Diary Entry - 04/24/1985
Key Facts
President Reagan makes an Address to the Nation on the Federal Budget and Deficit Reduction.
President Reagan attends the First Ladies' International Drug Conference.
Every day seems to begin with latest press muck raking over whether I should or shouldn’t go to the Bitberg cemetery in Germany. Well D--n their hides I think it is morally right to go & I’m going. I dropped by Nancys get together—18 first ladies from that many countries even from far off Japan all brought together by the drug problem. Nancys idea. Then back to some Congressional phone calls trying to get votes for Bob Michel’s bill in the House to further our Nicaraguan peace plan. Tip has engineered a partisan campaign to hand me a defeat—never mind if it helps make another Cuba on the American mainland. Geo. Shultz came by to get my blessing on a speech he wants to make tomorrow on Nicaragua—calling a spade a spade. I gave it gladly. In every spare moment I was working on my T.V. speech on the budget. We had a 2nd Cab. Council meeting on the tax reform plan. We’re getting there. We had a swearing in ceremony for Faith Whittlesey who leaves the staff to become Ambas. to Switzerland. At 8 P.M. made T.V. speech from Oval office. Apparently it was well received—phone calls & wires above the normal number. Then I buzzed out to Paul Laxalts annual “Lamb Fry” dinner for coffee. It was a fun hour as always. We lost the Michel vote 215-213. Fourteen Repubs. deserted. We got 46 Dem. votes.
