BAKER SHOWS LIGHT TOUCH IN NEW JOB

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010005-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 3, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Si Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010005-6
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'tiASHINGTCN POST
3 ''.arch 1987
Baker Shows Light Touch in New Job
Staff Chiefs Debut Contrasts With Stvle of `Prime Minister' Regan
i By Lou Cannon .
Washington Post Staff Writer
Former senator Howard H. Bak-
er Jr., making his first appearance
in the White House briefing room as
President Reagan's chief of staff,
demonstrated yesterday that he
takes his new job more seriously
than he takes himself.
Displaying the comfort of an ac-
complished political performer who
knows that he is following an unpop-
ular act, Baker assured reporters
that he has no intention of becom-
ing "prime minister," the unofficial
title bestowed on and accepted by
his fallen predecessor, Donald T.
Regan.
"I am acutely aware of the fact
that Ronald Reagan is president and
I am not, and that my role and re-
sponsibility is to serve as his chief
of staff, to carry out his programs
and proposals and to serve him in
whatever capacity I can in that
role," Baker said.
The contrast with Regan could
not have been more stark. In the
infrequent public appearances of his
last months, Regan invariably was
surrounded by a retinue of aides
and Secret Service agents. He also
used the imperial "we" when refer-
ring to himself and the president.
Baker arrived yesterday with a
single aide and without pomp and
circumstance. He said he intended
to brief reporters regularly and, in
the relaxed manner of a man who
does not mind new challenges, he
confessed that the job is more chal-
lenging than he had anticipated.
"I may not have to brief any-
more," White House spokesman
Marlin Fitzwater quipped after Bak-
er departed.
Despite the self-deprecation, Bak-
er gave every appearance of being in
charge. He came to the briefing
armed with the announcement that
Robert M. Gates had withdrawn as
the president's nominee to be direc-
tor of central intelligence and a mut-
ed apology that Reagan has not cho-
sen a replacement.
Baker also came prepared to deal
with the sensitive question of Nan-
cy Reagan, the nemesis of Regan in
his fall frdm power. On a plane ride
to Miami last week before he was
tapped to become chief of staff,
Baker had discussed the first lady
with an editor of The Miami Herald,
saying that "when she gets her
hackles up, she can be a dragon."
Baker blandly acknowledged the
accuracy of the quotation and called
Nancy Reagan "a distinguished cit-
izen" and "obviously a lady of strong
convictions. That's what I meant."
When a reporter pursued this by
asking Baker what he intended to
talk about when he met the first
lady later in the day, he said, "What-
ever she wants to talk about."
Baker's mission yesterday was to
defend the proposition that the
president is healthy, vigorous and
alert in the face of numerous sug-
gestions-some by members of the
Tower special review board-that
Reagan is anything but that. Even
in this difficult venture, Baker tried
not to overdo it.
In the talk with the editor in
which he had discussed Nancy Rea-
gan, Baker had said that the pres-
ident sometimes bore a "blank ex-
pression" when conversation turned
to matters that had been discussed
two weeks earlier.
Baker acknowledged the accura-
cy of this quotation, then tried to
turn it to Reagan's advantage.
"In my experience as majority
leader, I found that the president
was as good as anybody in the give-
and-take discussion on sensitive,
important and complex issues but
that, when you approached him
about it two weeks or two months
later, you found that the half-life of
the memory was short," Baker told
a reporter. "But so is mine. And so
is yours, I suspect."
The absence of tension that char-
acterized the briefing was even
more prevalent behind the scenes,
according to White House officials.
Baker started the day by meeting
with holdover officials and telling
them that there will be no blanket
firings. He asked departing political
director Mitchell E. Daniels to stay
on for another month. And he met
with Fitzwater and said, "I want you
to stay and take the blame."
"Thank you," replied Fitzwater,
who took over a month ago from Lar-
ry Speakes and has displayed the
light touch apparently valued by Bak-
er.
"You can almost feel that a heavy
hand has been lifted from the White
House," a senior White House official
said of Baker's first-day performance.
But Baker also made his weight
felt. Officials said he decided before
coming to the White House that
Regan ally Peter J. Wallison, the
White House counsel whose resigna-
tion was announced yesterday, should
be replaced. Other Regan aides,
known as "the mice," also are expect-
ed to be replaced.
Sources said Baker is participat-
ing actively in selecting_ a replace- ,
ment for Gates. ~ rr has been f'
distrustful of the __Central Inter
gence Agency's performance since
Watergate days, wien he once re-
ferred_to the CIA as anima mals crash-
ing_ around in the fnrest" that he
"could hear but not see."
Baker did not~ispTay these con-
victions publicly yesterday, appar-
ently content to draw the contrast
with the departed Regan and exer-
cise his influence behind the scenes.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010005-6