[Spoke to American Legion members regarding defense budget; met with Dave Abshire to prepare for meeting with Tower Commission; ambassadorial formalities; telephoned Mrs. McFarlane regarding Bud, who had attempted suicide, commented about the call, “She seemed very grateful.”]
Wednesday, February 11
Learned this A.M. that a tape has turned up & been revealed to Tower Commission & the Sen. investigation. It is complete fiction. It has Ollie North telling the Iranians he’s held meetings with me at Camp David and that I was willing to go all out with arms deliveries in order to get our hostages back & I wanted Iran to win the war. I OK’d (according to the tape) providing Iran with strategy & intelligence to help them beat Iraq. I’m also said to have wanted Hussein of Iraq to abdicate & because of my support for Khomeini.
Later in morning me with Abshire and told him the tape was complete fiction. There have been no meetings with North at Camp D. He’s never been there while I’ve been President.
Another part of the tape said I went away to pray for 2 days & brought back the Bible with my favorite verse & my signature inscribed on the fly leaf. That’s the Bible John P. asked me to sign in the Oval O. and to copy the verse while it was supposed to be the favorite verse of one of the Iranians. The Bible was then delivered to Rafsanjani.
Later in the day, I met with the Tower Commission & told them it was a complete fabrication.
[Addressed gathering of private charities on welfare reform; met with Shultz, who had plan for inviting pianist Feltsman from USSR, commented, “We also discussed a pol. plan for Central America to show that we would like a pol. settlement of the Nicaraguan mess.”]
Had a couple of tiny red spots on my nose frozen in case they are beginning of basal cell carcinoma. Upstairs for the night—the last one alone. Nancy gets home tomorrow.
Thursday, February 12—Lincoln’s Birthday
[Waiting for response from Stu Spencer on W.H. job; NSC and NSPG meetings on need for renewal of Middle East peace process; spoke to junior high students on Lincoln; considered list of potential appointees with Robert Holmes Tuttle; greeted Maxwell Football Club; signed proclamation making 1987 the National Year of Thanksgiving; greeted members of Ducks Unlimited; photo sessions with departing Secret Service agents; Republican Eagles dinner; Mrs. Reagan returned home. Friday, February 13: staff meetings including welfare reform experts; lunch with Vice President Bush; meeting with Shultz; greeted NFL champion New York Giants; went to Camp David. Saturday, February 14: work and reading. Sunday, February 15: took walk; spoke to Michael Reagan about Easter plans. Monday, February 16: returned to W.H.; Maureen visiting.]
Tuesday, February 17
Looks like Jack Koehler will replace Pat B. & Frank Donatelli will come aboard as Pol. Liaison. Neither have said yes—but want to talk to me & we believe their answer will be yes. An NSC briefing was mainly on the P.M. Shamir (Israel) visit tomorrow. I’ve suggested that after that we have Jeanne Kirkpatrick in to tell us about her visits with Gorbachev & Schavansky [meant Sakarov]. Then Cap came by for a brief meeting on SDI—we’re all on the same wavelength.
[Addressed gathering of CEOs on administration competitiveness plan.]
A brief meeting with Don R. on receiving the Tower report next week. On the advice of a lot of contacts I will go on the air & make the report public the day after we receive it. Then several days later we’ll have a press conference.
[Videotapings, including one in Spanish, read phonetically; noted that the need for veto was avoided with amended version of appliance-standards bill; stock market closed at record high; took light workout in gym.]
Wednesday, February 18
An 8:30 A.M. breakfast with Bi-partisan Cong. leadership. We briefed them on our competitiveness proposal—Jim Baker, Bill Brock, & Clay Yeutter. Then a discussion—all in all a pretty good tone to the meeting. Then an NSC brief—I approved an approach to the SDI hassle. Later on briefing for P.M. Shamir’s meeting—then one-on-one between me & the P.M. I asked him to not lobby our Cong. against arms sales by us to certain Arab States. Israel’s position is one of opposition on the grounds that a state of war exists between them & the Arab States. All in all though we solidified our relationship & the subsequent plenary meeting & working lunch went very well. He’s going home quite happy. His departure statement was a glowing tribute to me & our country.
Geo. S. came by with some long range plans for me—visits to Philippines & India etc. Ended day meeting with Frank Donatelli who is taking over the Pol. Liaison post & Jack Koehler who replaces Pat B. Upstairs for rest of day—some mail & then a work out in the gym.
Thursday, February 19
A lot of desk time today—nothing very exciting in Staff meeting or NSC briefing. Some briefing on meeting coming up at 11:30 with large Polish delegations (Polish American). I signed a measure lifting Polish sanctions in answer to pleas by Pope & Lech Walesa. They were beginning to hurt the Polish people & that was never our intention. Former Polish Ambas. & his wife who defected to us in ’82 were present.
Lunch with V.P.—he offered to have a talk with Don R. about retirement.
Then it was desk time ’til about 2:30 & I met with Dave Abshire & Pete Wallison re the Tower Commission report. I’m sending the commission a letter clearing up my seeming conflict in answering Q. re did I OK Israeli arms sales to Iran in a meeting with Bud McFarlane in August ’85. Letter will say I just plain don’t remember.
[Looked at personnel matters; greeted Father Bruce Ritter, founder of home for runaway youth; photo session with U.S. Chamber of Commerce leaders; met March of Dimes poster children; photo with ambassador to Colombia; signed proclamation for National Consumers Week; had cocktails with senators and congressmen, also columnist James Kilpatrick, who supported veto of clean-water bill.]
Upstairs for private meeting with John Herrington, Sec. of Energy. He had some info on W.H. Staff & Chief & low morale. I have a problem.
[Telephoned conservative Political Action Committee dinner.]
Friday, February 20
Learned that our W.H. press corps has learned that Jack Koehler, who I have picked to replace Pat B. at 10 years of age joined the Hitler Youth movement in Germany. They are raising a fire storm over this. They ignore that he came to this country served in our military & went from Corp. to Capt. with 14 years of active & reserve duty—including service in our mil. intelligence. He’s been top man at A.P. and had a lifetime career there heading the International Bureau among other things. Well I’m not going to back down in the face of the lynch mob.
Later on NSPG meeting—subject was Central America. We’ve concluded we must make an all out effort to go to the public on the need to support the Contras & get rid of the Sandinista Communist govt.
[Spoke to Conservative Political Action Committee luncheon; went to Camp David; telephoned prospective participants in ad campaign for NASA.]
Saturday, February 21–Sunday, February 22
Did the radio show then a long walk with Nancy & Rex. It was a cold but beautiful day. Press reported that Don R. had told the Staff that Nancy was responsible for the appointment of Jack Koehler. That does it—I guess Monday will be the showdown day. Nancy has never met J.K. and certainly had nothing to do with his appointment.
[Sunday, February 22: watched panel shows; returned to W.H.; attended annual governors’ dinner, entertainment by Sarah Vaughan.]
Monday, February 23
This was my day to deal with the Don R. business. At staff time he & I & Geo. B. talked about the upcoming Tower Commission Report & agreed to get some advisors in to round table how we should deal with it about going public. NSC time was spent with Defense Minister Spadolini of Italy. It was a short but good meeting. He too could be a future Prime Minister.
Then Don came back alone & we agreed it was best he go. He had expressed a desire to do so several months ago before the Iran trouble broke—then he stayed on because of the trouble. He’ll announce his leaving in a few days after the Tower
report comes in. I’ll try for Drew Lewis as his replacement.
[Addressed gathering of governors, who expressed interest in proposal for welfare reform.]
Usual issues lunch with a meeting on the Tower report—Paul Laxalt, David Abshire, Dick Wirthlin, Don R., Al Kingon, Dennis Thomas, Geo. B., & me. Decided on a program of speech & press conference several days after report delivery.
[Greeted West Point football team.]
A haircut & then down to the hide away bomb proof command post for a briefing on what we do if Soviets launch a nuclear attack.
Tuesday, February 24
[Met with bipartisan House leadership regarding competitiveness legislation; NSC meeting, followed by NSPG meeting on terrorism.]
After lunch a good meeting with Jeane Kirkpatrick reporting on her meetings with Gorbachev & Sakharov to Geo. B., Geo. S., Cap W., Frank C., Don R. & me. A very useful & good session. Then I went into a meeting with the Council for a Black Ec. Agenda. Our 3rd meeting and we’re making progress in improving situation of Blacks. The council has been a Private Sector Initiative effort & is doing well.
A farewell party for Pat Buchanan. Then upstairs for an hour with Ross Perot. He has laid on me a story of chicanery & corruption in our executive branch including the mil. & CIA. It’s a shocker & has me asking where do I start. Of course all he told me was based on circumstantial evidence. Called Drew Lewis about taking Don’s job. He’s thinking hard about it.
Wednesday, February 25
Don R., Geo. B. & I talked over the Ross Perot story. He had talked to both of them as he talked to me. Well this A.M. I had talked to Ed M. I’m going to turn this over to him & our Dir. of the FBI. First however I’m going to give it all a good going over—the material Ross left with me.
[Bipartisan Senate leadership meeting; brief NSC meeting; addressed gathering of CEOs from Midwest on competitiveness project; met with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, commented, “He was off on funding for the Black colleges, student aid, S. Africa, & our coming visit with P.M. [President] Moi of Kenya. I tried to explain our position to him.”]
After lunch—a farewell to Mitch Daniels—his wife & 4 daughters. He’s going back to private life. Geo. S. came by with some suggestions for a speech after the Tower report comes in & another later speech on us & our relation with Soviets. Then a fine meeting with Suzanne Massie. Very interesting—she suggests maybe I should got to Moscow instead of Gorbachev coming here. Then she dropped bomb. A top Soviet official told her Gorbachev might well be killed if he came here. There is so much opposition to what he’s trying to do in Russia—they could murder him here & then pin the whole thing on us. I don’t find the warning at all outlandish. The KGB is capable of doing just that.
A Calif. St. Sen. (James Nielsen) (Minority Leader & his wife) came by—Herrington came by. It seems Frank Zarb (former Nixon staffer) a friend of Don R. told John he’d been talking with Don. It seems the conversations got around to Don’s resignation & that Don was thinking of April & a promotion to another job—the Fed. Reserve Board. That just can’t be, whether he deserves it or not he is tagged in the minds of a majority as responsible for our problems.
Thursday, February 26
At 10 A.M. received the Tower report—almost 300 pages. We had about a 45 minute brief but I won’t know what’s in it ’til I’ve read it. At 11 A.M. over to EOB with the 3 members of the Commission—hundreds of media. I made a statement, turned the meeting over to John Tower & left with all of them screaming Q’s at me—Sam Donaldson the loudest. Went to TV set & watched John, Ed Muskie & Brent Scowcroft field Q’s. Press obviously was seeking answers that would let them keep on their distortions & this lynch party. No I’ve got to read the report.
Lunch with V.P.—he met with Don R. and for 1st time the side of him he hadn’t seen—the outburst of temper. Finally he snarled he’d be out of here by Monday or Tuesday. I went upstairs for a meeting with Paul Laxalt. It was a good meeting with an old friend. Paul took himself out of contention for Don’s job. Said he might want to run for Pres. & didn’t want to take himself out of the running by taking this job. His candidate is former Sen. Howard Baker. It’s not a bad idea. He thinks Howard is looking for a graceful way of getting out of running for Pres. I’d probably take some bumps from our right wingers but I can handle that.
V.P. just came up—another meeting with Don. This time totally different.
He says he’ll hand in his resignation 1st thing Monday morning. My prayers have really been answered. And this answer continued. I called Ed M. to let him know I was going to ask Howard Baker to become Chief of Staff. Ed approved heartily. Howard was in Florida visiting his grandchildren. When he called back I asked him to take the job. Paul was right—he accepted immediately & is coming to Wash. tomorrow. Now I’ll go on reading the “Report” ’til I fall asleep. Thank you God.
Friday, February 27
A meeting with Repub. Cong. Leadership. Whole conversation was how I was to stage a comeback, my upcoming speech etc. Ed Meese dropped by with a word about Lennis the man we’ll have to extradite to the Soviet U. He’s been convicted there of W.W. II crimes—he’ll be executed. We have no choice under the law. We’ve tried to find a country that will take him & none will.
A couple of photos with visiting State legislators & then upstairs. Before the afternoon was over I’d been visited by Howard Baker & Paul Laxalt. Howard has agreed to be Chief of Staff when Don R. resigns on Monday. Things moved up—a leak about Howard got out. I received a one line letter from Don resigning as of now. He was understandably angry. So guess what the news is tonite?
Early evening John Tower came by & we discussed my next week speech about the Tower Commission Report etc.
Saturday, February 28
Strange to be in Wash. instead of Camp D. but too many things going on. It’s a gray dreary day. Did radio cast in Oval Office. Kathy says there is an uplift in morale as a result of yesterdays happening. A phone call from P.M. Margaret Thatcher & Dennis to wish us well & tell us we’re still liked by the people there. Ron arrived. He came from the Coast to plead with me—out of his love for me—to take forceful action & charge of the situation. I was deeply touched.
[Sunday, March 1: finished reading Tower Commission Report, commented, “Now it’s up to me to say the right thing Wednesday nite on TV”; had massage.]
Monday, March 2
9 A.M. & the Chief of Staff & V.P. came in for usual meeting—only this time the Chf. was Howard Baker—his 1st day. He’s going to be fine & there was a great feeling in the West Wing of improved morale. Ron asked if he could spend a day in my office to see what my job was like. So I said yes & he was in on all of the meetings etc. NSC had to do with Gorbachev’s new arms proposal & the matter of Bob Gates as Dir. of CIA. The Sen is giving him a bad time & may not approve him.
[Received copies of upcoming speeches; cabinet meeting, including briefing on Tower report; latest polls show job approval rating down to 44 percent; issues-briefing lunch; meeting with Republican mayors.]
Before day ended Gates had come in & asked me to remove his name from consideration as Dir. of CIA. Now we’re trying to see if we can get John Tower to take the job. We should know by tomorrow.
Nancy had to got out for an early evening drug do so Ron & Mermie & I are dining at home.
Tuesday, March 3
Ron is on his way back to Calif. We cancelled the Cong. Leadership meeting & had our own—Cap W. attending. We decided to try for Webster—Dir. of FBI to take the CIA job. I called him—he was quite emotional—torn between saying yes & having some reservations about it. Promised to call back & did so but not until 6:15 P.M.—He said yes & that made my day. We’ll make an announcement right away.
This morning I went over to EOB the NSC’s room & met with the entire NSC Staff (many new faces). Then back to lunch. Then an NSC meeting in Cabinet Room in preparation of my summit in Canada with P.M. Mulroney. He’s in big pol. trouble & part of it is based on pol. attacks that he’s behol
den to me & the U.S. We’re trying to find some things to bolster him. One possibility is (if we can do it) some pickup in the acid rain situation.
[Photo session with Mrs. Reagan for wedding anniversary; read statement to press regarding Mikhail Gorbachev’s INF arms proposal; videotapings; attended W.H. dinner for freshman congressmen.]
Wednesday, March 4
Our Wedding anniversary. Nancy says my speech tonite is her present from me.
Usual morning meetings—Howard & the V.P. & then Frank C. & Gen. Powell. Nothing of great import. Then at 9:45 A.M. Mayor Diepgen of W. Berlin came by for a visit. I’ve agreed to make a speech in Berlin in June for the 750th Birthday of Berlin. Then a press opportunity with Bill Webster our new Dir. of CIA.
Nancy surprised me by joining me for lunch in the study. After lunch a brief huddle with Howard, Stu Spencer, Dick Wirthlin, & Landon Parvin about the speech & upstairs to wait for 9 P.M.
The speech was exceptionally well received & phone calls (more than any other speech) ran 93% favorable. Even the TV bone pickers who follow the speech with their commentaries said nice things about it.
Thursday, March 5
[Meetings on aftermath of speech; visit from Doug Morrow, head of U.S. Space Foundation; addressed National Newspaper Association; meeting with Senate Steering Committee, conservative supporters.]
Friday, March 6
[Noted that Vice President Bush was in Iowa; NSC meeting with update on Soviet situation.]
The NSPG meeting was on Afghanistan & Pakistan. Pakistan is necessary to our help of the Mujaheddin […]. We must & will continue to give aid to the freedom fighters.
Then a working lunch with Max Kampleman & Ron Lehman & Mike Glitman. We brought them home form Geneva to talk about the Soviets & the proposal to go zero, zero, on INF forces in Europe. It looks good but we mustn’t get too carried away until we see how far they’ll go on verification.
The Reagan Diaries Page 66