Diary Entry - 02/23/1987
Key Facts
President Reagan meets with Chief of Staff Donald Regan to discuss Mr. Regan resigning his office.
President Reagan travels to the new underground Presidential Emergency Shelter for a familiarization briefing.
This was my day to deal with the Don R. business. At staff time he & I & Geo. B. talked about the upcoming Tower Commission Report & agreed to get some advisors in to round table how we should deal with it about going public. N.S.C. time was spent with Defense Minister Spadolini of Italy. It was a short but good meeting. He too could be a future Prime Minister.
Then Don came back alone & we agreed it was best he go. He had expressed a desire to do so several months ago before the Iran trouble broke—then he stayed on because of the trouble. He’ll announce his leaving in a few days after the Tower report comes in. I’ll try for Drew Lewis as his replacement.
At 10:30 A.M. I addressed & did Q&A with the Gov’s. in the East Room. They are ready to go on our proposal for welfare reform with the States doing some experimental programs.
Usual issues lunch then a meeting on the Tower report—Paul Laxalt, David Abshire, Dick Wirthlin, Don R., Al Kingon, Dennis Thomas, Geo. B. & me. Decided on a program of speech & press conf. several days after report delivery.
Met with West Point F.B. team & presented them with the “Commander in Chiefs” Trophy—for victory over the other 2 academy’s.
A haircut & then down to the hide away bomb proof command post for a briefing on what we do if Soviets launch a nuclear attack.
