The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  [Met with congressmen on their return from Central America; greeted chefs group; had NASA briefing comparing Soviet and U.S. space programs; had meeting with Shultz; presented letters to Senators David Boren (D-OK) and William Cohen (R-ME) in public ceremony; went to Camp David.]

  Saturday, August 8

  A quiet day—televised my radio address so Charlie Wick can play the TV tape for Europe. Subject was the Berlin Wall. A call from Dick Cheney about upcoming speech—he feels the public is fed up with the whole subject of Iran-Contra. I think he’s right.

  Calls from Frank C & Geo. S. on Nicaragua statement. The Presidents meeting in Guatemala have agreed to a cease fire plan—including Ortega.

  [Sunday, August 9: returned to W.H.; meeting with Howard Baker, Senator John Tower (R-TX), and speechwriter Landon Parvin to discuss Wednesday speech.]

  Monday, August 10

  Again the schedule got moved around. It seems if I remember correctly this happens every year in those last days before our August vacation. Well anyway we started the day with our usual meeting—discussing Bill Verity & a possible foul up over some business deal years ago. Howard is going to check it out with Ed Meese who is in S.F. Former Chf. Justice Burger is going to be a witness for Bork in the Sen. hearings. A little talk about the Central American Peace proposal & some loopholes adverse to the Contras.

  NSC—Report our 3 tankers & escort in the P. Gulf are laying back for a day off Bahrain. This was pre-planned to keep the Iranians off balance. The Central Am. Pc. plan is lousy. We’ve made a point by point comparison with one we & the Cong had agreed to. Some of our Central Am. friends were looking to their own wants. Salvador & Guatemala have guerilla problems & their plan helps them with that—never mind what it does to the Contras.

  [Briefing from General John Vessey on return from Vietnam, reported that progress was made on MIA issue; issues lunch canceled in favor of more work on speech; cabinet meeting on Central America and Persian Gulf; signed savings and loan bill; met with new head of Securities and Exchange Commission; announced William Verity as new secretary of Commerce; met with Citizens Network, group supporting administration programs on foreign aid; saw doctors.]

  Tuesday, August 11

  NSC—Discussed verification problems if INF Treaty is signed. Our Mil. leaders believe implementation of the missile elimination should take longer than we would like. Their point is readjusting so we have deterrent power after missiles are gone.

  After lunch I met with Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Galvin gave quite a presentation of NATO planning—very informative. Over to East Room for swearing in of Alan Greenspan as Chairman (the 13th) of Fed. Reserve Board. Vice President swore him in—I made a welcoming speech. George S. came by for meeting on Central Am. & how we must plan to plug the plans in the Nicaragua peace agreement which are out & out loopholes for the Sandinistas. We must back the Contras. Then the longest taping session I think I’ve ever done—after Nancy put some make-up on my still unhealed nose. Mermie is here.

  Wednesday, August 12

  Some discussion of last night’s TV news. They have jumped on me as selling out the Contras—acting as if the Central Am. Presidents plan is mine. Well it isn’t. I’m determined we will continue to support them. Then I OK’d an appointment to Pub. Liaison of Rebecca Range.

  NSC—Central America again. Got word Pres. Arias of Costa Rica is boasting he topped big Uncle Sam with his peace plan. Well his own plan has a loophole where the Contras are concerned. We’ll plug it.

  Then I met with some of the Presbyterians who went to Central Am. & came back with a report to the Annual Nat. Congress of the church that was adopted by the church. It has the church assailing the Contras & us as villains and Ortega & his thugs are the freedom loving heroes. We tried to give them some of the facts but I don’t think we budged them. I was prepared for them to be left wing zealots but now I don’t think so. They are sincere & honestly believe the things told them in Managua.

  [Watched videotape of congressmen’s trip to Nicaragua; meeting with Shultz, who had suggestion for a commission on fair trade to settle the question between Canada and U.S., and he also expressed concern about effect of budget cuts on embassies and foreign policy, the president commented, “he’s right. It’s short sighted of Cong. to say the least”; Shultz also reported possible Syrian efforts on freeing hostage in Lebanon; interviewed by Hugh Sidey; made speech on national television. Thursday, August 13: flew to North Platte, Nebraska, visited a ranch there; delivered speeches on balance of term in office; flew to California and ranch.]

  Friday, August 14

  A foggy morning. Barney, Dr. Hutton & I cleaned guns. I have 14 rifles & almost as many handguns & they were all in need of oiling & cleaning. Then the fog began lifting about lunch time & I decided to ride—which I did about 2 p.m. Nancy decided against it because of the uncertain weather. She was wrong—the clouds began to break & we soon had some sunshine on the ride. Back to the house & some homework as usual. Nancy got a heart break call—Joan Rivers’ husband of 30 years or so committed suicide in a hotel in Phil.

  [Conference call with Howard Baker and Frank Carlucci regarding adjustments in Central America policy. Saturday, August 15: radiocast; rode; tree cutting. Sunday, August 16: rode; tree cutting. Monday, August 17: same schedule. Tuesday, August 18: received report that Lebanon hostage escaped; afternoon tree work.]

  Wednesday August 19

  Fog burned off by 10 A.M. so a very pleasant ride. First a couple of phone calls—to Chris Shea who won the special election in Conn. for a Cong. seat. Then to Bill Brock—in hospital for detached retina. Got word our ships in P. Gulf escorted 4 Kuwait tankers thru Straits of Hormuz during the night. Phone Joe Coors re Citizens for America.

  After lunch back to our exterior decorating—pruning trees etc.

  [Thursday, August 20: rode; cut trees; attended press barbecue. Friday, August 21: guests arrived; riding; preparations for next day’s party. Saturday, August 22: radiocast; rode; afternoon party for seventy guests, including Ron and Doria.]

  Sunday, August 23

  A morning ride on another beautiful day. Howard B. called to say we were issuing a disclaimer on a front page story—Los Angeles Times re visit by Gorbachev. I believe & so does Howard that it was a fishing trip by the Soviets.

  [Afternoon spent pruning a trail.]

  Monday, August 24

  Another beautiful day. Nancy elected not to ride because of some phone call & homework. I ride with our usual troop of S.S. Agents & Mil. Aide. After lunch Dennis & the Dr. & I cleared out a trail that had become overgrown. A message came that by end of afternoon our convoy in the P. Gulf would be clear of the Hormuz Strait. Wound up our trail clearing early. A late afternoon call from Frank C. Our convoy made it through the Straits of Hormuz. One incident—2 small boats approached a Tanker—machine gun bullets, off their bows made them rear off.

  Dinner & off to bed.

  [Tuesday, August 25: left for L.A.; looked at house to buy as home; homework; dinner with friends. Wednesday, August 26: addressed Town Hall of California; met Governor Guy Hunt (R-AL); had ear examination, no problems detected; dinner at home of Betsy Bloomingdale.]

  Thursday, August 27

  Another busy day. Nancy off to see the land proposed for the Presidential Library. I stayed behind & met with George Scharfenberger & Mort Janklow re a book I should write after I leave the W.H. I agreed.

  Then after lunch a meeting here with George Shultz, Howard B., F. Carlucci, Marlin F., Elliot Abrams, & Jose Sorzano. This was a preparatory meeting down stairs with the Nicaraguan Resistance leaders. They went down ahead of me & I went down a half hour later. The leaders were Col. Eurique Bernendez, Adolfo Calero, Pedro Jeaquin Charerro, Equcena Ferrey Escheuerry, Alfonso Robelo Callejas, & Arestideo Shachez Herdicia. A good meeting—preparing them to meet & be careful of Speaker Jim Wright. After meeting went up to the Suite with George S., Howard B., & Frank C. A good discussion of arms negotiations, Central America—agreed t
hat Elliot A.’s man Busby should go there as an regional Ambassador. Also some planning about Middle East.

  [Checkup with allergy doctor; received word of attempted military coup in Philippines, easily put down; dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Lew Wasserman. Friday, August 28: met with law-enforcement leaders supportive of Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination; photo session with twelve-year-old suffering terminal leukemia, with Life magazine. Saturday, August 29: radiocast; went to ranch; starting cutting up dead oak tree. Sunday, August 30: received word that two tankers made it through Strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf; worked on oak tree. Monday, August 31: lunch with Stu Spencer; finished bringing oak tree to wood pile; called Jim Brady with birthday greetings; Tuesday, September 1: rode; finished splitting wood from oak tree.]

  Wednesday, September 2

  Still very warm. A nice ride—a trifle short but pretty. Word came—Iranians had attacked 5 ships in the P. Gulf—of different nationalities—S. Korean, Greek, Spanish etc. An intercepted message revealed they were under orders not to attack any ships with American Navy escort.

  After lunch we shifted operations to the woods along Penn. Ave. towards El Refugio road beginning at our front entrance. We’re back to pruning & it’s going to be a great improvement.

  [Thursday, September 3: unrest in Persian Gulf, but no attacks on U.S.-escorted ships; shuffle in leadership of Department of Commerce due to illness of acting secretary; rode; pruned trees; noted that Dr. Hutton had returned from San Francisco. Friday, September 4: rode; pruned an oak tree. Saturday, September 5: rode; continued pruning oaks.]

  Sunday, September 6

  Up at 6:30 A.M. and off & away at 7:40. Some haze in the air, not sparkle clear as it has been every day. Landed at Nat. Guard Field in Topeka, Kansas—greeted by Gov. & Mayor and then on to Alf Landon’s home. He has some difficulty hearing but is sharp as a tack. He’ll be 100 yrs. old on Wednesday. His wife had a 91st Birthday last Wed. A nice but short visit with Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (his daughter) & Sen. Dole also on hand. Then out to the porch to greet a crowd of friends & relatives of the Landons. The U. of Kansas marching band was on hand to play. It was a pleasant occasion topped off with Birthday cake, then back to A.F.1 & on our way to Andrews A.F. base in Wash. For some reason it seemed as if we’d been away from Wash. longer than on any of the other times we’ve been away. Ted Graber came with us. Rex barked a loving welcome to Nancy.

  [Monday, September 7—Labor Day: slept late; caught up on desk work. Tuesday, September 8: meetings to plan upcoming work; address two hundred appointees, commented, “a pep session for up coming battles”; National Security Planning Group (NSPG) meeting on arms-reduction talks, no decisions made; photo session with legislative candidates from various states; haircut; meeting with Senator Paul Laxalt (R-NV), Howard Baker, and Duberstein, Laxalt having bowed out of presidential race; Maureen arrived for visit.]

  Wednesday, September 9

  Staff meeting—discussed Justice Thurgood Marshal’s interview with Carl Rowan to be aired on Sun. The Justice took me on as being a racist—the worst in that since Herbert Hoover. George B. is going to call him about a meeting with me. My record & the record of this admin. on such matters is out ahead of any other admin. in our history. A suggestion was made also to contact Justice Powell about endorsing Bork who I’ve nominated to take his place.

  Some discussion about Independent Council Walsh & his wanting to Q. me on Iran-Contra affair. I’ve said OK.

  [Briefing for visit by Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson of Sweden; visit and meetings in morning; discussion with Vice President Bush, Shultz, and others of arms reduction, commented, “Our biggest difference is whether to try to block the Soviets from going mobile on their missiles or not”; state dinner with entertainment by Marilyn Horne.]

  Thursday, September 10

  A late start 10 A.M.—briefing for interview with several journalists for USA Today. I think the interview went well. They were all friendly & their Q’s were fun.

  [Spoke to student winners of essay contest on the Constitution; boarded Air Force One.]

  We went to Miami, Fla. to greet Pope John Paul II on his arrival for a tour of the U.S. There were 5,000 people on hand at the airport. Then later in the afternoon we joined him again at an art museum where he & I had a one-on-one—joined later by Nancy for a 2 on 1. He’s truly a great man. We did our farewell speeches before the press & went our separate ways. Ours was back to A.F.1 & Wash. where we arrived about 10 P.M. It was a most rewarding day.

  [Friday, September 11: meeting with Howard Baker on appointments for top posts at Council of Economic Advisors and Office of Management and Budget; NSC meeting; briefing for interviews, then had the interviews, first with James J. Kilpatrick, commented, “We’re old friends & I enjoyed it,” and then with U.S. News & World Report; signed proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Week; met with Shultz on upcoming meeting with Soviet Minister of foreign Affairs Eduard Shevardnadze; videotaping, including segment with Mrs. Reagan for ABC show Good Evening America, featuring Ron; went to Camp David. Saturday, September 12: radiocast; short walk with Rex. Sunday, September 13: returned to W.H.]

  Monday, September 14

  Staff time began with Beryl Sprinkel resigning as Ec. Advisor. I couldn’t ask him to stay—he had family reasons & so it’s back to Illinois for him. Then Liz Dole came by & she is leaving the Cabinet in order to campaign for her husband.

  NSC—Gen. Powell reported on a successful sting operation we brought off in the Mediterranean. A participant in 2 hijackings that took American lives was enticed to leave Beirut & go to Cyprus. There he was told of a Mr. Big in the drug business who had a money making plan for him was offshore on a luxury yacht. He fell for it. The crew turned out to be our FBI men & he’s now on his way to America to be charged for his crimes.

  We also have another Kuwait convoy on it’s way through the Persian Gulf. Libya is sending planes to Iran by way of Turkey air space. We think they’re carrying mines.

  [Visit from South Korean ruling party’s presidential candidate Roh Tae Woo; swearing-in ceremony for James Billington, new Librarian of Congress; addressed National Alliance of Business; met with leaders of state Junior Chambers of Commerce; photo session with congressmen and guests; sat for thirty minutes of serious portrait photography by Norman Parkinson.]

  Tuesday, September 15

  A very brief staff meeting as I met with Repub. Cong. leaders at 9:15 A.M. except for those Senators who are on the Judiciary Committee. The hearings on Bork’s confirmation started today. It was a good meeting with much agreement about why I should veto some of the bills now before Cong. A suggestion was made that I should veto any “continuing resolutions” & insist that appropriations bill be sent to me individually. This would be like giving me line item veto in a way. A short NSC time & then briefing for visit with Shevardnadze. He came in at noon—we had a short time cluttered up by 4 waves of press & photographers. Then into Rose Garden for signing by him & Geo. S. of agreement to have a center in each country to minimize chance of accidental hostilities taking place. From there it was a Plenary meeting in Cabinet Room followed by a brief one-on-one & then a luncheon meeting in State Dinning Room. They were good meetings & free of the hostility we used to see even if we were disagreeing on some things.

  [Desk work; greeted major donors to National Republican Congressional Committee; received word that Howard Baker was hospitalized with diverticulitis, would probably return to work next day.]

  An early dinner (alone). Nancy is in Calif. on a drug thing with the Pope. At 7:20 I left for brief appearance at a reception—5th anniversary of USA Today. It was nice—a short address & home to bed.

  Wednesday, September 16

  Staff time—no great issues. Then NSC—a report on how the talks with Shevardnadze are going. Apparently going well—a far different tone than in earlier times before changes in Moscow. Then about 9:50 A.M. Pres. Diouf came by with a few people. We discussed problems of Tropical Africa in conquering hunger.
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  [Spoke to conference of U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy; participated in Celebration of Citizenship rally; telephoned brother on his birthday; greeted poster child for Juvenile Arthritis, W.H. staffer back after cancer treatment, Airmen of Year, three of whom were female; quit work at 3 pm.]

  Thursday, September 17

  [Staff and NSC meetings; phone call from Shultz, commented, “He seemed upbeat about progress he was having with Shevardnadze”; flew to Philadelphia for celebration of bicentennial of Constitution; attended party fund-raiser.]

  Back to plane—rain started again just as we boarded for take off. Approaching Wash. slowed down—Andrews AFB was having a thunderstorm. As we arrived & landed—sun came out. Back to W.H. about 4 P.M. Sen. Baker told me Geo. S. & Shevardnadze would like to come over & brief me on meetings at 5 P.M.—Well 5 P.M. became 5:45—the meeting grew to a dozen upstairs in our living room. Then Nancy was delayed. I changed dinner time 3 times. Now the briefing meeting is over—we’ve agreed to meet the press on it at 9 A.M.—they are gone & my room mate is at the door. Thank Heaven.

  A call from Frank—In East Germany Soviets fired on a patrol of American soldiers wounding one but not seriously. A h--l of an incident to happen at this time. Also the bad guy in our sting operation in the Med. arrives tonight—he’ll be charged & tried here.

  Friday, September 18

  In at 8:45 & at 9 A.M went into the Press Room to make a statement about the 3 days of meetings between Geo. S. & Soviet F. Minister Shevardnadze. Took a few Q’s & then turned it over to Geo. Back in office for NSC—we mainly talked about the meetings. Then at 10 A.M. Lee Thomas came in to brief me on agreement we have negotiated with 23 nations to reduce fluorocarbons—in our effort to stop reducing the Ozone Layer. This is an historic agreement. At 11 A.M. an NSPG meeting—an update on P. Gulf situation. There has been a great change in world thinking about that and there is general approval of what we are doing.