The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  Sunday, June 26

  Church in the A.M.—same plan as Easter—didn’t put it on the schedule—told press pool at last minute. It felt good to be there—I’ve missed it.

  Afternoon by pool—Bill Clark & Bill Casey came over for discussion of Central Am. We’re losing if we don’t do something drastic. Those in Cong. who are dribbling out about ¼ of what we ask for & need could be playing politics. They’d like to give enough money to keep us in the game but El Salvador bleeds to death. Then they call it my plan & it lost Central Am. We have to take this to the people & make them see what’s going on. If the Soviets win in Central Am. we lose in Geneva & every place else.

  [Swam; Marine ceremony after dinner.]

  Monday, June 27

  Nancy left this A.M. for Phoenix. I won’t see her until Wed. night—or is it Thurs. night—I’ll have to check. Anyway I still don’t like this place without her.

  Met with Cardinal Krol who has returned from being with the Pope in Poland. He believes there may well be some easing. I believe also that Walesa may not be as much of a force as he once was.

  [Photo session; issues lunch; videotapings; rehearsal for press conference.]

  Tuesday, June 28

  N.S.C.—In the Sudan—rebels picked up several missionary types, 2 of whom are Americans—they’ve suggested ransom. I wish to h--l we had forces in the area who could move in. We don’t of course but I’m fed up with this kind of thing.

  [Photo sessions with Bay Buchanan and with Wayne Newton; met with former secretaries of the Treasury and current secretary Regan in support of appropriation for International Monetary Fund (IMF); NSC briefing on the Middle East and Central America; lunch with Council on Private Sector Initiatives; last rehearsal for press conference.]

  The news conference dealt almost entirely on the “Carter papers.” There is no question but that the Wash. press is going to try for another lynching. I think it went pretty well though & I did get in some good licks—particularly on the few Q’s that didn’t dig at the papers—which incidentally I had never heard about until the press started in last week or something that was supposed to have happened 2½ yrs. or more ago.

  [Wednesday, June 29: flew to Louisville, Kentucky; addressed vocational students and teachers; flew to Kansas City; visited meeting of student leaders; flew to California, met Mrs. Reagan at Beverly Wilshire Hotel.]

  Thursday, June 30

  Helicoptered out to Whittier to a high school we’ve recognized as outstanding for excellence in Ed. Presented a flag as symbol of that to student body & townspeople. It was another of our regional seminars with the Excellence in Ed. Commission present. It was a great morning—78% of student body are Hispanic. Back to the hotel & in early afternoon met with Ansel Adams & his wife.—He is the great nature photographer. He has expressed hatred for me because of my supposed stand on the environment. I asked for the meeting. I gave him chapter & verse about where I really stand on the environment & what our record is. All in all the meeting seemed pleasant enough & I thought maybe I’d taken some of the acid out of his ink. Then I read the story of the meeting as he’d given it to the press. I’m afraid I was talking to ears that refused to hear.

  [Addressed party fund-raiser in Long Beach, toured Spruce Goose airplane; went to ranch. Friday, July 1: ranch work. Saturday, July 2: birthday party for Mrs. Reagan. Sunday, July 3: ranch work. Monday, July 4: riding and desk work.]

  Tuesday, July 5

  Into L.A. in the A.M., addressed the Am. Fed. of Teachers. About 150 greeted me by walking out. They had “get out of El Salvador” placards. I ignored them & addressed the roughly 2000 delegates re our ed. plan. Was interrupted 22 times by applause.

  Here we are back in the W.H. & homesick for the ranch already.

  Wednesday, July 6

  Nancy’s Birthday! Life would be miserable if there wasn’t a Nancy’s Birthday. What if she’d never been born. I don’t want to think about it.

  A really open day at the office. Met with new man who will work with Motley on Central Am. Amb. Charley Price came by. Outside of that I had the day to catch up on reading reports etc. Have written an idea for a reply to Andropov letter in which he pleads for an end to war & nuclear weapons.

  [Thursday, July 7: latest poll numbers show a drop in perceived trustworthiness, commented, “No question but that reflects the media blitz over the so-called Carter papers—about which I knew absolutely nothing”; interview with Sports Afield journalist; photo session; lunch with public relations executive Dick Whalen; cabinet meeting about new legislation regulating banks; visit by daughter of Eureka College alumna; received gift of quill pen set; presented staff award for fighting waste and fraud; visit by Dolores Ballachino, personal correspondent for more than forty years; met with editor of London Times and owner Rupert Murdoch.]

  Friday, July 8

  —Surprised staff at 8:15 by dropping in & telling them to answer any & all Q’s F.B.I. had on Carter papers.

  An N.S.C. meeting on Central Am. & whether to abide by Congress’s request to formal bipartisan commission to study area between now & end of year. I suggested we go along—provided that Congress provide funds we’ve requested between now & end of year.

  Met with Scowcroft commission again—explained our flexibility on arms reductions.

  Geo. Shultz is back (as of 3 A.M.) but he came in with report on trip. A good & fruitful trip except where Syria is concerned. We’re going to have to find a way to get them out of Lebanon.

  [Photo session with actor James Mason; left for Camp David. Saturday, July 9–Sunday, July 10: rode and swam; returned to W.H.; polls indicate public not concerned with scandal involving Carter papers; noted that before leaving for the weekend, he ordered a complete FBI investigation of Carter papers.]

  Monday, July 11

  Ambas. John Gavin came by. He’s a darn good Ambassador. Had the usual “issues lunch.” Later met with A.W. Clausen now head of the World Bank. He’d like us to increase our contribution to the bank but there’s no way we could get an increase through Cong. Foreign Minister Genscher of W. Germany came to report on Chancellor Kohl’s Moscow visit. The Chancellor really stood firm on our NATO unity & that we were going to deploy intermediate range missiles in Europe on schedule in Dec. No question but the “Russkys” are upset about this.

  Kase Bendtson, Bill Wilson, Jack Hume, Joe Coors & Dr. Edward Teller came by to press me on setting up a “Manhattan” type project to have a crash program on finding a defensive weapon against nuclear missiles. I have to agree with them it’s the way to go.

  [Marine band concert.]

  Tuesday, July 12

  Met with G.O.P. leadership. Geo. S. reported on Middle East & Central Am. We lobbied for our defense program as necessary to Arms Reductions. Told them we’d go for their proposal to have a commission set up on Central Am. for six months but only if Congress (who wants the commission) will give us the money for Central Am. that we’re asking for so that our allies will still be there 6 months from now.

  N.S.C. meeting to O.K. plan for pre-positioning mil. equipment in Israel as well as Arab countries as hedge against Soviet push.

  Had lunch with Gen. Sec. of O.A.S. Orfila. He says I’m only one who can bring about an alliance between all the Am. nations. Had a not too pleasant Ec. briefing & then a Cabinet meeting to hear Dave Packard report on our research labs. We have some work to do in that department. Some of them were started for a particular purpose but the purpose no longer exists.

  [Visit from Y. K. Pao, Hong Kong businessman; met with clergy on school prayer amendment; photo session; poster boy for asthma fund; ambassadorial formalities.]

  A new scandal?? Some cockamania lawyer claims he had a video tape of several “govt. figures & friends of mine in a sex orgy” with the Morgan girl who was Al Bloomingdale’s mistress. She has been murdered—her live-in boyfriend has confessed to the murder. The lawyer claimed he would only give the film to me. Fred Fielding on phone told him to turn it over to the D.A. T
hen the character said it’s been stolen. I don’t think there ever was such a film but the press had a field day linking my name to the supposed orgy.

  Wednesday, July 13

  Met with Repub. women of Congress on legislation we’re sponsoring to improve collection of child support from runaway husbands.

  [Met with supporting congressmen on probable vetoes they intend to uphold; with Jack Kemp on vagary of using money supply as means of fostering recovery; lunch with Senator Paul Laxalt (R-NV) and James Baker on potential 1984 campaign.]

  Geo. Shultz & Max Kampelman met to discuss our position re the Madrid meeting on human rights etc. The Soviets are being devious about their promise to let Scharansky go. We’re going to hold them to it.

  Thursday, July 14

  Gov. Pierre DuPont came by. I’m trying to convince him to run for Bidens Sen. seat. He doesn’t want to & I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a Senator after my 8 yrs. as Gov. He’s been a d--n good Gov. too. Met with group of young Repub. Congressmen to sell them on voting for a $8.5 bil. quota in the Inter Nat. Monetary Fund. I think we sold them. Sen. Denton came by with a plan or idea of getting a combine of Latin Am. countries & ourselves to quarantine Nicaragua & stop flow of arms to govt. there.

  [Lunch with Vice President Bush; calls to senators encouraging support of B-1 bomber; cabinet meeting; met with group of congressmen on International Monetary Fund (IMF); with Sir Geoffrey Howe, British foreign minister; photo session; received award for use of radio; greeted new members of Washington press corps; met with ninety-six-year-old African American National Guard officer Colonel West A. Hamilton, honored with rank of brigadier general; met with poster child for disabled organization; videotapings; dinner for Scowcroft Commission; noted House vote in favor of Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI).]

  Friday, July 15

  A hectic ½ day plus—Began with House leader Jim Wright. Jim has kicked my head off on domestic issues but been pretty good on foreign policy—worked hard to get C.B.I. passed. Had him in to solicit help on MX. Couldn’t get a commitment although he didn’t say a flat no.

  Sens. Laxalt, Thurmond & Hatch in re the hearings on my appointments to Civil Rts. Commission. The Dems. are being vicious & unprincipled. Orin has been working too hard—he’s very emotional & on a thin edge.

  N.S.P.G. meeting on the middle east. Didn’t come up with an answer to the Syrian situation but found a lot of areas of agreement. We’ll be back at that again before Pres. Gemayel of Lebanon & Israeli P.M. Begin arrive.

  [Lunch with Business Round Table, asked for advice; poll shows further support regarding scandal surrounding Carter campaign papers; left for Camp David.]

  Saturday, July 16–Sunday, July 17

  Weather close to 90 degrees both days. Horseback on Sat. plus poolside & swimming. Spent Sunday by the pool—broke in a pair of blue jeans. Swam in them & then let them dry on me—it took hours.

  Called Henry Kissinger & asked him to chair the Central Am. task force.

  Monday, July 18

  Met briefly with Ambas. Stoesel who is back from a quick visit to 9 of our allies in Europe—1 day to each Capitol. Mission was to discuss Soviet violations of Human Rights. He met with solid agreement & a desire to keep in close consultation on the subject.

  [Flew to Florida to address International Longshoreman’s Association; met with group of Jewish leaders, noted, “I think we’re on track even though many of them are Dems”; returned to W.H.; Maureen visiting.]

  Started making phone calls re the MX vote. Announced today in Florida that Henry Kissinger will be chairman of the Commission on Central Am. One of press yelled a Q. at me that Sen. Dodd says commission is a ploy to get around Cong. I wonder really which side Dodd is on. He comes down against the U.S. on almost every issue.

  Tuesday, July 19

  Hot as an oven but cloudy & grey—we worried all morning about rain possibly messing up the formal ceremonies for the Emir of Bahrain. Everything went smoothly. He’s a very personable & likeable man & expressed great appreciation for our reception of him.

  [Addressed gathering for anniversary of Captive Nations Week; met with education leaders; met Mayor Tommy Thompson of Tampa, switching party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.]

  More N.S.C. meeting, a haircut & home to get ready for the St. dinner. It was a warm & pleasant affair. Byron Janis, the pianist entertained—so did his Highness. His remarks at dinner were very humorous. We made a friend.

  Wednesday, July 20

  A short but busy day that started with the tragic news that our friend Frank Reynolds died at 12:40 A.M. He was a very decent man & as a journalist a man of great fairness & integrity. I signed a waiver permitting his burial in Arlington.

  Back to the Exec. bldg. for a short speech & Q&A with the Central American Outreach group. Had a Q. about the Sandinista treatment of the Miskito Indians in Nicaragua. I gave a full account of their torture, confinement, persecution etc. Then someone said there was a Miskito in the audience. He stood up so I asked him if my account was accurate. He replied in Spanish. Two people interpreted. He had said I was completely accurate.

  [Met with economic advisors, agreement on contingency tax “to go into effect in ’86 if certain conditions prevailed at that time”; presented funds to Mayor Marion Barry for summer youth employment in city of Washington, D.C.]

  A Nat. Security Planning Group meeting on the Lebanon situation. It is really a can of worms. How to get Syria out is the problem. Incidentally the other Pentecostal family—15 people has been allowed to leave the Soviet U. Quiet diplomacy is working.

  Thursday, July 21

  Held a mini press conf. in press room to announce new ec. figures. Growth in G.N.P. in real $ was 8.7% for 2nd Quarter. Not one question about the Carter debate papers. Lunch with V.P. The Multiple Sclerosis foundation brought in the Father of the Year & the Mother of the Year & her little boy. Both were in wheelchairs. The father is totally paralyzed from the neck down. His family was with him. His 3 daughters wrote the nominating letter that won him the title. Cabinet Council meeting took up matter of lumber companies who contracted for Nat. Forest Timber. Their bids were based on expectations of continuing inflation. Lumber prices now make it a loss for them to cut the timber. Some of our team think we should extend their contracts but make them pay a penalty. I disagree—this would just make it even a greater loss or raise the price of lumber which would come out of the pockets of future home builders. I say, extend time, no penalty but make them agree to a timetable for cutting. Finished the day with 1½ hours in the dentist chair—teeth cleaning time.

  Friday, July 22

  Dr. Dodge (Pres. of Am. U. in Beirut) kidnapped 1 yr. ago is safely back in Conn. The Syrians got him out. He had been kidnapped by the Iranians who smuggled him through Damascus drugged & in a box. He is well but was constantly hassled & threatened with death.

  Today was Pres. Gemayel (Lebanon) day. We had a good meeting & lunch. I think he is reassured that we are not going to abandon them. While we were meeting word came that Beirut was under rocket attacks by the Syrians. We are going to send them the latest in Radar Art which can zero in on exactly where the rockets are coming from.

  No Camp David until tomorrow—Frank Reynolds’ funeral at 11 A.M. tomorrow—we’ll attend.

  [Saturday, July 23: funeral for Frank Reynolds; went to Camp David.]

  Sunday, July 24

  Spent day by & in the pool. For awhile could almost forget Bud McFarlane is replacing Phil Habib in the middle east. Phil has really worn himself out & has served above & beyond the call of duty. Could almost forget too the block of Congressmen who are determined to stop our aid to Central Am. & our own defense buildup. It’s hard for me to believe this is just partisan politics. Whenever it is us versus the Soviets or Cubans they always come down on the wrong side. Back to the W.H.

  Monday, July 25

  Met with Henry Kissinger, now chairman of our commission on Central Am. We are agreed their purpose
is to come up with a long range plan for Central Am.

  [Photo session; lunch with Bob Michel (R-IL, House Minority Leader) and Howard Baker (R-TN, Senate Majority Leader) with W.H. staff to plan legislative agenda; presented National Wildlife Awards.]

  A momentous meeting in the Oval Office with George Shultz, Bill Clark, V.P., Ed Meese & Jim Baker. The press has been dishing up stories all describing a situation in which Bill C. & George S. are battling for supremacy. It is totally false but George thought he might be so tarnished that he was a liability to me. I told him he had my confidence & that it would be a disaster for all of us if he left. I think the meeting was a great plus & that we go forward from here, conscious of what press is trying to do & all determined to refute their crusade.

  [Rehearsal for press conference.]

  Tuesday, July 26

  Former President of France, Giscard D’estang came by. We had a good visit. He is solidly behind us on the I.N.F. deployment—was most interested in our economic recovery & thinks it bodes well for Europe.

  [Appearance in honor of seventy-fifth anniversary of FBI; gathering of 1980 campaign supporters.]

  A legal meeting on matter of loans to Ed Meese & Mike Deaver. It seems their accountant arranged the loans & later on we appointed him to the Postal Board. Once again the “small minds” are tearing at their betters. These 2 came to govt. at great sacrifice to themselves. They are paying 18% interest on these loans & there is no connection between their accountant arranging the loans & then accepting an appt. to govt. service himself.

  Spent rest of afternoon woodshedding for the press conf. It came off alright but their questions were such iffy inconsequential things that it was like trying to get your teeth into whipped cream. I think it was a dull half hour.

  Wednesday, July 27

  Maybe I’m wrong about press conference—all the calls etc. indicate we won—I say that because press conferences anymore are an adversary contest. The press isn’t after news—they want to trap you into a goof.