Diary Entry - 12/19/1986

Key Facts
President Reagan participates in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
President Reagan participates in a meeting with Senator Bentsen (D-Texas) to discuss the Senator's recent trip to Canada.
Met with Senior advisors in situation room—re a third party message that Gorbachev (possibly) but Dobrynin definitely want a secret rep. of ours to come to Moscow. We argued about it but between Xmas & New Years Paul Nitze & Perle will go & return.
Met with Joint Chf’s. of Staff—our quarterly meeting. They have concerns about our policy of striving for zero zero on ballistic missiles. I believe I reassured them of my belief that conventional weapons must be involved or we’ll hand the Soviets a margin of superiority.
A meeting with Sen. Lloyd Bentsen. Think I convinced him we want to work with Congress on trade legislation not come in with a prepared proposal.
Regular Fri. meeting with Sec. Shultz.
Photo with new Pres. of Vets of Foreign Wars.
Then a hush, hush meeting in the map room with Sen. Durenberger chmn. of Intel. committee investigating the Iran mess. I think they are about ready to go public & their finding will be that I didn’t cover anything up. Then off to Camp David—thank Heaven.
