White House Diaries

Tuesday, January 12, 1988

Howard B. is back but Joy is still in Fla.—she had to go into the hospital again—some Emphysema. We discussed some of the budget appeals we are getting from N.A.S.A., Justice etc. Our own people—budget busters. The Demos. had an Ec. Commission half Dem. half Repub. appointed by Cong. & the Admin. included in the Reconciliation bill. I don't think I’ll go for that. We came here to cut down on commissions.

N.S.C.—Colin met with 4 Pres’s. in Central Am. They want us to keep supporting the Freedom Fighters but none of them want to come out & say so. Arias continues to ignore the Sandinistas intransigence. Colin told the 4—it was show time for the F.F.s if Congress is to give us the money for them.

In the P. Gulf we retrieved one of the Iranian boats our helicopters sank some time ago. It was armed with a Stinger we had given to the Mujahadeen including the missile.

At 9:50 we had a short meeting in the Cab. room about the Soviets setting dates for leaving Afghanistan.

At 10:45 over to a rebuilt Army Navy Club for the ribbon cutting. I spoke & was made an honorary life member.

Back at the W.H. James J. Kilpatrick & family including his son who calls himself “my altar boy” came to Oval O. where my altar boy with 20 yrs. as a Navy Sr. Petty Officer—re-enlisted for another stretch.

Then after lunch—the signing ceremony for proclamation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. From there over to E.O.B. to meet with board of Gov’s. of Hoover Inst. Back for an hour meeting in Cab. room on E.P.C. & N.S.C. meeting on where we go from here.

Then an ec. meeting with Jim & Howard Baker, Beryl Sprinkel & Alan Greenspan. I saw 4 Ambassadors off—got my sneeze shot & did a treadmill stress test for John Hutton & another Dr. I was proclaimed healthy as a horse. Now it’s dinner & a quiet night. Nancy is back.