Diary Entry - 11/17/1987

Staff meeting—More budget talk. Howard sounded a little more optimistic. Discussed schedule & upcoming meetings.

Then over to the Pentagon for ceremonies for Cap’s departure. It was a beautiful & impressive ceremony. We reviewed the troops etc. I presented him with the Medal of Freedom.

Back to W.H. for N.S.C. meeting—some Summit talk.

Then at 11:30 a meeting in the Cabinet Room with Repub. Senate Leadership. I called for support on my proposed Veto of Housing bill which is a pork laden budget buster. It was a good meeting & they were with me.

Lunch and a short meeting with A. B. Culvahouse. He reported on forthcoming report of Joint Committee investigating Iran-Contra. The majority report kicks me around pretty good. Minority report repudiates the full report & gives me a clean bill of health.

A meeting with Cong.man Bob Walker. He’s gung ho for doing more to involve the pvt. sector in the Space program. I’m with him.

Some desk time then a meeting with Bob Dornan & several Reps. who are back from Managua. Their report confirms our own findings that Sandinistas are playing games & have no intention of keeping their word on the peace plan—they just want to use the plan to get rid of the freedom fighters.

From there to a meeting of Jewish leaders & 3 refuseniks we succeeded in getting out of the Soviet U. I told them of how we intended to get more Jews released & hopefully better living conditions & freedom for all Soviet Jews. Then my sneeze shot & upstairs to a meeting with Justice Thurgood Marshal. I’d asked for the meeting because of his public statement to Carl Rowan that I was a racist. I literally told him my life story & how there was not prejudice in me. I gave examples of my relation with Minoritys as a young man in school, as a sports announcer & as Gov. I think I made a friend.

Howard Baker called to tell me I wouldn’t have to veto the housing bill—the Sen. killed it.