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White House Diaries
November
12
1986
November 12, 1986
Wednesday, November 12, 1986
I’m glad I taught Ron to ride when he was just a lad. He looked pretty good on the cattle drive.
This whole irresponsible press bilge about hostages & Iran has gotten totally out of hand. The media looks like it’s trying to create another Watergate. I laid down the law in the morning meetings—I want to go public personally & tell the people the truth. We’re trying to arrange it for tomorrow.
Then I saw our Ambas. to S. Africa [Edward Perkins] off. He & his family came in—he has 2 very nice teen age daughters. I think he’ll do great.
The World Champion “Mets” came to the W.H. & I greeted them in the Rose Garden.
A lunch in my study with [James] Lehrer of T.V. show, King of C-Span, Rollie Evans of Evans & Novak, plus Don R., Pat B. & a couple of staff members. It was an off the record session & came off very well. A meeting with Geo. S. He’ll be a team player but he was never happy about our Iran policy. Then to the situation room where we briefed the Cong. leadership. (Bob Michel couldn’t come so Lawton Chiles replaced him) Bob Dole, Bob Byrd & Jim Wright. We gave them the whole load on hostages & Iran & explained why we couldn’t go public with some of the info.—it would actually endanger some lives, including the hostages. I’m betting Bob Byrd will double cross us. He’s out to undo one—President Reagan.
Then upstairs & a quiet evening.
