The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  Howard B. came in to tell me he was announcing his resignation today. With his mother & wife both hospitalized he feels his duty is in Tenn. & I agree with him. We also announced Ken D. was replacing him.

  [Discussion of speechwriter for convention speech.]

  NSC—A short one. Jim Kelly NSC came in to report Philippine legis. is giving us trouble on renewing our mil. bases there. And Guiliani (U.S. Attorney) is talking of drawing up an indictment against Marcos. I think he’s crazy.

  We sold 3 planes—patrol types to China—they evidently delivered them to N. Korea & one has already crashed.

  Frank Carlucci is talking of having all D.O.D. suppliers swear they have drug free work places. Then a 9:30 AM meeting with Repub. Legislative leadership. We reported on Summit Nicaragua & discussed new trade bill.

  [Visit from Prime Minister Ciriaco De Mita of Italy, commented, “We have a good solid relationship with Italy. They are taking in our 401st fighter squadron formerly based in Spain”; meeting on economic summit; desk work; regular meeting with Frank Carlucci; then with Bill Webster regarding Noriega.]

  Wednesday, June 15

  Learned Senate is working to get 2 appropriation bills down to me & intends to send 13—one at a time. This is a response to my St. of the U. address in which I stated I would not accept another 1000 page package of such measures as one bill.

  [Noted that Frank Carlucci requested joint session of Congress; NSC meeting with news that Contra leaders visiting Washington consider aid essential to negotiations.]

  Press is full of F.B.I. investigation at Pentagon which has been going on for 2 yrs. It is tracking down reports of kickbacks etc. in Defense Industry procurement. Then at 9:30 AM a congressional meeting (Dems. & Repubs.) in Cabinet room. These were all reps. who want to help Contras. I had a good meeting & lots of suggestions.

  Desk time—then a meeting with Dick Wirthlin. My approval rating is up to 60%. It is 80% regarding dealing with the Soviet U. Other figures very good. People’s greatest concern is drug problem.

  [Had lunch with GOP state chairmen from fifteen states where Democrats were strong; interviewed by group of predominantly foreign journalists; met with people making boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois, a tourist attraction.]

  Thursday, June 16

  Howard on hand but leaving tonite for Tenn. ’til after the Summit in Toronto. Tom Griscom delivered his letter of resignation effective July 1. Report from hill 8 appropriation bills have been passed. An unhappy report on drought situation. I’ve asked our people to check on govt. owned surplus in storage—is there a way to offset crop loss for farmers & supply the mkt.

  Ed Meese & Bill Sessions (F.B.I.) came in to report on D.O.D. investigation. It has been completely covert operation for 2 yrs. Some 85 contracts are involved. All started by one Navy man who went to Naval Investigation force with some information. Naval Force started, then asked F.B.I. for help.

  [NSC meeting with talk of Soviet protester Yuri Zieman denied emigration papers.]

  Zia has declared Islamic Law is law of Pakistan. That puts them into the Fundamentalist Revolution with the Ayatolah & Quadaffi.

  [Noted that Mari Masing agreed to return as director of Communications; desk work; greeted high school honor students; meeting on economic summit; spoke to CEOs on U.S.-Canada trade; photos with departing staff and with Lorraine Wagner, commented, that she “had been a member of my fan club 40 yrs. ago”; met with Ken Khachigian about speech for convention.]

  Friday, June 17

  [Summoned Secretary of Agriculture Richard “Dick” Lyng for meeting regarding drought; noted congressional progress on welfare reform, trade, and fair-housing bills; NSC meeting with report by Shultz on South America; received word that Soviets punishing dissidents supporting Reagan, then later that Yuri Zieman was released for emigration.]

  Cap W. called Frank about changing S.D.I. plans—he’s violently against it & so am I.

  Our Nicaragua visitors will settle for non-lethal aid plus our right to deliver.

  N.S.P.G. meeting in Situation room. […]—help for Contras in Nicaragua. I’ve asked for specific plans on which I can base my decision.

  [Briefing for and then interviews on summit with CNN and PBS; addressed United States Information Agency (USIA) International Council Conference; meeting with Shultz, commented, “He’s fired up about some flaws in new trade bill”; haircut, videotapings. Saturday, June 18: radiocast; hours of reading for summit; received confidential message regarding unsuccessful assassination attempt on Prime Minister Özal of Turkey. Sunday, June 19: flew to Toronto, staying at Royal York Hotel, changed into blue suit for welcoming ceremony; private meeting with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; brief talk with French president François Mitterrand; then three-hour group meeting with heads of state, commented, “A good free-wheeling discussion of problems we must solve”; dinner with spouses present, commented, “More discussion & much agreement.”]

  Monday, June 20

  Brkfst. in bed at 7:45 AM Then up for a brief staff meeting—learned of coup in Haiti—Pres. Margat thrown out by Gen. Namphy. Then at 9:50 over to MTCC—part of L. hotel. Summit heads only for 15 min’s., then a 2 hr. plenary meeting with Finance & Foreign Ministers. This became working lunch. An additional meeting & then back to Royal York for a meeting with P.M. Takeshita of Japan & several diet [Diet] members. He & I signed before an audience & press our Science & Technology Agreement. Upstairs—Nancy on way to another dinner. I showered & was off to Hart House at U. of Toronto for customary photo & an informal heads only meeting.

  It worked just fine & our meeting before dinner & at dinner turned out to be the most fruitful of all. I came up with an idea about subsidys & the farm problem I’d never thought of before. How about subsidizing farmers to give up farming?? Got back to the Hotel before Nancy.

  Tuesday, June 21

  Get away day. Brief staff time. Ken & Colin—nothing very important. Talked a little about the coup in Haiti. Then to MTCC for plenary session—scheduled 2 hrs. This was for agreement on communiqué. Mitterrand gave us a battle over a couple of words & the 2 hours became almost 3 before he could be satisfied. Then back to the hotel to get Nancy & on our way to Ontario Art Gallery. Formal meeting & reception with Gov. Gen. who is a lovely friendly woman. We had our final summit luncheon as her guests. Then we were on our way to Roy Thernson Hall for reading of communiqué by Brian Mulroney. Back to Hotel for like 10 min’s. then a briefing for my press conf. which took place in ball room of hotel. It went well but there were virtually no questions on the summit. The Mulroneys came to get us to take us to dinner meeting (no dinner for us). I spoke to Empire Club & Toronto Club—1st Am. Pres. to ever do so. Then it was off to the airport & a 1 hr. 5 min. flight to Andrews A.F.B. & Marine 1 to the W.H.

  Wednesday, June 22

  Howard back—in fact he met us on the S. Lawn last night. This morning he told me about Congress. Duncan’s death by Cancer. I called Lois his widow & then son Jim who is running to replace his father. We then talked a little business in our meeting. What kind of Contra aid pkg. to put before the Cong. It must be one that will pass. The fair housing bill looks like it will get to my desk & be one I can sign. Everybody & his brother seem to be talking about new drug programs & more spending on them. Well let’s see if that is the answer. I have one of my own I’m going to try. I’m calling Lane Kirkland, AFL-CIO to see if Labor could help by voluntarily drug testing in Unions like Railroad, trucking etc. Tomorrow Dick Lyng & the V.P. will be back from their tour of the drought country. On the Hill we face a fight over funding for the Space Station.

  NSC—Frank Carlucci is pushing a plan to put 3rd phase of S.D.I. in place before going any further on 1. & 2. I’m against it. Phase 3 is merely ground based A.B.M.’s to hit any strays that get through the main defense line. I’m afraid Congress would halt spending on 1 & 2 maybe permanently. I granted Colin authority to withhold classified information from court ordered surrender of it. Colin tells me Saudi’s are now (and a 1st
for anyone) partners in Texaco Oil Co.

  Last month 1000 Visas for Jews leaving Soviet U. were changed for U.S. when they reached Vienna—1000 out of 1100 total.

  [Noted opposition in Congress to sale of F-18s to Kuwait; desk work; review of styles in welcoming ceremonies for visiting heads of state; photo with Turkish newspaper; meeting with Shultz, who was against trade bill; discussed plans for upcoming trip to Central America, commented, “Then we talked about Sandinistas. We’re trying to come up with further action against them”; met new Air Force aide; exercises; addressed Annual Meeting of Business Round Table; dinner with Mrs. Reagan and Maureen.]

  Thursday, June 23

  [Discussion with Howard Baker on trade bill; NSC meeting with National Security Advisor Colin Powell reporting on his meeting with pro-Contra senators and on possible path in Angola ultimately deemed unfeasible; prepared for meeting later with Prime Minister Robert Hawke of Australia; met with Puerto Rican Americans honored with achievement awards.]

  Then it was Hawke time. He’s been here 4 times. We had a good meeting & lunch at the WH. We have a great relationship between our 2 countries. I think I reassured him that our summit negotiations weren’t going to affect their Wheat exports. Lunch turned into a story telling session.

  [Cabinet meeting on summit, drought, and privatization.]

  Some photos then the Gershwin family to whom I presented medals struck by order of Congress. One to George G’s sister & one to Ira’s widow.

  Upstairs—exercise then into Black tie, on to dinner for Sen. John Stennis. It was a moving affair to a deserving, remarkable man. I announced we were naming a nuc. powered aircraft carrier the U.S.S. John Stennis. Home & Mother.

  Friday, June 24

  Didn’t look at my schedule carefully. Arrived at office at 9 AM—wasn’t due til 10 AM. Well I had an hours desk time. Then at 10 started meeting with Ken, V.P., & A. B. Culvahouse. He reported on Judge Gesell—on the North & Poindexter case. Had to do with classified info. & whether it can be used as evidence. I’m just not sure what it’s all about.

  Then another case involving a Sup. Ct. decision. Move on to appeal to Sup. Ct. for reconsideration of something called the Runyan decision. We are not participating. Some discussion of gun control & my statement that I approved what Calif. has done about a waiting period for anyone buying a gun—until their background has been checked.

  NSC—Colin briefed me on coming visit by Patriarch of Lebanese Catholic Church. He is addressed as “Your Beatitude.” Talk also about possible visit to Pres. Duarte who has begun Chemotherapy treatment.

  Mujahadeen fired rockets at Kabul Airport & destroyed 7 Soviet fighter planes.

  Rioting in Yugoslavia against Communist party.

  Then it was time for his Beatitude. A pleasant meeting—he was accompanied by Papal D’Nuncio.

  [Met with California Young Presidents group; photos with departing staff members; short meeting with Shultz, as noted, “he was late—little time for business”; attended ceremony honoring former POWs.]

  A reception preceding tonite’s Ford Theatre Gala—a receiving line—upstairs for dinner & off to the theatre. The show was the best of the 8 we’ve seen—a lot of old friends: Jimmy & Gloria Stewart, Rosemary Clooney, Mike Feinstein, Shirley Jones, Sid Caesar, Fabian & others.

  Saturday, June 25

  A nice day—did my morning radiocast on drugs & our discussion of the subject at the Toronto summit. Lunch on the Truman balcony.

  At 2 P.M. Doug Wick brought a friend to see us. It was a young lady with a tragic story. She has a husband & 2 children—a girl & boy. At the girl’s birth 7 years ago (it was a Caesarean birth) she hemorrhaged & was given a transfusion—7 pints of blood. At age 3 her daughter became ill. To sum up, she has AIDS from breast feeding. Her mother had been made a carrier by the blood transfusion. Discovery of this meant her 2nd child, the boy is also infected. Her story is one of great courage & tragedy & she wanted me to know in connection with the report I’m getting this week from our AIDS Commission. Actually I feel better prepared after hearing her to deal with the report & decisions I must make.

  Spent afternoon catching up on reading plus my exercises. Then a quiet dinner & bed.

  [Sunday, June 26: watched panel shows, read Revolution by Marty Anderson, commented, “it’s great. No kiss & tell in this one”; quiet dinner with Librarian of Congress Jim Billington, his son, and the Shultzes.]

  Monday, June 27

  First discussion was of the Polygraph Bill. Ed Meese is against it but everyone else is for it & if it comes to me as is, I believe I’ll sign it. Still haven’t gotten the Catastrophic bill. Tomorrow I get a briefing on D.O.D. investigation.

  NSC—Ambas’s of several countries calling about the Space Station. They are countries we asked to join us in a joint venture. Now Congress is balking & says only way they’ll provide for the program is if we take the money out of Defense budget. We can’t do that. Soviet Support for Sandinistas is off by 60%. The Middle East continues to dabble in nuclear weapons. […]

  [Briefing about and then visit by President Kenan Evren of Turkey.]

  Desk time, lunch outdoors—a couple of photos—a meeting with Howard & Jim Baker. Jim was giving his side of differences between him & Geo. S. on Trade bill. I think I have to go with Jim & sign the Bill.

  A Cab. briefing—it really was presentation to me of our AIDS Commission Report. I’m going to work with Dr. Ian MacDonald on implementing it.

  [State dinner, entertainment by guitarist Christopher Parkening.]

  Tuesday, June 28

  [Staff meeting on pending legislation; approved appointments.]

  NSC—I brought up matter of Holocaust Museum. It seems someone has approved a room dedicated to 1915 massacre of some Armenians by the Turks. I’m against it but don’t know what we can do. Latest intelligence has 10 more divisions on the border in N. Korea than we had estimated. They’re playing games that may threaten the Olympics in S. Korea. We have the Soviets pledge they won’t let anything like that happen. […] a bomb plot in Panama City—an apartment bldg. housing about 40 of our mil. officers. They’ve been moved out & on to the base.

  Met with our Sen. & Cong. leadership—Dole & Simpson, Bob Michel & Trent Lott. A discussion of pending bills & the pol. games the Dems. are playing trying to get campaign issues. Then a meeting with Meese & Carlucci regarding the investigation of the Pentagon. Nothing much yet to report.

  [Interviewed by biographer Edmund Morris; meeting with Israeli defense minister Yitzhak Rabin; went to dentist for teeth cleaning; received report on Conference for a Drug Free America; photos with GOP candidates; received allergy shot and, as noted, “a little doctoring of my hearing aid.”]

  Wednesday, June 29

  [Flew to Miami for party fund-raiser and meeting with leaders of Cuban American Society, commented, “I spoke to them & reassured them we were not getting soft on Castro.]

  Then back to A.F.1 & to the W.H. by about 5:25. After dinner received a call from Howard B. that 3 of our Uniformed Secret Svc. & 2 now ex-employees of NSC will be front page in the Wash. Post tomorrow for dealing in Cocaine. The 3 have been banned from the W.H. grounds. I’ll find out more tomorrow. Also had a call from Ron—the first in a long, long time.

  [Thursday, June 30: discussed allegations against agents; noted that House had passed all thirteen appropriations bills; talked about states and counties that refused to provide plans for removing citizens in case of nuclear power plant accident, commented, “In doing this the plant can’t be licensed to operate”; NSC meeting regarding upcoming visit by Jonas Savimbi, then extradition cases related to Cuba and Mexico, some talk about Gorbachev and the opposition he faced in the Communist Party Conference; noted that European allies were organizing commercial airline service to Berlin; visit from Savimbi; photo session; meeting with South Carolina members of Congress promoting their state for tritium-producing plant; signed proclamation for National Safety Belt Use Week; meeting with congressional leader
s on drug policy; lunch with basketball coach Pat Riley; desk work; cabinet briefing on nuclear power stations, commented, “some were shut down because countries & or states refused to submit plans for emergency evacuation. Bil. $ plants sitting there unable to operate”; farewell visit with staffer; greeted Eureka College students; photo with Multiple Sclerosis Mother and Father of the Year; appeared at gathering of Republican conference leaders; exercised.]

  Friday, July 1

  Word rcv’d. that Stu Spencer is coming back for a meeting re the Bush campaign Thurs. I was told I should say a few words of greeting from the W.H. balcony to all our people who will be on the S. Lawn for fireworks on July 4th.

  Cong. has gone home & will be back next Wed.

  I approved Billy Graham for benediction at Repub. Convention on night I speak.

  N.S.C.—Some talk about reps. at Soviet Conference calling for ouster of older people in office such as Gromyko etc. all of whom were present to hear.

  [Heard that Italian parliament approved presence of U.S. F-16s; message from Shultz reflecting positive reception in Central America; signed bill providing catastrophic-illness coverage for Medicare patients; received interim report on drought, commented, “In some areas it has broken all records. It is a serious problem”; videotapings; went to Camp David.]

  Saturday, July 2

  My radio cast, then groundbreaking for new Chapel at Camp David. Meet & thank service personnel who rounded up & captured new recruit who armed himself & set out threatening Camp personnel. Then a meeting with new Camp Commander. Photo with Jim Broadus & family, our last trip with him as Commander. Sat. P.M. a horse back ride. But main event was a 5 AM phone call that one of our cruisers, the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf accompanied by 2 Frigates had been engaged by a flotilla of Iranian missile carrying speed boats. The Vincennes sank 2 & disabled a 3rd. While this was going on radar picked up a blip on a plane taking [off] in Iran & on a course directly toward the action. Radio warnings were sent on both mil. aircraft frequency & commercial. There was no reply. Then radar revealed the plane was descending right on line with the Vincennes. The Captain ordered firing of 2 missiles. One brought the plane down. Later it was learned the plane was an airbus carrying according to Iran, 290 people. It’s a terrible tragedy & I so stated but while I’ve ordered a Naval investigation, I don’t believe the Captain had any other choice but to fire on the plane.—This happened on Sun.