White House Diaries

Monday, October 24, 1988

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Dave Gergen had a column in U.S. News & Report. For a change he was quite nice to me. John Henderson replied to Ohio’s Gov. Celeste for me. He had written a letter about the leaking nuc. plant in Ohio. John explained it would not reopen til it was absolutely safe. Some discussion of the bills we got & didn’t get before Cong. went home. One we got was V.A. becoming a Cabinet post & the plant closing. We did not get U.S.I.A.’s—World Net. expansion, nor did we get U.N. Peace Keeping appropriation. Did get Bermuda tax treaty & the Immigration bill. The Nat. Adoption bill was killed by Jim Wright.

N.S.C.—More on Marcos & some of the wild rumors in the media—that he contributed to my campaigns & that we’re indicting him to get a settlement on the mil. bases in the Philippines.

Shultz is asking permission to tear down our Embassy (half built) in Moscow & start over—question is where does the money come from. Soviets want a meeting on Krasnoyarsk. We want them to tell us what they are thinking of 1st.

A big drug bust (Cocaine) in Haiti—Pres. wants help from us. A long desk stretch—signed a lot of bills. Then over to S. Lawn for a greeting to about 550 of our 611 Olympic performers.—A Big crowd on hand & a lot of fun. Our Gold Medal heavyweight boxer came to the Oval O. for a photo of him putting his Medal on me. Lunch & some more desk time—photo with Kathys nephew.

Then a photo of me giving my United Fed. Fund campaign contribution to J. Herrington (chmn. this year). Signing Ceremony of the Base (mil.) Closing bill.

Then after a desk session—a group from the Vote America Foundation came in with this years essay winner—a 12 yr. old girl. Then over on S. Lawn to put some dirt in a hole where a donated Willow Oak tree is being planted. And upstairs to exercise & shower & have a lonesome dinner. Nancy is in N.Y.—addressing the U.N.G.A. in the morning. Upstairs, exercise, dinner & bed. Slept lousy—at 1 A.M. I tried reading for an hour.