White House Diaries

Friday, February 5, 1988

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Up & into discussion of last nites Sen. vote & where do we go from here. I’m making thank you calls & we discussed a letter to our 51.

Then Colin came in N.S.C. time. We are putting N.S.C. to work keeping watch on Ortega & the Sandinistas to see if they are going to play games. We’ll have rat traps set for them.

We have worries about King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. [. . .]

Our Rep. at Haiti inaugural will be our Ambas.—Sunday Noriega of Panama will be indicted today. And in Japan—P.M. Takeshita seems to be trying to do something about Beef Quotas & construction contracts for Am. Co’s. Then desk time & receipt of gifts.

At 11:25 A.M. over to E.O.B. to speak to 1988 Class of U.S. Senate Prog. This is a program instituted by Hearst Papers. Randy was on hand. Then back to West Wing for signing ceremony of Housing bill. At noon Warren Burger came in & presented me with a solid silver bust of Ben Franklin—he made the original when he was 15 yr. old. Then Dick Wirthlin came by with good polling figures. My approval rating is 57%.

Then it was time to go over to the W.H. for lunch. Howard B. & Jim insisted on helping me with my gifts. When the elevator doors opened—there was Nancy waiting. I thought it was because she’d been away in Indianapolis. I didn’t even notice we were on the 1st floor. Then she opened the door to the St. Dining Room & there were about 100 or so of Cab., Staff, Friends etc. singing Happy B.D. to me. I was completely surprised. What a job Nancy had done. Marvin Hamlisch on 1 weeks notice had written a stirring march—The “Ronald Reagan March.”

When lunch was over we went up and changed clothes for Camp D. When we came down to leave there were more than 1000 people on S. Lawn, a podium & mike & the Army Band. Another surprise—Howard B. made some remarks, I responded then everyone sang Happy B.D. & the Band played the new March.

Finally off to Camp D. and that night the movie was “Santa Fe Trail.”