White House Diaries

Thursday, June 12, 1986

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More talk about the Soviets plus discussion about budget. It’s now in conference & our leader Sen. Domenici like a broken record keeps harping on a tax increase—my word to him which he refuses to take, is no tax increase & I’ll veto it if it ever comes to me.

I had a surprise visitor. Donna Ardwin & her husband. She is the granddaughter of my mothers sister Jenny so is a 2nd cousin. She’s a nice, attractive young lady. My Aunt Jenny was a favorite of mine so I was glad to meet her. We Recv’d. the Packard Commission report. I was glad to learn it calls for less Congressional Micro management of defense.

Then a lunch with Fred Barnes, Morton Kondracki & Paul Harvey plus a few of our fellows. It was fun & I think maybe Fred Barnes might have discovered his image of me is wrong.

N.S.P.G. meeting. It was on what to do about Soviets & their proposals for some kind of arms deal. Are they for real or just trying for propaganda.

I finally proposed that we offer a reduction of I.C.B.M.’s & at same time an agreement that both of us should continue research on a possible defense against them. If & when such research should indicate such a defense weapon is possible both of us observe “tests” & we agree that deployment must follow elimination of all I.C.B.M.’s & then the defense be made available to all. I think our team bought it.

At 3 P.M. met with Justice Rhenquist—he is our choice to become Chief Justice & he said yes.

A happy meeting with 15 wonderful high school kids who are going to the Soviet U. as part of our exchange programs.

Then a photo with 85 yr. old Marie Fisher whose 2 sons (Marines) were killed within a day of each other in Korea. I had written her & met her in 1980. Then photos with retiring Chiefs of staff Gen. Gabriel & Admiral Watkins. Signed a proclamation for Baltic freedom day with a group of Ams. Baltic refugees. An hour with my biographer Edmund Morris. Home to Rex—Nancy is in N.Y. until tomorrow. She’s speaking the Foreign Affairs Council on drugs.