Diary Entry - 01/04/1988
Key Facts
President Reagan attends National Security Briefing.
President Reagan meets with "Sports Illustrated" Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the year.
Drinking water begins to dry up in Pittsburgh suburbs due to oil spill in the Monongahela and Ohio rivers.
The bomb fell early—the Dr. in the hall told me I should see the dentist in the afternoon. So at 3 P.M. there I was in the chair for 2 hrs. & 15 min. having another go at the previous Root Canal job.
Over at the office—staff meeting was rambling—talk of our upcoming Budget meeting. Then discussion of upcoming Legislative schedule—what with the I.N.F. treaty, the U.S.-Canada trade treaty, a possible travel schedule for me about which I am not enthused.
N.S.C.—Colin gave us an update on Israel, Gaza Strip & W. Bank. Max Fisher has told Howard that he has notified the Israelis not to send trouble makers out of the country. Colin is going to check. Then Nicaragua & a proposed peace process for Jan. 15. We’re talking about asking Congress for Contra aid after my St. of the Union Address. Colin is off to Central Am. end of this week.
Armitage is meeting Gen. Noriega in Panama—not our favorite person. We’ll give the I.N.F. treaty to the Sen. after January 25. We think we’ll make Ambas. Rowell to Bolivia our interim appointee to Portugal.
I phoned Mike Mansfield (Ambas. to Japan). He’s in the hospital for heart surgery.
Desk time & lunch. Then at 1:30 P.M. 2 exec’s. of “Sports Illustrated” mag. came in with 8 top athletes from a variety of sports—2 ladies 6 men. All had been awarded trophys by magazine for their volunteer charitable work. The stories were magnificent. They didn’t just join causes. They found people in need of help & took them on themselves.
Later a meeting with Howard B. & Jim Baker on the economy—principally the value of the $. We want to keep it stabilized.
Then came my 2 hrs. with the Dentist & finally upstairs for the evening.
