REAGAN'S STAFF CHANGES TONE FOR SECOND TERM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010063-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: March 11, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010063-2
7
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON FAGE~
WASHINGTON POST
11 ii".arch 1985
LE H,;`
Reagan's Staff Changes Tone Lror
By Lou Cannon
Washington Post Staff Writer
President Reagan's second-term team, pur-
suing what chief of staff Donald T. Regan calls
"the president's agenda," has brought both a
harder ideological edge and a tidier corporate
structure to the White House, senior admin-
istration officials say.
White House officials and Republican mem-
bers of Congress who assessed the perform-
ance of Regan and his deputies after a month
on the job agreed that the new team is more
orderly, conservative and confrontational with
Congress than the first-term team headed by
James A. Baker III, who swapped jobs with
Regan and became treasury secretary.
.. * * >r s: 'A C ERPTLD
Personal and policy feuds were
commonplace in the White House
during Reagan's first term. Often,
as factions took their case to the
public, they resulted in the news
"leaks" that are abhored by the
president.
While Reagan often complained
about "leaks," he rarely seemed to
recognize that the organizational
structure he had approved encour-
aged them. Baker, often allied with
Deaver, frequently was at odds with
Meese, who was then presidential
counselor. For.a time, when long-
time Reaganite William P. Clark
was national security affairs advis-
er, he and Baker were rivals.
Baker's departure to Treasury
has been a blessin for William i
Casey, the once-embattled director
of the Central Intelligence Agency,
who also has told intimates he will
be happy when Deaver departs.
Casey reportedly believed that he
was blamed by Baker and Deaver
for the congressional revolt against
Second Term
the administration's attempt to aid
anti-Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua.
After a CIA-backed scheme to mine
;Nicaraguan harbors became a po-, .
litical embarrassment last Year,
Congress cut off funds to the reb
els, and Casey became nearly invis-
ible during the presidential cam-
paign.
Now, Casey is said to be pleased
with the Regan team and with the
unyielding line that the president
and Secretary of State George P.
Shultz have taken in seeking finan-
cial aid for the rebels they call
"freedom fighters."
In reorganizing the staff, the new
chief of staff has been guided by his
corporate experience and the ab-
sence of a' serious leadership rival.
Punctual and well-organized, Regan
also delegates freely. He said he
learned this on Wall Street, where
he told subordinates, "If I'm going
to do your job, I want your salary as
well."
Regan normally breakfasts with
Deaver and one or two close aides
at 7:30 a.m. and gathers at 8 a.m.
with his senior staff. Those who
attend the meetings say they are
businesslike, but that Regan wel-
comes frank differences of opinion
on issues and strategy.
Afterward, Regan meets private-
ly with the president.and sees him
from time to time during the day.
Unlike Baker, who was apt to barge
into any office on a moment's no-
tice, Regan works quietly in his of-
fice with the door closed. He usually
leaves by 6:30 p.m.
His style totally contrasts with
Baker's.
"Jim was his own legislative re-
lations director. He would call back
every member of Congress," an
Continued
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010063-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010063-2
aide said. "He was his own press
secretary and would make calls to
reporters without telling anyone.
He was a consummate politician.
Don Regan is a manager."
Regan frequently contrasts his
new job with his old one by saying
that Treasury was "an eyes job" in
which he obtained most of his infor-
mation by reading. He says that
being White House chief of staff is
.an ears job" where one is constant-
ly besieged by phone calls and re-
quests and where little time re-
mains to read lengthy documents.
When Regan became chief of
staff. last month, it was widely
thought that he would be less ac-
cessible than Baker and that he was
something of a "yes man" who
would be reluctant to bring the
president bad news.
He has surprised people on both
counts. Regan, who has kept White
House spokesman Larry,Speakes
well-informed and given him a vote
of confidence, has set aside a half
hour each day to meet with report-
ers whom Speakes designates. .
EXCERPTED
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201010063-2