White House Diaries

Tuesday, January 26, 1988

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Only a brief meeting before a session in Cabinet room with Repub. Congressional Leadership. Subject—the legis. on aid to the Contras we will deliver to the House tomorrow. They felt it was nip & tuck as to whether we could get it passed but they seemed to feel it was worth trying. Then back to the Oval O. for N.S.C. Colin reported on Contra supply plane shot down by the Sandinistas. There were 12 Nicaraguans aboard. One was captured alive. There were 4 bodies in the wreckage & 6 parachutes were found in the jungle. That accounts for 11 with 1 missing.

Then back to the Cabinet room for a bipartisan meeting of 5 Repub. & 5 Dem. Senators. They were less optimistic and thought we might face certain defeat in the House. They made some useful suggestions one of which I’ll carry out. I’m meeting tomorrow at 9:30 A.M. with Speaker Jim Wright. I was half hour late for lunch. Then a photo with Editor of Egypts largest paper. I’ve done a written interview for them. Paper is named “Al Ahram” which means Pyramid.

Then a photo (fun time) with Speechwriters staff. A meeting with C.I.A. Dir. Webster—a report on our space ability to detect Soviet missiles. Then a meeting (very pleasant) with Madame Pres. Finnbogadottir of Iceland.

An N.S.P.G. meeting on Egypt & coming visit of Pres. Mubarak. Then a get together in Oval O. with our people on Contra aid. I had to wait til 5:00 P.M. to call Jim Wright—he was at funeral of Cong.man Daniel. Then I made date for tomorrows meeting. Home & mother—I’d gotten my sneeze shot this morning.