White House Diaries

Tuesday, August 4, 1987

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Spent our time in talking about who will replace Mac B. Then a Bipartisan approach to Central Am.—a diplomatic solution while we continue to fund the Contras. A false story in Wash. Times about our policy on Covert programs. I asked for someone to bring this to Arnaud De Borchgrave’s attention. Then it was our problem with Dem. Leadership & the debt limit also Catastrophic health insurance. Our Repubs. got 190 votes on a substitute which means we could count on a veto standing up if Dem. version is passed. Then it was Welfare Reform—again there are 2 bills—one bad & one possible and a costly Housing bill.

Then the Repub. leadership (both houses) came in for a meeting in which we discussed all those issues.

Then desk time & lunch. An N.S.P.G. meeting re the Panama situation. Noriega head of Nat. Guard is a bad egg but right now has support of the people. At 3 P.M. a meeting with Cap W. George S., Colin & Howard. Cap is upset about Nicaragua peace plan we want with Dem. help. There was some merit in several of Caps criticisms. I proposed we do an annex explaining my interpretation of the questionable terms in the compromise. At 4 P.M. Bill Webster briefed me on Contras progress inside Nicaragua—14,000 of them. Then my session with biographer Edmund Morris.

Over to Dr. Hutton—dressing removed—upstairs a quick shower & back down to dr’s. office—where 3 of the dr’s. who were in on the operation had gathered for an inspection. They took 8 of the stitches out. Upstairs for the evening. Oh I forgot—in the Cong. leadership meeting the Sen’s. said Bork is scoring very high with personal visits to individual Sen’s.