Diary Entry - 10/17/1985

Key Facts
President Reagan meets with Prime Minister of the State of Israel Shimon Peres.
President Reagan meets with a group of Republican Governors to discuss deficit reduction.
Bob Michel brought a Japanese Labor leader over for a pic. before I went to the office. Then it was the usual staff meeting, some desk time & a short visit some Repub. Governors. Terry Brandstead wants a separate meeting about the plight of Iowa farmers. He says there have been 3 farmer suicides in his state. I feel as bad as he does but what can we do? We are spending more on the farmers plight than any admin. in history.
Went over to E.O.B. & spoke to a coalition of ethnic & fraternal groups who support our tax reform.
Then a meeting with P.M. Peres of Israel. I hope he remains P.M. He’s a statesman & a fine man. We talked the peace process—our desire to sell Jordan some arms. He has trouble with that one—mainly because of opposition in the Knesset.
After a brief personnel meeting a string of photo ops. including old friends from Dixon, the epilepsy poster child & the Dolgneault family. He wrote me once about not saluting the Nat. Anthem during the “head of state” ceremonies (he’s a disabled vet & very patriotic). I phoned him & explained I was saluting or not saluting guided by the visiting head of state. I made a friend.
Tonite a drop by for both of us at the Repub. Gov’s. dinner. It was short—we didn’t stay for dinner—but it was nice.
