The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  Spent some time cleaning up mail etc. then came upstairs.

  Tuesday, July 17

  Last nite the Dem. Convention opened—we didn’t watch but this A.M. I read the speeches of Jimmy Carter & Gov. Cuomo. I couldn’t believe the outright falsehoods & pure demagoguery of both. But I won’t reply—yet.

  A signing ceremony in the Rose Garden—on a bill to induce states to raise the drinking law to age 21. Right now 23 states have it, 27 don’t.

  We had a 90 min. Cabinet session—60 on the ec. & 30 on commercialization of Space. Dave Stockman gave 6 year projections & again I think he’s too pessimistic as always. We’re doing better fight now than he projects for this year. Dick Wirthlin figures on the campaign was next on the agenda. The gap between Mondale & me has closed somewhat but we expected that. Home & Mother.

  Wednesday, July 18

  A tough decision I have to make after a Budget review board meeting. Do we continue with our Land Sat. program even though it means a large subsidy while commercial interests only see a few mil. $ of commercial use? On the other hand are there undiscovered commercial uses yet to be found? France & Japan are both showing signs of getting into this business.

  [Lunch with Vice President Bush; farewell to China Trade Commission, leaving for Beijing; addressed two members of Central America outreach program and then one thousand members of businessmen working with Grace Commission; dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Don Regan and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wicks.]

  Thursday, July 19

  Off at 9 A.M. for the U.S.[University of South] Carolina where the heads of state of the Caribbean nations are meeting. I joined the meeting & then spoke to them at lunch. We have developed a good rapport with them & are trying to help them develop economics. By 2 P.M. we were on our way back to Wash. It was a very successful trip. Back in the Oval office had a photo with Terry Misfeldt of the Jaycees publication, “Future.” I’m doing an interview for them. Then photos with 2 winners of Sport & Physical Ed. Awards. They were 2 very lovely ladies with fine husbands. Gen. Polk of the Horse Cavalry Assn. came in & presented a print of a fine painting of the Dragons charging in the Mexican War.

  Three leaders of the Anti-Defamation League (B’nai B’rith) came in for a visit. They are pleased with our positions & our relationship with Israel.

  Finally a speech meeting on what we’re going to do in next week’s campaign swing. Tonite we watched (finally) the Dem. Convention & listened to V.P. candidate Ferraro whose speech was pure boiler plate with no facts at all. Then it was Mondale’s turn & his speech was pure demagoguery. He promised to do things—the very things we’re doing & sounded as if he were going to do it so as to cure an ec. crisis. He did revert to type once—he pledged that he’d raise taxes—on the rich to reduce the deficit. He was introduced by millionaire—son of wealth Sen. Ted Kennedy who assails me as the friend of the rich.

  Friday, July 20

  On the S. Lawn—recognition of POW/MIA Day. Many former P.O.W.’s & the familys of many of the M.I.A.’s. A moving experience. Taped a 4 min. TV campaign piece & in the P.M. spoke to 100 young ladies (High school age)—the Girls Nation group. They endorsed me for Pres. again. Geo. Shultz came by to report on his trip to S.E. Asia. He says we’re doing fine there. Then to the East Room for a ceremony honoring the Apollo Astronauts—commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Lunar landing. Off to Camp David with Dennis & Maureen.

  [Saturday, July 21: rode and swam. Sunday, July 22: watched panel shows; returned to W.H.]

  Monday, July 23

  Pres. Duarte—El Salvador came by on his way home from Europe. I really believe he’s going to solve some of the problems down there & he certainly can help us with Congress & getting appropriations passed for assistance to Central Am. This week it was “Boys Nation” in the Rose Garden. I was overwhelmed by their unabashed patriotism & love for country. These are high school kids & so unlike an earlier generation. I’ve had a lump in my throat all day.

  [Lunch with off-the-record discussion for seven columnists, George Will, Jack Kilpatrick, Hugh Sidey, Ted White, Nicholas Thimmesch, Ben Wattenberg, and Morton Kondracke; visit from widow of appointee.]

  A lengthy taping session then a practice for tomorrow nites press conf. Went upstairs for a meeting with Don Regan. We are threatened by a collapse of Continental bank & a giant Savings & Loan in Calif. Then Bud brought Cap, George S. & Gen. Vessey in re the answer to the Soviets demand for a meeting on ASAT. We’re holding out for talks also on reducing nuclear weapons.

  Tonite Geo. B. & Barbara for dinner. A nice evening.

  Tuesday, July 24

  Manuel Frago, head of Spain’s opposition party came by. I wish his party was in power as against the Socialists. Did some more taping for the convention film. Then a lengthy meeting with our Cong. leadership—they expect trouble on our Central Am. policies & on foreign aid in general, also on the defense budget. Sen. Baker brought a friend by for a photo. The friend was presenting me with some sculpture but which by way of me will be in the Cherokee nat. park museum in Tenn. Toby mugs (Eng.) have made a limited edition of a mug of me. It—No. 1 was presented to me & No. 2 to Jim Brady. Proceeds will go to the Jim Brady foundation. A string of photos with several Congressmen then a reception for the Future Farmers of Am. More practice for the press conference—then at 8 P.M. the conf. It went well & I got in some licks about the Dem. convention demagoguery—read that—falsehoods.

  Wednesday, July 25–Thursday, July 26—Trip

  Left at 9:35 A.M. for Austin Texas. Sen. John Tower, former Gov’s. Clements, Connally & Shivers, & V.P. George B. joined me there for outdoor rally before 27,000 people. I believe most were Dems. but they behaved like the most enthusiastic Repubs. I’ve ever seen. Cong. Phil Gramm there also. Back stage Bill Clements gave me a diatribe on how our campaign in Texas was a failure. I believe he’s unhappy about Sen. Tower being Chairman & I believe he thinks Tower is slated to be Sec. of Defense & that’s what Bill wants to be.

  [Met with Texans for Reagan-Bush; flew to Atlanta; spoke to meeting of Southern Republican leaders.]

  Thurs. A.M. departed for the Cumberland Mall where a crowd almost as big as the one in Austin held an outdoor rally in suffocating heat but they were just as enthused as the Texans. In both talks I laid into the D. Convention as not being representative of the rank & file Demos.

  Then it was on to N.J. In Elizabeth to a large outdoor rally again heavily Democratic—I was interrupted by cheers about every line. Then the 20 yr. Dem. Mayor endorsed me for re-election. After that we helicoptered to Hoboken where Frank Sinatra joined us. He was baptized in St. Anne’s Church where they were having the 74th St. Anne Celebration. The crowd was largely female & Italian but they let me know they were for me. In all the appearances in the 2 days there were signs—“Women for Reagan”—plus E.R.A. signs “Elect Reagan Again.” Then back to the W.H. Only 2 days but it seemed like a week we got so much done.

  Friday, July 27

  A really packed up schedule. Pres. Elect Barletta of Panama came by. He’s a great guy—a grad. of the U. of Chi. Ec. school. An NSC meeting where there was some differences between Cap & Geo. S. over our attempt to negotiate with Nicaragua. I think we got it straightened out. Had lunch with the network TV anchors. I think maybe I might have softened them up a bit. An interview with Lee Edwards—“Conservative Digest.” Meeting with Geo. S. (more Nicaragua). Dropped by a meeting of the Americans Society. This is a high powered group of business & industrial people chaired by David Rockefeller who are trying to help out in Latin Am.

  [Photo session; interviews with local television stations; ambassadorial formalities; made member of the Non-Commissioned Officers Association; visit from third-cousin; received honors from Consumer Digest and the American Hardware Association; personnel session.]

  Saturday, July 28

  Lv. for Calif. to open the Olympics then off to the ranch. Met Nancy—then addressed our Am. team at Olympic Village & on to the Coliseum. The opening ceremonies were magnificent.
My 2 sentences to open the games I thought were written in reverse. The applause line—“hereby declare open etc.” was 1st followed by a second line about the 23rd Olympiad. I asked permission to change the order & did so. The press having a copy of the lines as written are gleefully tagging me with senility & inability to learn my lines.

  Had dinner on Marine 1 enroute to the ranch. Then from July 28 until late Sunday afternoon of Aug. 12 it was ranch time. I believe this is the longest uninterrupted time we’ve ever spent there. The weather was terrific except for one foggy day but even that day we had our regular morning ride & in the afternoon worked pruning the woods along the entrance road.

  There were of course the usual Presidential chores—things to sign, daily intelligence briefings, phone calls to the Nat. Gov’s meeting, taping interviews, lunch with George Bush, then with Stu Spencer & Jim Baker. Phone call to Football Hall of Fame ceremony, another to young people working to decorate Convention Hall in Dallas. An interesting lunch with the Papal Ambas. to the U.S. & of course my Sat. radio tapings. On one of them I gave the press an opening to display their irresponsibility which they did. Doing a voice level with no thought that anyone other than the few people in the room would hear I ad libbed jokingly something about the Soviets. The networks had a line open & recorded it and of course made it public—hence an international incident.

  [Ranch life and chores.]

  The press is doing everything they can to suggest however I say it that I don’t mean “no taxes.” They find every excuse to say I’m really hedging. Well d--n it there will be no tax increase on my watch & Mondale is stuck with his campaign promise to raise the income tax.

  On Aug. 12th we came down to the Century Plaza—dinner in the suite. On Mon. the 13th we met all the U.S. medal winners & were made honorary members of the team. Then I lunched with Bud & George S. & we looked at the Soviets from several directions. I approved asking Gromyko to the W.H. if he comes as he usually does to N.Y. for the U.N. General Assembly opening.

  I have a feeling we’ll get nowhere with arms reductions while they are suspicious of our motives as we are of theirs. I believe we need a meeting to see if we can’t make them understand we have no designs on them but think they have designs on us. If we could once clear the air maybe reducing arms wouldn’t look so impossible to them.

  Then out to Bel Aire Hotel—oops after lunch with F. Minister Andreotti of Italy. He brought me a book by Quadaffi & said that gentleman expressed a desire to have better relations with us. Now to the hotel for a wedding rehearsal.

  Tues. Aug. 14 was the wedding. It was a lovely ceremony & our daughter Patti is now Mrs. Paul Grilley.

  Wednesday, August 15

  A.F.1 to Wash. & here we are.

  Thursday, August 16

  A little stiff getting back into the routine. The usual staff & NSC meetings then a session with some very nice ladies each of whom heads up a women’s Jewish organization. They are concerned that the 1985 Woman’s conference in Nairobi may slide over into some anti-Israel resolutions. I assured them if it did we’d walk out. They were reassured. A Cabinet lunch—Don Regan reported on the economy—& it’s good. George S. gave a sum up on International affairs since we’ve been here & that’s d--n good. Dave Stockman gave O.M.B.’s projection on budgets & deficits & the deficits are projected to be on a downward slide.

  [Signed bill on Child Support Enforcement; report from Council on Integrity and Efficiency, which claimed to have saved $37 billion in federal spending; named National Guard Man of the Year; met Epilepsy poster child; visit from his Eureka football coach’s grandniece; taped ad for Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC).]

  Friday, August 17

  A Lunch in the St. Dining Room with about 100 Polish Am. leaders. The spirit of freedom & independence is very much alive in these people. They’ve been fighting for freedom for 200 yrs. I told them we would hold the “powers” including the Soviets to the Yalta Agreement that all the captive nations had a right to free elections.

  A meeting with George S. & Bud—we are agreed I will invite Gromyko to come to Wash.

  A meeting with Pete Domenici (Sen.). He has had a documented report put together disproving the Dem. charges that we’ve been unfair. Then we talked copper. Our mines are being hurt by imports but our copper fabricates an industry 5 times as big as mining wants the imports. It’s a sticky problem.

  In interview with Donnie Radcliffe about Nancy & up to the living quarters.

  Saturday, August 18

  A warm pleasant day by the pool with no sudden calls to disturb the peace.

  [Sunday, August 19: flew to Missouri for the state fair in Sedalia; heard problems of farmers with high interest rates and decline in land values; addressed a crowd; returned to Washington.]

  Monday, August 20

  [Flew to Cincinnati for tour of Proctor & Gamble’s new headquarters, under construction; spoke in Fountain Square.]

  On the way back to the airport—stopped the whole motorcade to say hello to a bunch of hard hats working on freeway construction. I believe they are for me—it was a most pleasant 20 min’s. Two of them were attractive young girls—one running a giant bulldozer. On to Decatur IL. A tour of Archer Daniels Midland. They are experimenting with Hydro phonic farming. On 4 acres under glass they produce 4000 pounds of lettuce every day in Hydro phonic trays. All employees in that project are “handicapped.”

  Then to Milliken U. for agri. seminar—same routine as in Mo. then back to Wash.—Watched Conv. on TV. Jeanne Kirkpatrick was excellent in a Foreign Policy address & Katherine Ortega was good as the keynote speaker. The enthusiasm of the delegates was genuine.

  [Tuesday, August 21: desk work, taped TV ads for Senate candidates; other videotapings; report from Dick Wirthlin that lead over Mondale had shrunk to eight points.]

  Wednesday, August 22

  Depart for Convention in Dallas. Still working on acceptance speech—it’s too long. And I didn’t get it much shorter but there were 81 interruptions for applause & demonstrations so it ran 51 mins.

  Upon arrival in Dallas I had a meeting with Jerry Ford. He gave a fine speech Tues. & most supportive of me. Has pledged to go all out in the campaign. A little later there was a rally in the Hotel Atrium. It was jammed & all around the balconies up 14 floors were ringed with people. George B. & I spoke & were very well received. Then Tom Landry, Danny White (QB) of the Cowboys & one time great, Roger Staubach presented us each with D. Cowboys jerseys—number 84.

  We had an early dinner—Nancy went to the convention hall where there was a tribute to her & the running of a film. George B. & I watched the proceedings on TV. At the end she turned her back on the crowd to look up at the screen behind her & there was George & me (live TV). She waved & I waved back. Then came the nomination speeches. Mine was preceded by an 18 minute film which was very effective. When the Roll of States was called Nancy & Barbara joined me & George. At the end of the vote we met the committee which came to officially declare us as nominees.

  Thursday, August 23

  This was a busy one. A prayer breakfast—17,000 people—a magnificent 2200 voice choir. George introduced me & I spoke of the place of religion in a Democracy. It was a truly inspirational meeting. Went back to interviews with George Skelton & Hugh Sidey. Then to address an Hispanic lunch then a fundraising lunch—didn’t eat at either one. Met with Ron Walker & Mike McManus re the evening event. They had put together a TV tape to act out what I’d be doing & it was funny as h--l. Then free time until I headed for the hall to do my acceptance speech. After the speech & demonstration—Ray Charles sang “America The Beautiful.” We had a reception for about 160—many of them are old friends. We were both pooped & glad to get to bed.

  Friday, August 24

  Dropped by & spoke to the new Nat. Repub. Committee. Then on to Chi. where I addressed the Convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars. Gov. Jim Thompson, Sen. Percy, Congresspersons Hyde & Lynn Martin accompanied us. The convention had ended but they stayed over to allow me t
o speak. I am the 1st President they have ever endorsed.

  [Signed bill establishing a National Heritage Corridor for Illinois and Michigan; went to Camp David. Saturday, August 25: radiocast; ride; surprised Mrs. Reagan by screening one of her movies, Night Into Morning (1951) with Ray Milland. Sunday, August 26: returned to W.H.; picnic for female appointees, entertainment by Juice Newton; Vice President Bush learned by telephone that his daughter had a baby son. Monday, August 27: staff meetings; desk work; visited junior high school cited for excellence; addressed gathering of educators.]

  Tuesday, August 28

  It’s wonderful with Congress away. I signed some bills & some photos. We had an N.S.C. meeting on Poland & agreed on a policy of lifting sanctions in stages based on the Polish govt’s. real adherence to an amnesty program etc.

  [Awarded medals to two youthful heroes; ambassadorial formalities.]

  Wednesday, August 29

  Things are looking better in Grenada. The moderates have at last come together which could close the door on the former P.M. who is trying again. The matter of Gromyko & whether I can meet with him is iffy—we’ve had no response to our suggestion that he visit Wash. after his U.N. speech.

  Another day of desk time—vetoed a bill increasing by 38% the funding for public broadcasting. Sen. Barry G. had written asking that I sign. I called him—he was nice as could be & had no complaint because I vetoed.

  [Ambassadorial formalities; photo for Fortune magazine; reception for campaign staff; met with Shultz and McFarlane to discuss Gromyko situation further. Thursday, August 30: went to Greenbelt, Maryland, to tour Goddard Space Flight Center; lunch with Vice President Bush, talked about campaign; shuttle took off, noted that Mondale cast the only vote against the shuttle program in Senate; Cabinet Council heard report on anti-drug campaign, commented, “It has been a great success—we’ve intercepted drugs with a street value in excess of $13 bil.”; photo session.]