Diary Entry - 07/07/1981
Key Facts
President Reagan officially announces his nomination of Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court.
President Reagan attends a Cabinet Council meeting to discuss the "Fort Chafee" problem of Cuban immigrants.
This morning I announced my nominee for Supreme Ct., Mrs. O’Connor of Ariz. I made some calls because someone has started a bonfire among the Right to Life people. Apparently it all started with a woman—Dr. Gersten in Phoenix. Her claims dont match the record we have of O’Connor’s voting record when she was a state Sen. But she’s spread her message far & wide. A full Cabinet meeting on the Ft. Chafee problem (Cubans—criminal & mentally deranged dumped on us by Castro). We believe we can move them to an unused mil. base in Maryland which can be developed also as a holding area for legitimate refugees in the future. Off to Chi. 5 P.M—Met by Mayor Byrne who did not go to the Repub. Fundraising dinner. It turned out to be the biggest Pol. fundraiser in Ill. history—$1 mil. + and 5,000 people. The speech was well received. People were there from all over the state including Tampico & Dixon. I spoke before dinner then we left for A.F.1 and back to Wash. at the W.H. by midnight.
