White House Diaries

Tuesday, September 13, 1988

View the President's Schedule

Stu Spencer has asked me to meet with Sen. Quale on Sunday afternoon.

My next Sat. radiocast will be on the Olympics. The Sen. will be discussing abortion language in the Labor-H.H.S. appropriation bill. Bill Roth has brought up some tax questions about my nominee for Admin. of Gen. Services Admin. John Alderson was highly recommended. I cant believe he has done anything that would disqualify him. The Dem’s. are playing games on the minimum wage bill. We want a training wage for beginners & will accept a modest increase on the minimum regular wage. Today we notified Congress I wanted to pay up dues we’ve withheld from U.N. They have corrected some of the practices that caused us to withhold.

N.S.C.—Eng. threw a Cuban diplomat out of the country. [. . .] He ended up shooting & hitting our man in the hand as he crossed a street in London.

Philippines foreign minister is here. We’re trying to get him to be reasonable about payment for our bases in the Islands. They are trying to jack up the price.

A meeting at 9:30 with Bob Dole & Bob Michel. We discussed legislation & what we can do before they go home for the October recess. It was a good meeting.

A brief meeting & photo with Pres. Hoyte of Guiana [Guyana]. Desk time then a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden. It was the Fair Housing bill.

Back to the desk & then into lunch. Indoors this time, it’s a hot muggy day.

Back to the Rose Garden for signing an Hispanic Heritage Proclamation before about 250 Hispanic Americans.

Across to E.O.B. for a group photo with about 200 of our uniform secret service agents.

Back in the Oval O. for a report from Sec’s. Lyng & Hodel & Dep. Sec. Defense Taft. They have been casing the fire situation in Yellowstone. They’ve taken action on beefing up manpower etc.

Had a couple of free times at my desk & spent it autographing a big back log of photos.

Then a meeting in Roosevelt Rm. & photos with about 70 legislative candidates from across the country. Later back to the same room for report from United Way campaign. Then over to the Dr. for a sneeze shot. Then upstairs—exercise, & dinner with Nancy & Merme.