Christian Science Monitor headline on meeting in New York of GOP presidential hopefuls (Bush, Kemp, Haig, du Pont, Rumsfeld) with GOP House leaders made the point: “gop ’88 HOPEFULS HEW TO REAGAN LINE.” And so they did, on aid to Contras, SDI, no tax hike. Jack Kemp went one step further, with ringing call for laws that would “define the unborn as persons”—affirming his support of Reagan position on abortion… Kemp, incidentally, was only GOP House leader (Kemp is Republican Conference chairman) to vote to sustain President on highway veto… Evans & Novak report that Minority Leader Robert Michel’s limp leadership on highway bill, past (and future) Contra votes is stirring mini-revolt among House GOP conservatives. They’re talking, say E&N, of Jack Kemp as unofficial whip to push President’s programs.
. . . Much jubilation among the troops over announcement that conservative Kenneth Cribb will be Reagan’s advisor on domestic affairs—a key White House spot—and that the active and able Heritage Foundation president, Edwin J. Feulner, “will work with the Cabinet and the White House staff to coordinate the Administration’s domestic agenda.” (See also “Cato.”) . . . First post-news-conference polls show rise of three to five points in President’s approval rating… Within the Beltway, Reagan’s performance at Gridiron dinner won plaudits across the board. Samples: “Do you remember,” said the President, “when I said the bombing would begin in five minutes? Remember when I fell asleep during my audience with the Pope? Remember Bitburg? [Pause.] Those were the good old days.” And, “It’s true hard work never killed anyone, but I figure, why take the chance?” Or, “I heard one presidential candidate say that what the country needed was a President for the Nineties. I was set to run again. I thought he said a President in his nineties… Commented Washington Post’s David Broder: “There will be time—and need —to revisit the issues of the Reagan Presidency. But having one night to laugh together—and have a President who will lead the laughter—really helps.”
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