Subscribing works wonders: Become a Patron!
A day for politics and the White House, this February 20, 1987 – Starting with the surprise announcement that New York Governor Mario Cuomo decided to opt out of a run for the White House in 1988. The news took many by surprise, feeling certain Cuomo would be a contender for the Presidency but the decision came and an announcement was made via a talk-radio call-in earlier the evening before.
But the White House was busy putting out fires this day – President Reagan raised new questions Wednesday about Donald T Regan’s future as White House chief of staff when in an informal interchange with reporters he said any decision was “up to him” “I have always said that when people I’ve asked to come into government feel that they have to return to private life that’s their business” Reagan said “and I will never try to talk them out of it:” While Reagan responding to shouted questions at a picture-taking session with the Israeli prime minister insisted that “nobody’s getting fired” his remarks seemed to put a bit more distance between himself and Regan one of the most powerful men in the government Began has long had critics and since the Iran arms controversy broke open there have been calls from key figures in both parties for his resignation.
And White House officials were growing increasingly apprehensive as the special presidential commission studying the National Security Council completes a report that officials say is likely to include damaging new disclosures that could result in criminal charges. Officials familiar with the commission’s work said it had found significant new disclosures involving NSC misdeeds. One source called the material “explosive”. Another said he believed the evidence would lead to criminal prosecutions but neither would be more specific. Behind all the statements were boxes full of White House computer memos that were turned over to investigators just a few days ago. As one official said these formerly secret memos are fast becoming to the Iran-contra affair what President Nixon’s White House tapes were to the Watergate scandal. Until Wednesday President Reagan’s aides had shielded him from even the most casual encounters with reporters and had chosen their own statements about the Iran-contra affair with extreme care. Reagan did speak with reporters briefly Wednesday but refused to answer any questions on the subject. The White House is concerned that anything Reagan or other officials might say about the matter now could be contradicted next week when the report is due from the commission headed by former Sen John Tower R-Texas.
And that’s a tiny slice of what happened, this February 20, 1987 as reported by The CBS World News Roundup.
