A Day in the Life of the New President: Ronald Reagan

(3 of 5)

Stockman wants to end Government subsidy of the synfuels program for a saving next year of $864 million. Energy Secretary James Edwards makes a proforma pitch to save one experimental project — a coal liquefaction plant to be built in West Virginia — but Reagan appears unmoved.

After that, the group breezes through a proposed $125 million reduction in Edwards' administrative overhead. Again Reagan asks for comment, hears none, and says happily: "Good! All right. Turn the page quick." Stockman does not score a clean sweep, however. The Budget Director proposes a steep reduction in subsidies for the maritime industry. Reagan demurs. He later explains: "No maritime nation can look to the future and envision a national emergency in which we could no longer depend on foreign bottoms to carry our cargo." Officially the question is still being studied. In fact, Stockman has lost this round.

After the appearance in the White House press room that he had promised Jim Brady, Reagan climbs into the black Lincoln Continental limousine for a ride to the Lincoln Memorial, where he pays homage to the first Republican President.

Despite a brilliant winter sun, the frigid wind is piercing. Presentation of wreaths keeps the President—hatless, dressed in a lightweight black topcoat—standing in the cold for nearly 15 minutes, and he is almost shaking by the tune he speaks briefly about the President "whose grace, compassion and earnest commitment is remembered in countless biographies, folk tales and poetry."

Lunch at 1 p.m. in the White House second-floor dining room is a wooing session with representatives of 20 Hispanic organizations. As usual, Reagan dines with gusto: a rich shellfish soup, filet mignon, artichoke salad, California red wine and fruit compote. He assures his guests that five Hispanic appointments to the sub-Cabinet are "in the pipeline." By 2:15 p.m. he is back at his desk, making phone calls and signing papers.

He opens the red folder reserved for classified material and frowns over one document. His lips tighten, he shakes his head, lets out an audible "Hmmm" and replaces the paper. In Sacramento, Reagan relied heavily on one-page "minimemos" prepared by his staff. Now the memorandums are longer, and they conclude with a space for Reagan to indicate one of four options: approve, approve as amended, reject, no action. Some of the memos are thoroughly routine. On this Lincoln's Birthday Reagan promotes nine military general officers and approves a presidential proclamation on agriculture.

A light blinks on Reagan's white call director, the only phone he has in the Oval Office; his call to Dr. Edward N. Brandt Jr. in Austin has gone through. Says Reagan: "I'm calling to ask if you can serve your country as Assistant Secretary of HHS for health." The conversation is a formality; the appointee has already been primed. A few minutes later, near Helene von Damm's desk in the anteroom, Personnel Director Pendleton James is wondering aloud why Reagan did not immediately make one other similar call.