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White House Diaries
May
18
1983
May 18, 1983
Wednesday, May 18, 1983
Signed a joint resolution before guests in the Rose Garden. The resolution declared May 21st Andrei Sakharov day. Among the guests was his daughter & her husband. I’m kind of sorry about the whole thing. We’ve been working behind the scenes to get him released—quiet diplomacy. This kind of public demand puts the Soviet politicos in a corner where they lose face if they give in. Cabinet meeting—Dave Stockman reported on budget deficits. He paints a dismal picture which I cant help but suspect was designed to convince me we’d have to have tax increases. Frankly, I didn’t understand his figures & since George Shultz didn’t either I’m still a hold out on taxes. Lunch for leading figures from my campaign—a lot of old friends. It was a happy get together. N.S.C. meeting on how to push the Soviets on the conventional arms reductions talks. We’re going to see if they will talk verification—on right [of ] inspection etc. If they wont, there’s not much point in continuing the negotiations. Swearing in of Don Rumsfeld as head of E.P.A. He graciously stated that when E.P.A. started 13 yrs. ago with him as head then we in Calif. were out in front of the nation on environmental protection. Taped an interview with Jess Marlow on El Salvador. Tonight 9 P.M. dropped by the W.H. photographers dinner. A few minutes of quips and home.
