The Reagan Diaries
Page 59
[Met with Shultz, concerns over lack of progress scheduling Soviet summit; went to Camp David; watched movie. Saturday, July 12: rode, swam, watched movie. Sunday, July 13: returned to W.H.; dinner with friends. Monday, July 14: staff meetings were routine; report by Fletcher that NASA will launch new shuttle no sooner than the first quarter of 1988; presented awards for the arts; campaign photos with Senator James Broy-hill (R-NC); meeting with Weinberger about lack of provision for raise in military salaries; videotapings; haircut; Maureen and Dennis at W.H. for dinner.]
Tuesday, July 15
[Met with Republican congressional leadership regarding upcoming campaign season; presented National Security Medal.]
Then an N.S.P.G. meeting on the subject of Nuc. testing. For the 1st time I was briefed on the nature of our testing. It isn’t some part of buildup for the new weapons. It is necessary to learn when existing weapons deteriorate & also how radio activity from an explosion can disable things like communications. At my request Cap is going to put together a statement that can be declassified to allow us to tell the people—the real nature of testing. I think the public believes the testing has to do with a nuclear arms buildup.
Paula Hawkins came by—she’s promoting legislation to do away with the 3% cost of living trigger for Social Security recipients. Just give them an annual increase based on the inflation rate. I surprised her when I told her I was all for it & she could tell the world that.
[Met with teenaged Republicans from all over the country; attended reception for party contributors.]
Wednesday, July 16
This was a visitor’s day—P.M. Junejo of Pakistan. He has been P.M. 16 mo’s. & has brought about the end of martial law & a start back to Democracy. We had the usual mil. ceremony. Then he & I met alone in the Oval O. for a short meeting. Our problem has to do with evidence that Pakistan is on the way to having a nuc. bomb in spite of a pledge to us that they wouldn’t. I told him of how I had to regularly certify to Cong. that they weren’t doing that in order to continue getting help from them with regard to Afghanistan. I believed him when he said he had no knowledge of that but he would get into it & pledged to me they would keep their agreement. Then we went into the plenary meeting in the Cabinet Room. I’m quite impressed with him. Then tonite was the State Dinner. His daughter is with him instead of his wife.
Thursday, July 17
A brkfst. meeting (8:30 A.M.) with Sen. Packwood & Rep. Rostenkowski re the conf. on tax reform. I’m reasonably optimistic. Rosty asked if I’d not publicly ding them when there were rumors & reports on supposed items. I agreed. Then we had a big NSC meeting on my letter to Gorbachev. Cap & George S. differ on some elements—such as what to say about the ABM Treaty. On this I’m closer to Cap. I want to propose a new treaty for what we do if & when SDI research looks like we have a practical system. Make the treaty now & it eliminates, if & when, any problem with ABM.
[Spoke to trade groups on protection issue; had lunch with Vice President Bush; met with Shultz, mainly regarding South Africa, agreed president should deliver speech on the subject; approved new appointees; photo session with departing W.H. employees.]
Got a call that the Sen. had ratified the extradition treaty with Eng. 87 to 10. This will stop the U.S. from being a shelter for Irish terrorists. I called Margaret Thatcher—tracked her down at a dinner party. She’s delighted.
Friday, July 18
Well we finally came up with a letter to Gorbachev that I can sign. In fact it’s a good one & it should open the door to some real arms negotiations if he is really interested. Sir Geoffrey Howe—Eng. Foreign Minister came by. He’s off to S. Africa to see Botha. We had a good talk & I suggested some points for his talk which he bought. After lunch a pleasant get together in the Rose Garden with the “Girl’s Nation”—these are high school girls—sponsored by the Am. Legion Auxiliary. Lorraine Wagner & her family came by. She goes back to 1943 when she was a teenage member of my fan club.
The press has taken a crack at Don Regan charging that he said Am. Women should be against S. African sanctions because it would cut off their diamond supply. We have a tape of the off the record backgrounder in which he was supposed to have said it & he said nothing of the kind. Cong.man George O’Brien (a good man) died today of Cancer. No Camp D. this week.
Saturday, July 19
No Camp D.—Nancy packing for the royal wedding in London. She leaves at 9 A.M. tomorrow. I did my radio speech. I’m really upset. We have to hold off on Bob Brown as Ambas. to S. Africa. There is a grand jury hearing in S. Carolina about some college laundering hot money from Nigeria. At one time Bob’s p.r. firm handled Nigeria. He’ll be involved in the hearing. Frankly I don’t believe he’d ever be involved in anything shady.
Sunday, July 20
Well Mommie is on her way to Eng. & Rex & I are alone. The Bushes took pity on one of us (me) & invited me over for lunch.
Monday, July 21
[Signed proclamation for Captive Nations Week; had lunch with contributors to presidential library.]
Later Bob Dole, Nancy Kassebaum & Dick Lugar came down to talk about our S. Africa policy. I made it plain I could not support punitive sanctions. Tomorrow I make a speech outlining our policy on S. Africa.
[Photo sessions with Indianapolis 500 race winner, and others; videotapings.]
Tuesday, July 22
[Met Future Farmers of America.]
Then at 2 P.M. did my speech on S. Africa in the East Room before an audience of Diplomats, Congressmen & reps. of all kinds of groups involved in foreign Relations. It was live on CNN TV also. Of course when it was over & Cong. Grey at 4:00 P.M. broadcast the official Dem. reply—(pure demagoguery) & the media sought out every enemy they could & put them on TV I was a colossal failure. I don’t think I was. Dick Nixon called & thought it was masterful. Met with Morris Abrams who is leaving our Civil Svc. commission to go with a Jewish org. as C.E.O. He’s done a great job. Then Dr. Thomas Paine came in to present me with the report by the Nat. Commission on Space. Finally a reception for the Congressmen & their spouses who voted for Contra Aid—this was bipartisan at its best.
[Wednesday, July 23: flew to Dallas, Texas, for campaign rally; flew to Miami, Florida, to campaign, commented, “We motored to the Hotel Inter-Continental—Jeb Bush met us & we went to the lobby where I spoke to several thousand very enthusiastic Repubs”; made further appearances. Thursday, July 24: met nine-year-old cancer victim; flew to South Carolina for schedule of campaign appearances; returned to W.H.; appeared at reception for National Republican Senatorial Committee Trust, party donors; awaited return of Mrs. Reagan from wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in London.]
Friday, July 25
French Nat. Assembly Pres. Jacques Chalan-Delmas in for a photo & brief meeting. He’s a great friend of P.M. Chirac. He believes the P.M. & the Pres. are trying very hard to work together. He’s strong for privatizing the business & industry Mitterrand nationalized when he came into office. Some progress has been made. A Domestic Policy Council meeting on drugs. It had to do with going nationwide to mount a national anti-drug campaign on every facet of the trade. One plan for starters is for Nancy & me to share in a TV speech. There was much praise for Nancy on what she’s accomplished. Geo. S. said her work with other 1st ladies has had a worldwide impact.
[Had lunch with Vice President Bush; greeted participants in Boys Nation; had regular meeting with Shultz, noted, “He was reluctant but I think I convinced him to send a team to S.A. to follow up on my speech”; photo session.]
Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27
Nancy taking it easy—she picked up some kind of throat virus in England. Weather was supposed to be rain & thunder storms. Actually after some morning showers Sat. it turned out alright. Sat. good word one of our hostages—Father Jenco was released in Lebanon & turned over to the Syrians. Now on Sunday he’s in W. Germany on his way home. The Hisballah sent a video tape out with him on which one of the remaining hostages—Jacobson dresse
d me & our govt. down for, as he put it, not lifting a finger to try & get their freedom.
This release of Jenco is a delayed step in a plan we’ve been working on for months. It gives us hope the rest of the plan will take place. We’d about given up on this.
We’re back in the W.H.
Monday, July 28
[Staff meetings; met with Weinberger, who was concerned about move in Congress to make military fringe benefits subject to income tax.]
Then a meeting in the Roosevelt Room re a part of farm bill that would have us sell subsidized grain to the Soviet U. The conflict is between subsidizing agri. to make our farm produce more exportable & unfairly competing with countries like Australia or seeing our surpluses grow plus favoring the Soviet U. & China. Of course it is contrary to our efforts to persuade the allies to wipe out protectionism. I have to make a decision & soon. Frankly I don’t have one.
[Issues lunch; presented Medal of Freedom to Vladimir Horowitz; haircut; met with Jim Broyhill about move in Congress to raise cigarette tax, the president pledged to fight it.]
Then a stop at the Dr.’s—I’ve been passing blood in my urine since last night. He thinks it’s an inflamed prostate.
Talked on phone to Father Jenco in Germany. I’m looking forward to meeting with him.
Tuesday, July 29
Sen. Jake Garn came in to see me about the 4th Shuttle to replace the Challenger. The problem is money & O.M.B. has proposed that we delay till 1988. This will set back our plans for a Space Station etc. The alternative is to put up a half Bil. in the ’77 [’87] budget & start then. That’s what Jake wants. From him I went in to an NSC meeting on the same subject. Defense, State, Transportation, Justice & NASA go for the ’87 start. The problem is now mine & it’s a tough one. I want to do the ’87 bit myself but we face a $220 Bil. deficit in ’87 because Congress won’t give us the spending cuts we’ve asked for.
[Had lunch with Regan; spoke to W.H. and Capitol Hill interns; received steady poll numbers.]
Wednesday, July 30
Our staff meetings were a little more meaty than usual what with S. Africa, Congress stirring about sanctions etc. To add to that the Sen. has opened the hearing on my appt. of Rehnquist to be Chief Justice. The 1st meeting was last evening—highlighted by vitriolic attacks on TV by Sens. Kennedy, Metzenbaum & Biden. They really are a lynch mob.
At 11:30 A.M. I addressed the leaders of a number of org’s. ranging from Kiwanis to Knights of Columbus & Girl Scouts & a dozen others. The subject was their involvement in a national effort to wipe out the drug problem. At lunch I read a letter & a speech sent to me by Buthelezi the Zulu Chief in S. Africa. Both were the most statesmanlike works I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve never heard or read the case against sanctions expounded better.
Geo. S. came by and I gave them to him to read. I wish everyone could see them. We will probably name our present Ambas. to Liberia to go to S. Africa. He’s a remarkable man & self-made. He’s also Black.
Thursday, July 31
Dropped by a breakfast in the St. Dining Room—about 50 or 60 members of Cong.—both parties. They’d heard from Cap, Geo. S. etc. I spoke to them about not undercutting our negotiations with the Soviets by slashing the defense budget—then I took Q’s.
[Desk work; had lunch with group from Vote America Youth Initiative; met with Lyn Nofziger who was pressing for L.A. as site of 1988 GOP convention, concurred; photos and film clips with congressional candidates; visits from Governor James Rhodes (R-OH), disfigured Vietnam veteran, and others.]
Friday, August 1
[Met with members of Congress supportive of veto of trade bill; visit from bicyclist Greg LeMond; photographed for Success magazine; interviewed by Newsweek.]
Lunch on the patio then a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They have gone along willingly & on some matters enthusiastically with instituting changes recommended by the Packard Commission, but they brought to my attention some changes (organizational) being proposed by Congress that would be counter productive to say the least. George Shultz dropped by for a little more talk about S. Africa & then came the high spot of the day. The arrival of Father Martin Jenco—just released by the Hisballahs in Beirut after being a hostage 19 months. His family were all with him & it was an emotional experience. There was a hint of his possibly approaching the Stockholm syndrome*—or maybe it was just his holy forgiveness of even those who had so mistreated him.
Then it was off to Camp David where we ran a video tape of a new film—well at least none of us had ever heard of it. It was “The Last Days of Patton.” Geo. Scott again played Patton & it was wonderful.
[Saturday, August 2: Mrs. Reagan still under the weather; rode and swam. Sunday, August 3: watched panel shows, main topic was congressional opinion against Chief Justice nominee Rehnquist; returned to W.H.; Mrs. Reagan planning trip to NYC for several days […].]
Monday, August 4
A Cabinet meeting on the campaign we are launching on the drug situation. We are all agreed—on matters such as offering healing & treatment for users but stiff penalties for pushers.
[Addressed three hundred appointees; met with congressional leadership on drug campaign; made press announcement about it.]
A meeting with Doug Morrow, he’s here for a Space Council meeting. He says morale at NASA is shot & urges announcement that we go forward with the 4th Shuttle. Then I saw 3 Ambassadors & their familys off & went home.
Tuesday, August 5
This was a day to test the soul. At 9:30 I met again with the Repub. Leadership of House & Sen. The subjects were several of the issues before all of us—starting with my veto of the textile bill & went all the way to the Contras. We began to get behind schedule. Then a short meeting with Sec. Shultz. He’s thinking of retiring. Later a meeting with Cap—just to report on what the mil. has accomplished on drug control—a 67% reduction.
After lunch a meeting with Barry Goldwater & Sam Nunn. They presented a report on what the proposed cuts in defense budget would do. They would wipe everything we’ve accomplished out.
[Met with Domestic Policy Council about finishing Petroleum Strategic Reserve; telecast speech to Knights of Columbus convention; taped campaign ads; cocktail party with reporters, main topic of conversation was South Africa.]
Wednesday, August 6
Started the day again with a Congressional meeting on leadership plus some members with concerns about S.D.I. They’ve been reading things in the press that disturbed them. I had to make them understand the press doesn’t know what it’s talking about.
Then we had an N.S.C. meeting. Geo. Shultz brought Ambas. Crocker in who has been talking S. Africa with our allies. Most of our allies share our reluctance to impose punitive sanctions.
[Met with Weinberger regarding defense budget.]
After lunch I dropped by the Roosevelt Rm. to greet some ball players—the Texas Rangers who are in the pennant race in the American League.
Then it was on over to E.O.B. to help brief a group of citizens who are active in supporting S.D.I. Back at the W.H. I left for the Hyatt Regency Hotel to address the Nat. Conf. on Alcohol & Drug Abuse. Found out I’m the 1st Pres. to ever do that. By the time I was being introduced I was given word that my veto of the infamous trade bill had been sustained—276 votes to override but 149 (we needed 142) to sustain. I announced that to open my speech. I’d been calling Congressmen for 2 days asking for help. I guess it paid off. Came back to the W.H. Don Regan came upstairs with me & we talked about George S. & his retiring. I’m afraid he may be doing it thinking I’m a little cooled off. That isn’t true. Don’s going to try & find out if he really wants to return to pvt. life or if something is bugging him. As far as I’m concerned he can stay as long as I’m here. Mermie is coming back from NEW ORLEANS this evening & tomorrow Nancy will be home—hooray!
Thursday, August 7
[Briefings on South Africa, considered that President Pieter Willem “P. W.” Botha may be growing more flexible.]
[Met with gubernatorial nominee from Michigan; had Economic Policy Council meeting on NASA, noted. “I came out with what I always wanted—we’ll start the new shuttle in ’87 not ’88 and we’ll shift unmanned satellite launches to a pvt commercial business.”]
Ended the day with a bunch of photos & acceptance from American Hellenic Education Progressive Association (AHEPA) of their Socrates Award—their highest honor. Up stairs & waited for Mommy to come home & come home she did—Rex got to her 1st but that’s because he can outrun me.
Friday, August 8
Fridays are getting to be my favorite day—even when like this one I won’t be going to Camp D.
Main thing this morning was an interview with Fortune mag. There were 3 of them and they were doing a feature on leadership. I think they’re trying to suggest that I can give tips to the business & corporate leaders who read Fortune. I told them I thought I was imitating the successful business leaders. I think it was a good session, now we’ll see how they write it up.
[Positive economic briefing; greeted twelve-year-old African American musician.]
Now I’m waiting to see the Dr’s who are going to give me a bladder exam tomorrow. A team is in from Mayo—friends of Nancy’s brother. Of course the press has me at death’s door & I never felt better in my life. This really is a check up I should do every several years since 20 years (almost) ago Burton Smith operated & removed a couple of bladder stones. There has been no recurrence so far.