Letter from Washington

The last weekend in February, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its ninth annual assembly in Washington, drawing some five hundred registrants to its sessions, and some 1,300 faithful to its banquet, at which their leader, Ronald Wilson Reagan, delivered one of his most galvanic stemwinders. It was a clutch performance for the Gipper, in that he had the cards stacked against him going into it. Conservative Digest had polled the conferees prior to the speech as to their judgment of Ronald Reagan’s performance. They gave him two Ds, three Cs, four Bs, and one A-minus. For not having installed enough Reaganites in top jobs, he flunked. Likewise for his handling of Poland’s debt. Unbalancing the budget drew a C-minus, likewise his treatment of Taiwan vis-à-vis the PRC. Social issues got a straight C, and Ronnie’s only A was for his tax policy.

When troika member Mike Deaver got wind of the poll results (ostentatiously displayed in the Mayflower lobby), he phoned his outrage to Don Todd, executive director of the American Conservative Union, co-sponsor (with Young Americans for Freedom) of the event, and threatened to cancel the President’s appearance. Reportedly, Deaver also conveyed his vexation to Nancy, which in turn upset her.

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The last weekend in February, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its ninth annual assembly in Washington, drawing some five hundred registrants to its sessions, and some 1,300 faithful to its banquet, at which their leader, Ronald Wilson Reagan, delivered one of his most galvanic stemwinders. It was a clutch performance for the Gipper, in that he had the cards stacked against him going into it. Conservative Digest had polled the conferees prior to the speech as to their judgment of Ronald Reagan’s performance. They gave him two Ds, three Cs, four Bs, and one A-minus. For not having installed enough Reaganites in top jobs, he flunked. Likewise for his handling of Poland’s debt. Unbalancing the budget drew a C-minus, likewise his treatment of Taiwan vis-à-vis the PRC. Social issues got a straight C, and Ronnie’s only A was for his tax policy.

When troika member Mike Deaver got wind of the poll results (ostentatiously displayed in the Mayflower lobby), he phoned his outrage to Don Todd, executive director of the American Conservative Union, co-sponsor (with Young Americans for Freedom) of the event, and threatened to cancel the President’s appearance. Reportedly, Deaver also conveyed his vexation to Nancy, which in turn upset her.