Letter from Washington

Press reports that the White House will make reprisals against those Republican senators who have been “trashing” the President on the military budget and in other ways are largely true, despite the President’s disclaimer at his press conference (“I’m not going to hold a grudge against anyone”). But the report that Pat Buchanan was the architect of the new punishment code is not quite correct. The decision was a unified one, with Ed Rollins, the President’s top political advisor, the primary instigator. “Certainly the President will campaign for Republican incumbents as he promises,” notes a ranking White House insider. “But a lot of incumbents want favors early. We made it clear that if you want extra help from us in ’86, you’ve got to help us in ’85. We’re going to take care of our friends first.”

The reprisal edict did not go down well with the Hill, of course, and the White House has retrenched somewhat, as the President’s fancy footwork at his news conference demonstrates. The larger problem is that during Reagan’s first term, with the Baker-Meese-Deaver troika running things, the GOP troops on the Hill went largely undisciplined. Now, under Don Regan’s more conventional chief-of-staff centralization, this may change, but only beachhead by beachhead.

Press reports that the White House will make reprisals against those Republican senators who have been “trashing” the President on the military budget and in other ways are largely true, despite the President’s disclaimer at his press conference (“I’m not going to hold a grudge against anyone”). But the report that Pat Buchanan was the architect of the new punishment code is not quite correct. The decision was a unified one, with Ed Rollins, the President’s top political advisor, the primary instigator. “Certainly the President will campaign for Republican incumbents as he promises,” notes a ranking White House insider. “But a lot of incumbents want favors early. We made it clear that if you want extra help from us in ’86, you’ve got to help us in ’85. We’re going to take care of our friends first.”

The reprisal edict did not go down well with the Hill, of course, and the White House has retrenched somewhat, as the President’s fancy footwork at his news conference demonstrates. The larger problem is that during Reagan’s first term, with the Baker-Meese-Deaver troika running things, the GOP troops on the Hill went largely undisciplined. Now, under Don Regan’s more conventional chief-of-staff centralization, this may change, but only beachhead by beachhead.