Word: regan
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...interview ended, Regan's secretary buzzed him. "O.K., I'm leaving," he called through the door. The phone buzzed again. This time Regan picked up the receiver and barked good-naturedly, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" before slamming it down. The phone buzzed twice more. This time Regan listened. "Carlucci needs to see me urgently," he said...
...reporters exited, National Security Adviser Frank Carlucci entered Regan's office and told him that Howard Baker would be the new chief. The story is leaking, Carlucci explained. Stripped of his last attempt to leave with a modicum of dignity, Regan angrily dictated a one-sentence letter of resignation -- "Dear Mr. President: I hereby resign as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States" -- and had it messengered down the hall to the Oval Office. Too late, the President finally called. After a strained exchange, Regan put on his coat and walked...
Even before the West Wing could disclose Baker's appointment, Nancy Reagan issued a statement lauding the choice. The President then dictated a brief statement suggesting that Regan had been planning to resign but had asked to stay on through the Iran investigation; his resignation was being accepted "effective today." Baker arrived at the White House an hour later and announced he would be on the job Monday morning. A more gracious presidential note arrived at Regan's office that night. But the Regan era was over...
...appointment of Howard Baker could turn out to be an important first step. To be sure, Reagan took it well past the eleventh hour. He had been under pressure from old friends, Republican allies and his wife to fire Donald Regan as chief of staff ever since the Iran-contra affair broke. Still, Reagan clung to his abrasive, autocratic chief of staff until after the Tower report came out. By comparison with the unsparing criticism directed at almost everyone else, Regan actually got off rather lightly: the commission found no evidence that he had played any significant part in planning...
...which Regan's successor was selected gives scant reason to believe that the President is about to change his ways. He made little effort to weigh Baker's strengths and weaknesses; once again he accepted passively the recommendation of some close advisers. But the choice itself was perhaps the best that could have been made. Reagan's close friend Paul Laxalt explained why he had strongly recommended Baker. The chief of staff, he said, should be "someone with credibility on Capitol Hill, credibility with the press, credibility with party people. More important, he should be a believer in the Reagan...