminish was a perfect gentleman. Wore my new field boots for the 1st time. We’ve been working on the ankles with Lexol. They’ve been darn hard to break in but we’re getting there. Spent rest of afternoon pool side. Had some homework with me which took more time than I’d anticipated. Had some calls to make—Anti-Defamation League, George Bush—Birthday & Charlie Price in Brussels who had some good suggestions. Discovered for 1st time the embassy doesn’t have a secure phone—he has to go to NATO H.Q.

  Early leaving on Sunday because of Special Olympics on W.H. lawn. The Special Olympics are for retarded & otherwise handicapped children. It was a truly grand evening—special events by these children, then a picnic dinner in a huge tent & finally entertainment by the Beach Boys. We had one of the athletes, a young girl (gymnast) at our table. She couldn’t keep from hugging Nancy who hugged right back. Eunice Shriver heads up this special activity—she was at our table with her husband & the Giffords. Chris Reeves (Superman) was on hand as honorary chief coach. He’s done some acrimonious interviews about me being a cold fish with a heart only for the rich. I’m just optimist enough to think he might have changed his mind. Eunice told someone her brother (J.F.K.) would never give as much time to something like this as we did.

  Monday, June 13

  Visited by Bob Hawke, new P.M. of Australia. We got along fine & quietly just between the 2 of us he let me know he did not represent the left wing of the labor party.

  [Cabinet meeting, approved reform in food stamp program; meeting with congressmen touting various pet bills; signed proclamation for Baltic Freedom Day; dinner party. Tuesday, June 14: received gift of giant flag; flew to Tennessee, visited high school and Meharry Medical School, a traditionally black institution, commented, “A short time ago it looked like it was going belly up—we did some things that cleared it’s debt & saved it”; met with party leaders; flew to Albuquerque; reception for party leaders; called to follow up on intervention effort to cut red tape and bring a hospitalized girl home to her parents.]

  Wednesday, June 15

  This was the morning I addressed the Nat. Convention of the P.T.A. All the local papers were telling me how unwanted I was. The P.T.A. is opposed to Tuition Tax Credits. The young D. Gov. of N.M. was all over the news blasting me for cuts in ed. funding—which we’ve never made. They had ordered 2000 green buttons to wear showing they were against the tax credits. Incidentally I had nothing on that subject in my speech.

  I was braced for trouble. I was warmly received & was interrupted a number of times by enthusiastic applause & when I got to “prayer in school” got a standing ovation—which the network TV news failed to mention.

  Back to the W.H. & a meeting with staff, Cap W. & George S. He’s meeting with Dobrynin & Gromyko & wanted to check with us on subject matter & positions. We were all in agreement that we be firm, willing to hold out a hand same time let them know we d--n well want them to stay away from Central America.

  Thursday, June 16

  Wrong start to a pretty good day. One of our Presidential Scholars—high school seniors chosen for outstanding scholarship was a visitor before the ceremony. A young lady named Ariela Gross came by to give me a petition she had persuaded 14 of the more than 140 to sign advocating a nuclear freeze. I should have asked her questions & then caught her up when she was wrong. I didn’t—feeling pressed because I only had a few minutes with her. I tried to tell her why a freeze was ridiculous. She was unreachable & more than a little arrogant. I spoke to ears that refused to hear.

  [NSC meeting on the danger of the rising debt in developing countries; lunch with Vice President Bush; economic briefing on the stock market; Don Regan unusually optimistic; visits by United Negro College Fund supporters, by leader of Armenian Apostolic Church, by committee working on restoration of Statue of Liberty, by cancer researchers who received award from GM; presented with Maine salmon; ambassadorial formalities; dropped by dinner for Jesse Helms.]

  Friday, June 17

  President Magana arrived—a good man. When we went out for the photo op in the Rose Garden, Sam Donaldson (who else) started yelling a question at me—each time I said “Photo Opportunity.” I’d explained beforehand to the Pres. that we had a rule against Q’s. at a photo op. Sam then yelled a Q. at President Magana. The Pres. said—“Photo Opportunity.” That finished Sam. We had good meetings. Selwa Roosevelt brought her family in for a photo. Archie gave me a small bronze that once belonged to Teddy R. I went over to the E.O.B. to speak to the board of the Knights of Columbus. We took a round about way to get there—seems one of the sniffer dogs showed some excitement about a parked car along the usual route. Did some tapings & we were off to Camp David—where again we spent a rainy weekend. Oh! Forgot on S. Lawn addressed the Presidential Scholars & families. One—a girl came to the office 1st to present a nuclear freeze petition she’d gotten 14 others to sign. She really had a closed mind.

  Saturday, June 18

  Played a game on the leakers & the press. About 11 A.M. I phoned Paul Volcker in N.Y. & asked him to accept re-appointment as Chairman of the Fed. Then I called Don Regan to tell him. Then I did my radio broadcast—I boiled down the prepared script & opened with my now handwritten announcement about Paul’s appt.

  [Answered mail. Sunday, June 19: desk work; returned to W.H.; dinner with Wicks family.]

  Monday, June 20

  Met with Habib & Dick Stone. Habib’s was kind of a final sum up on where we are in the Middle East—Dick is going to Central Am. & try to meet with the El Salvador bandits to see if they’ll meet with the El Salvador Peace Commission to discuss a pol. settlement. He has to do this to appeal to the hard heads in Congress who are trying to dictate foreign policy.

  [Met with private pilots who avoided a crash of their disabled plane; spoke to congressional pages; flew to Jackson, Mississippi, for political fund-raiser, rally; returned to W.H.]

  Tuesday, June 21

  [Met with congressmen regarding 1983 supplemental budget.]

  An N.S.P.G. meeting on how to move Syria out of Lebanon. I’ve asked for more specifics.

  P.M. (Pres.) Gonzalez of Spain arrived. He’s sharp, a bright, personable, young moderate & pragmatic socialist. I think we hit if off pretty good which was what he wanted. I did lecture him a little on Central Am.

  [Cabinet Council meeting on synthetic fuels and farm subsidies; photo session; visits by winner of wheelchair marathon, by retiring Washington Times reporter Carlyle Reed.]

  Wednesday, June 22

  Finally got everything cleared away as to Dick Stones trip to Central Am. Last night got a call that 3 Am. Press men had been killed on the border of Honduras. By morning we knew it was only 2—3rd man was an Honduran driver. They were killed by a rifle grenade fired across the border by Nicaraguan soldiers. The bodies couldn’t be recovered til night fall because the Sandinista forces kept shelling the area. They can’t lay it to a mistake—the vehicle was painted white.

  [Met with new commission to improve Japan-U.S. relations, chaired by David Packard, cofounder of Hewlett-Packard; spoke at convention of independent business owners; answered mail.]

  The Dems. are trying to pick up a scandal saying someone gave us or we stole their scenario for the Jimmy Carter campaign debate which I won. Evidently someone was given something that was merely a compilation o
f what they thought were achievements. I’d never heard of it until it broke in the press yesterday. It certainly was no strategic plan of any kind & I’ve never seen it.

  Thursday, June 23

  Every time I got within half a block of the press corps they were yelling “what about the (& they call it) Stolen Carter document.” I haven’t replied & won’t until next weeks press conference. This was the day for Chi.—arrived at O’Hare still fairly early in the day—helicoptered to the H.Q. Polish American Assn. Spoke to a rather small group of invited leaders—well received. They are most supportive of what we’ve done for the Polish people.

  [Addressed American Medical Association; returned to W.H.; plan to go to Florida for shuttle landing canceled due to delays caused by uncertain weather.]

  Friday, June 24

  Prince Bandar (Saudi Arabia) came by with message from the King re the Syrian situation. They are most anxious that we do something to rid the Middle East of the Soviet influence. Bandar believes Syria would like to trade the Soviets for U.S. help & influence.

  Met with Repub. plus 1 Dem. Bud Roemer re El Salvador. Many of the group had just come back from there. Not all had been on our side before they went—they are now. The stories they told all added up to the fact that El Salvador is only the current battlefield. What is going on is a general revolution aimed at all of Central Am. & yes, Mexico.

  [Lunch with 1980 campaign supporters; interviewed by Malcolm Forbes and Forbes reporters, commented, “They too are supportive”; desk work; ran an unnamed movie; phoned astronauts in California, where shuttle ultimately landed.]

  Saturday, June 25

  No Camp David—but weather wonderful. After my broadcast we went over to pool—had a swim & lunched there with the Deavers, Jim Baker. Very pleasant day. We’re being harassed by a charge that 3 yrs. ago we obtained a campaign strategy book from Carter campaign & used it to win debate. No one can remember anything other than a bunch of pages citing Carter admin. accomplishments. I’d never even heard of that until this story broke. It resulted from Larry Barrett’s book on me & sounds like a book promotion stunt but a Dem. Congmn.—Chairman of a sub comm. thinks he’s struck pay dirt. He’s struck dirt alright—campaign mud.