White House Diaries

Thursday, January 23, 1986

View the President's Schedule

This was a busy one. It started with a drop by—20 of our Repub. Sens. having brkfst. in the Family Dining Room. We had a pretty good go around with some of them who want a tax increase. Then after our own staff meetings it was over to the E.O.B. to brief about 100 business leaders on what they can do to help get Cong. to O.K. selling Conrail. Later in the day cloture was voted in Cong. to cut off a filibuster. Then back in the Cab. room a meeting with our Ec. Policy Advisory Board. A room full of Economists—a lot of viewpoints were presented without any consensus. After lunch & a personnel session with Don & Bob Tuttle—a Cabinet meeting to brief them on my St. of the Union address & our Ec. report to the Cong. Next time in the Cab. Room was a meeting with about 25 top C.E.O.s on tax reform & why they should support us.

I met in the Oval O. with a group of young Americans who were medal winners in the Vocational Olympics. After them the Unser family—(car racing) father, sons, wives etc. Over to the East room to address the R.N.C. plus a couple hundred friends. And then it was exercise, shower & go out to dinner time. We were guests of the Arnaud de Borchgraves at their apartment. At about 7 P.M. our time our 6th fleet began maneuvers right off Kadaffis beach. The dinner was very pleasant & we really enjoyed it. One of the guests was a Russian (young man) a comedian in the Soviet U. He came here 7 yrs. ago determined to be a comedian here. First he had to learn our language & translate his Russian jokes into American. He did it & is quite successful.