White House Diaries

Thursday, August 4, 1988

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Defense has always pouted because the budget for building a space station came out of Defense. Well now it’s coming out of H.U.D. We need to officially name Nick Brady for Treasury Sec. so F.B.I. can do their field check on him. I have O.K.’d for new Ed. Sec. the Pres. of Texas Tech. He is an Hispanic Larry Cavazos. Twice faculty voted a no confidence in him. Once when he agreed with Bd. of Regents that spending should be reduced. Second when he voted against tenure for entire faculty. He’s our kind of guy.

Sen. has passed a trade bill we support 85 to 11—it includes repeal of windfall profit tax which I’ve been trying to get for 5 years.

N.S.C.—Aug. 24 is date for review of A.B.M. treaty. Question is do we declare Krasnoyarsk Radar a “Material Breach” of treaty or leave it as a “serious violation.” If now we were to make the change—wouldn’t it raise an inquiry as to why now? Chiefs are opposed to changing it & so am I. This is not a time to kick up a storm. Word from Sov. U. is that Ziemans family are leaving next Wed. for the U.S. I’ve got my fingers crossed. Contra Aid. Dem’s. put an impossible package on table yesterday. Only weapons they’ll permit & that will be questionable are the $18 mil. worth stored in warehouses awaiting delivery.

Ed M. wants us to appeal judges ruling that we cant close the P.L.O. information agency in N.Y.—part of U.N.

There is a news story out of Managua that a boatload of people including American religious group of Americans were fired on from the shore—a number wounded. We know there are no Contras in that area. My belief is the Sandinistas did it & so as to deliberately frame the Contras.

I sneaked up to the 2nd floor this morning to say Happy B.D. to Bob Tuttle.

Some desk time then a meeting with Sen. Trible who has a good idea—a summit of all the Western Hemisphere Nations on the drug problem. Then the usual Thurs. lunch (Mexican). At 1:45 a meeting in Cab. room with Defense experts. They are all behind my veto of the Defense Authorization bill. More desk time—a few photos & then Bob Tuttle with some appointments I signed off on. More photos—one with interagency law income Opportunity Advisory Board Staff. A photo in Dip. room with 2 cute children of our Mil. Aide from Coast guard.

Upstairs—exercise. All new cables on the Nautilus equipment.