White House Diaries

Wednesday, May 27, 1987

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In our 1st morning meeting we decided I’d sign the Farm disaster bill & later in the morning I did. It’s somewhat controversial but it isn’t a typical farm subsidy bill. It really is a disaster bill to compensate farmers who were prevented from planting or lost crops because of the weather.

Then Joe Coors name came up to my surprise. He wants a job in the West Wing. He’s a great guy & obviously does not need a job. He just wants to be of help. We’d have some problems public relations wise. I decided we should put him on one of our temporary commissions (such as the AIDS group) for a few months & then find a place for him. Next subject was the Persian Gulf & what we are doing there. Then Bob Byrds 50th Wedding Anniversary. We’re having him & a few people to a lunch Fri. in the study off the Oval Office. Final topic was Paul Volcker’s term winding up—to re appoint or not. Well he told Howard Baker he wants to leave. So we put a list of possible replacements together. N.S.C.—First subject was need for me to meet with President of Mexico—in Mexico. I’ve tried to meet each year with him & P.M. of Canada. This time it’s Mexicos turn. We’ve decided I’ll see him in a border city on way back to Wash. from the ranch in Aug. Another less pleasant subject was evidence we have that Govt. of So. Africa is planning terrorist operations against A.N.C. We’re looking into how we can turn that off. Subject of Ambas. Straus Hupe (Turkey) came up. He’s 85 & getting a little slowed down. We discussed a replacement. Last item was W. Germany & the matter of their Pershing missiles & the S.R.I.N.F.

Then Ed Meese came in for a brief meeting. First item was possible extradition of terrorist Hamedi from W. Germany. They hold him for trial there but he is the murderer of one of our Navy men in the hijacking of our plane. Problem is terrorists in Beirut have kidnaped 2 W. German business men & are demanding a trade. Then came problem of new director for F.B.I.—another prospect turned us down. Now we’re going to look at a L.A. police official—named Vernon. Last subject was a group of our Sen’s. are demanding we appoint former Sen. Slade Gorton (Wash. defeated in 1986) to Court of Appeals. We might settle for a district judgeship if there’s an opening—but he has been an opponent of everything I’ve tried to do.

That was a long busy morning. I wound up doing my T.V. interviews with rep’s. of 6 summit countries. Then lunch.

A short afternoon. Met with George Shultz—more talk about Persian gulf. Then a meeting with P.M. Fanfani of Italy. It was a good meeting reviewing things that will come up at the Ec. Summit. Then it was upstairs—a long phone call with Trude Feldman.In our 1st morning meeting we decided I’d sign the Farm disaster bill & later in the morning I did. It’s somewhat controversial but it isn’t a typical farm subsidy bill. It really is a disaster bill to compensate farmers who were prevented from planting or lost crops because of the weather.