The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  The Pres. is a good man. He believes in pvt. enterprise & we’re working to help bring in investment to Sri Lanka. He’s faced too with a Northern Ireland kind of situation with a minority of Tamils wanting to break away & form a new country. Their tactics are terrorism.

  Then in the evening a State Dinner—his toast was very moving & eloquent & he ad-libbed. It was an enjoyable evening & Frank Sinatra sang.

  [Events before the state dinner: met Teenaged Republicans; talked with Barry Goldwater, concerned about “the extent to which Congress is interfering with the Presidents Const. duty to run foreign policy”; ambassadorial formalities; talk with Weinberger, advising against negotiating a treaty against space weapons with Soviets, since U.S. was making progress on defense against nuclear missiles; dentist appointment, filling replaced.]

  Tuesday, June 19

  [Met with congressional leadership on deficit and Central America; spoke at dedication of new National Geographic building.]

  Jeanne Kirkpatrick came by to report on her Asian trip. She says the Chinese were greatly impressed by our visit there. Like me, she believes P.M. Lee Koan Yew of Singapore is truly a great statesman.

  Then out to the S. Lawn to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Presidential Scholars Program. The crowd had been sitting on those metal folding chairs for a long time & had a long time to go yet. I couldn’t resist—when I faced them I said maybe I could suggest something a little more comfortable & I took off my coat. I must have made a lot of friends. Some very pleased men followed suit.

  [Signing ceremony for four environmental bills, designating land for wilderness; medal for departing military aide; visit by former members of Kitchen Cabinet in California governorship days (Henry Salvatori, Jack Wrather, Ed Mills, Stu Spencer, Joe Coors); taping with every Republican candidate for Congress; dinner with son-in-law Dennis Revell; Mrs. Reagan in Las Vegas, to be gone for a week. Wednesday, June 20: flew to New Jersey to attend rally against drunk driving; flew to Hartford, Connecticut, to address convention of sheriffs; returned to W.H; Maureen visiting. Thursday, June 21: wrote of “usual meetings in a A.M., NSC etc.”; met with young people from YMCA; report from National Productivity Advisory Committee; lunch with Vice President Bush; latest poll figures higher than ever; meeting with Brian Mulroney, leader of the Canadian Progressive Conservative Party, commented, “He’s an Irishman thru & thru”; spoke to National Association of Broadcasters; interviewed by Tom Jarriel of 20/20 on ABC; photo sessions; fish-fry dinner for members of Congress.]

  Friday, June 22

  Mayor Padilla of San Juan, Puerto Rico stopped by. He’s a stalwart supporter & now President of the U.S. Mayor’s Assn. He played a large part in getting that Dem. dominated group to pass resolutions supporting Line Item Veto & a number of other measures.

  Then over to the Pentagon. […] It was a briefing on where we are going weapon wise, communications & intelligence gathering. I can only say I left for the Oval Office filled with optimism, pride & a sense of safety.

  In the Rose Garden after lunch I met with representatives of the International Youth Year Commission. Then a meeting with Sec. Shultz, mainly on the Soviet situation. No break through but further evidence that they aren’t quite sure which way they want to go. George Romney came by, he is heading up a part of our Pvt. Sector Initiative called “Volunteer.” He’s interested in possibly a special medal for outstanding volunteers. I’m rather inclined to think maybe they should be formally included in the presentation of Medals of Freedom. Did a portrait session with Mike Evans & then off to Camp David. Got there in time for a swim.

  Saturday–Sunday, June 23–24

  Last night we ran “Bedtime for Bonzo”—no one had ever seen it. With Nancy gone I had guests—the Laxalts & the Deavers plus a friend, Leslie Leach of Amandas. We had a birthday cake for Amanda—her 14th. Everyone enjoyed the picture. Sat. dawned grey & temperature in the 60’s. It was a no swimming weekend. A lot of tennis was played by Mike & the Laxalts. Paul & I rode in the afternoon then he went back to tennis. I joined Caroline on the lawn hitting golf balls. After dinner we ran “Star Trek III.” It wasn’t too good. Sun. a down pour of rain & back to the W.H. Maureen has arrived. Nancy not due to return until Tues.—I’m ready.

  Monday, June 25

  [Audiotaping for event; spoke to black appointees; issues briefing at lunch; spoke to Agriculture Communicators Congress.]

  We had a brisk N.S.P.G. meeting re our negotiations with Nicaragua. The idea is to keep the Contradora countries from sitting back thinking we would do it all.

  A long meeting in the Cabinet Room with what is called the Reagan-Bush Advisory Council. These were the people who have been in the forefront of my support for years past. They came together from all over the country.

  Did some taping with a list of House & Senate cands. Mermie & I dined & about coffee time mommie came home, thank Heaven.

  Tuesday, June 26

  I forgot yesterday to note that I called Pres. Mitterrand about his trip to Moscow. Very interesting. He said Chernenko gives evidence of not being well & doesn’t say a word without a script in front of him. He believes the Polit Bureau is kind of a collective in charge.

  Did a photo with Gen. Vessey for a magazine story on him. Then an N.S.C. meeting on how to respond to the Soviet challenge to negotiate on limiting militarizing space. The problem is they are ahead of us in that dept. & want to freeze us into inferiority. I think we’ve worked out a plan that will “head them off at Eagle gap.” Then I hurried over to the East Room to recognize a Senior citizen group who have a Nat. program called Volunteer. After lunch in the Rose Garden I presented a Medal of Freedom to Helen—Scoop Jackson’s widow. Her son & daughter were with her, a large group of Congressmen, Cabinet, Supreme Court members etc. Then some quick visits in the Oval Office—1st Fuzzy Zoeller, winner of the Nat. Open golf tourney. Then Bob Anderson of the mag, Runner’s World—he’s doing an interview on me.

  [Met poster girl for Cystic Fibrosis; also former quarterback great Otto Graham; parents of missing child; videotapings.]

  Wednesday, June 27

  Staff & NSC meetings. Jesse Jackson off on his own diplomatic mission to Cuba, Nicaragua & other points South has tried to reach me by phone. That is a call I’m not taking. We have put Under Sec. of State Armacost on the phone at this end. J.J. has us on some pretty thin ice with his adventuring. Commander Eric Liu (W.H. Staff Dr.), his wife & baby boy came by for a pic. He’s being assigned to Bethesda Naval hosp. He’s a good man.

  Met with 3 Gov’s. from Midwest on farm problems. Between Tornadoes & Floods, agriculture is having a rough time. But worse than nature is what reduced inflation has done. Land prices went out of sight during the high inflation of the 70’s & 1980. Farmers borrowed using their land as collateral. Now that sanity has returned to the market they are faced with big credit problems.

  After lunch Geo. S. came in to report on our Ambassador to Central America & his meeting in Nicaragua.

  [Addressed Conference on U.S./Soviet exchange; also National Association of Minority Contractors; meeting with Eureka boosters on college’s financial problems.]

  Thursday, June 28

  One of our diplomats came in this morning. Bob Seton headed up an effort I asked for to find out how we could better help get food to 3rd world countries. He’s done a great job & brought back a plan that makes sense.

  We had a Cabinet meeting on meeting our goal of reducing Federal employees by 75,000. We’re about 3000 short. We also took up the matter of employee morale & how to increase productivity.

  [Lunch with Vice President Bush; meeting regarding Jesse Jackson, commented, “Later we learned he was on his way home with the 40 odd prisoners Castro is allowing him to bring home”; taped a 4th-of-July message; photo session; met Asthma poster child; National Guard generals; president of Rotary; head of Community College Association; Miss U.S.A.]

  Tonite dinner at Geo. Will’s. A very pleasant evening. Alistair Cooke & several other very
nice & interesting people—8 of us in all.

  Friday, June 29

  Jesse Helms came by to present me with a banner made for the N. Carolina 400th birthday celebration—which we can’t attend. There was an N.S.P.G. meeting in the situation room. First order of business a report by Ambas. Shlaudeman on his meetings in Central Am. His talk with the Nicaraguan went no where. They obviously aren’t about to give in on anything. He (Harry) is on his way back down there. Last part of the meeting had to do with the Soviets & their offer to meet with us on one subject only—“the demilitarization of space.” We’ve replied we’ll talk to them on space including nuclear weapons which after all go up into space. Hosted a lunch (State Dining Room) for a group of elected Repub. Women—State Legislators, City Councilwomen, Co. Supervisors etc. A good meeting. They were here for a day of briefings. Met with George Shultz & Bud & came to an agreement on our statement to the Soviets. Some visitor picture taking & off to Camp David. Clouds closing in but managed to get in an afternoon dip.

  Saturday, June 30

  Nancy guested with me on my Radio 5 min. For the 4th weekend in a row it was raining so no ride, no swim—just indoors doing homework & reading. Called R. Nixon to bring him up to date on Europe, Jesse Jackson, et al. Jesse landed Friday evening with his Cuban & Am. prisoners released by Castro. Jesse also stopped in Nicaragua & probably castigated the U.S. for picking on that poor little Dem. govt.

  Sunday, July 1

  Weather breaking but had to leave early. We are hosting the Diplomats supposedly out on the S. Lawn at a B.B.Q. If the weather double crosses us we’ll have to move indoors.—Guess what? It looked so threatening & was raining just across the river at Nat. Airport that after the receiving line we moved indoors. Then it didn’t rain one drop. Anatoly Dobrynin (Soviet Ambas.) was at my table along with Geo. Shultz. Anatoly wanted to talk about our situation—the Russians wanting us to meet in Sept. to talk about weapons in space & our reply that we’d like to discuss this and nuclear weapons etc. which they have refused to do. We didn’t settle anything but I got a few things off my chest.

  Monday, July 2

  Began the day 9 A.M. in the Rose Garden to “Hail To The Chief.” The Army trumpeters are celebrating their 25th anniversary. They’ve also written a “tribute” to “A New Beginning”—my line in my inaugural address. We had the usual staff times but this one attended by Geo. Shultz—our 1st chance to compare notes about Anatoly. We’re telling the Soviets we’ll be in Vienna in Sept. waiting for them—our terms.

  [Visit by oldtimer ballplayers, unidentified by name.]

  This afternoon I taped 6 interviews with anchor persons on 6 TV stations in Fla. & Texas. They’ll be played later this week when I’m in their towns. About 4 of them talked only about the Simpson-Mazolli immigration bill. I hoped I calmed their fears. Walter A. sent me a copy of an article in a Nat. Catholic paper by a retired N.Y. Times obituary writer. He takes off on me as a reincarnation of Hitler. If I am he should be 1st into the gas chamber.

  Tuesday, July 3

  [Ceremony honoring fiftieth anniversary of the Duck Stamp.]

  Lunch in the Roosevelt Rm. with leaders of several prominent environmental org’s. They are up in arms over my appointment of Ann Burford to chair the Advisory Committee to Sec. of Commerce on “Oceans & Air.” They had to admit our environmental record is great but want me to cancel Ann because their people will take it as a symbol that we are anti-environment. I stayed cool. But I told them Ann had done nothing wrong—she had been railroaded & I owed her something like this to restore her. They were deaf to my suggestion that if they used their publications to tell how good our record is (which they admit) there won’t be a fuss over Ann. I spoke to ears that wouldn’t hear. They were arrogant & unreasonable. That was it for the day—I’ll get back to cleaning out my desk.

  Wednesday, July 4

  We’re both off—in different directions—Nancy heading W. to S.F. & I’m going South. At 10 A.M. from A.F.1 I started the Daytona “Firecracker 400 Stock Car Races.” We arrived there while there were still about 35 laps to go. They call them stock cars but they do about 200 miles per hour. By that stage of the race it takes a while to figure out what you should be watching for. There are cars all around the track. Finally I found the 2 who were fighting it out for 1st & then it got exciting. The winner is engaged in a program among drivers in behalf of Reagan-Bush. After the race there was a picnic in the infield—after the 100,000 fans had gone home.

  [Spoke at Spirit of America Festival in Decatur, Alabama; flew to Huntsville; talked to Mrs. Reagan. Thursday, July 5: party reception; flew to Michigan; toured GM facilities in Warren with Chairman Roger Smith; flew to San Antonio, Texas; talked to Mrs. Reagan back at W.H. Friday, July 6: spoke to Texas Bar Association; returned to Washington; went to Camp David; celebrated Mrs. Reagan’s birthday quietly. Saturday, July 7: riding and swimming.]

  Sunday, July 8

  Another beautiful day. Spent a couple of hours after lunch filming for a documentary to be shown at the Repub. Convention. And back to the W.H.

  Monday, July 9

  It was really a Monday—the schedule was thick as a phone book. The usual staff & N.S.C. meetings. We have to ask Cap. W. to change the speech he was going to give the Am. Legion on the 11th. The one he has opens up too many cracks for the Demos. to distort & paint me as wanting to start a war.

  We had a Cabinet Council on Natural Resources. We have a darn good record on environment which the environmentalists ignore in their bigotry. At noon a lunch (W.H.) with journalists & electronic press from around the country. They are a different breed from the W.H. Press corps.

  [Presented a medal posthumously to diplomat killed by terrorists in Namibia in April; continued filming documentary for convention; brief meeting with former Japanese consul in San Francisco; ambassadorial formalities; appeared before American Coalition for Traditional Values, called it, “A good group who are doing much to spark the spiritual revival in our land.”]

  Tuesday, July 10

  A brief half hour in the office—Staff & N.S.C. 15 mins. each. Then Marine 1 & off to Chesapeake Bay. First stop the Wildlife Refuge (14,000 acres). A briefing, then a town. Saw 2 bald eagles among other things. Then on to an island where the oyster & crab boats headquarter. They are fearful of the growing pollution of the bay. We’re working with 3 states, Va., Maryland & Pa. on a clean-up program. Visited some of the boats & crews. Then to the volunteer fire house for lunch cooked by the women’s auxiliary of the vol. firemen. It was a good time among real people. The ever present W.H. Press Corps kept trying to squeeze in questions that had nothing to do with the day’s activities. Arrived back at the W.H. in time for a signing ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Food for Peace program. Then another hour of filming for the convention documentary. A pvt. meeting with Dick Wirthlin—re a book involving him & me by an Eng. author. It is a sleazy hatchet job. He is sending by way of a lawyer a threat to sue for libel.

  Another pvt. drink with a half dozen of the press corps—just an off the record get-together. The TV press, evening news did a trashing job on the Bay visit tagging it as purely a campaign event.

  Wednesday, July 11

  A steamy hot day. Met with “Pfiab”—the President’s Foreign Intel. Advisory Board. Anne Armstrong chairs it & it’s really a distinguished group of people. They report we have no accurate way to determine the cost of & peace of Soviet mil. build-up. I’ve asked that they study how we can measure the extent to which Soviet arms bldg. reduces the civilian standard of living. Went over to the E.O.B. & met with Lew Lehrman & Jack Humes’s Citizens for Am. Shook hands & was photographed with each of the 240 there. Then a luncheon meeting with our Economic Advisory Board. Goodbye to Martin Feldstein who goes back to Harvard. Went over to Roosevelt Island in the Potomac—spoke to the Environmental Quality people & signed their report. It was really hot there. Dropped by the Situation Room for a birthday party for Bud McFarlane & John Poindexter. A meeting with John T
ower on the Defense Budget. He’s doing a magnificent job. We’re going to miss him. The Demos. in the Conference are trying to reduce a $299 Bil. Sen. version by several bil’s of $ & wrap it in some restrictive language. Our decision is to hang tough. Came upstairs early & signed off for the day.

  Thursday, July 12

  Off (9 A.M.) for Bowling Green Ky. to visit Mammoth Cave & address the Nat. Campers & Hikers Assn. Convention which they call a Campvention. It was a great day—9 A.M. to 4 P.M. Seeing the cave for the 1st time was an experience made more enjoyable by the high morale of the Park Rangers. Our bil. $ refurbishing of the parks was needed & has done a great deal for them. Of course the press had one thing on their minds & it wasn’t a cave—it was Mondale’s announcement that he had chosen Mrs. Ferraro as his V.P. choice.

  [Addressed crowd of twenty thousand on the environment; returned to W.H. Friday, July 13: photo session with American Farm Bureau Federation, loyal supporters; met West German minister of defense Manfred Wörner; lunch with Republican women officeholders; brief meeting with NASDAQ board; photo session; conference with Kenneth Khachigian, writing acceptance speech for convention, commented, “I remember when I did all such things myself. No way now—no time”; went to Camp David. Saturday, July 14–Sunday, July 15: political strategist Stu Spencer weekend houseguest; noted press coverage of Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY); returned to W.H.]

  Monday, July 16

  A hot but easy Mon. Called the Coach of the Phil. Stars who won the U.S.F.L. championship last night—23 to 3 over Ariz. Then in the East Room had a signing ceremony of Captive Nations Week proclamation. I addressed about 200 people mainly refugees & veterans of the Holocaust. A Priest told me to ignore Cong. Woman’s charge that I was less than a good Christian. He said I was as good a one as there is anywhere. I was quite touched. We had an issues briefing lunch. We’re going to have trouble with the House Demos. re the Defense budget. D--n them we’ve gone as far as we can go with those appeasement, isolationist crackpots.