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White House Diaries
October
22
1986
October 22, 1986
Wednesday, October 22, 1986
The Soviets have responded to our actions by sending 5 more of our embassy & consulate people home & declaring the huge staff of Russian employees in our Moscow embassy can no longer work there. We still have the edge if they’re going to play that way—they still have much greater staff here & at the U.N. than we do.
Had a short thank you meeting with Bob Dole & then out to the S. Lawn for the signing of tax reform. There were several thousand people on hand & a dozen or 2 members of Cong. on the platform. After my remarks I started the signing using 12 pens. Dont ask me why but I started writing my last name 1st. The surrounding Cong. people laughed so when I straightened it out I went back to the mike & told the crowd what they were laughing about. Bob Packwood is campaigning in Oregon so I went back to the office & phoned him.
Then a meeting with George S. & John P. after which I went over to the E.O.B. & spoke to 150 Black Preachers. No press so I could really get down to the issue of my frustration about the image makers painting me as a racist. I think I succeeded in changing a lot of minds. I feel real good about it. Dick Wirthlin came by with his latest polls & everything is up. Incidentally GNP [Gross National Product] today was announced as up 2.4% for the 3rd Q.
An awful lot of desk work then up to my lonely quarters. Nancy is off to N.Y. until Fri.
