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NEW YORK (NEA) — The recent personnel changes in the Reagan administration caught the president’s critics by surprise, and they have retaliated by sniffing that Mr. Reagan appears to have been almost as surprised as they were. It seems to be true that the inspira tion for the Baker-Regan swap came from the two men themselves, rather than originating with the president; but if so the episode simply confirms Mr. Reagan’s reputation as an excep tionally lucky man, for the trade solves or at least ameliorates one serious problem. But “fortune favors the well prepared,” and the swap was possible partly because Mr. Reagan has managed to create an atmosphere in the White House in which his subor dinates seek to further their own legitimate ends while remaining thor oughly loyal to him. Conservatives in general have wel comed the exchange. Try as he might -- and to my personal knowledge he did try, at least intermittently — James Baker never managed to win the confidence of conservative activ ists. The fact that he was George Bush's campaign manager in 1980, when Bush was the “moderate” Republicans’ answer to Reagan, weighed heavily against him, and his rather self-effacing manner simply fueled conservative suspicions that he was probably up to no good. Baker's aptitude for backstairs politics, and his broadly “pragmatic” approach to issues, didn’t help either Removing him from the key White House post of chief of staff has been a prime ambition of conservatives since 1981. Donald Regan is no conservative ideologue either — at least, if he is, he has artfully concealed the fact. But as Treasury secretary his four-year record of loyalty to the president’s basic aims pleases conservatives almost as much as it must please Mr. Reagan. And his forthright, business like personality appeals to them, too. At 66 he is only seven years younger than the president, and it is entirely possible that as chief of staff he will accumulate and wield even more power than Baker did. Certainly the White House will be a strikingly different place than it was during the first Reagan administra tion. The old “Big Four” — Baker, Deaver, Meese and Clark — will all be gone. Robert McFarlane, who has made a very favorable impression on both the president and the first lady, will remain as national security adviser. But as chief of staff Regan should be able to avoid much of the internal feuding that preoccupied (and sometimes crippled) the Big Four. Regan will probably want to bring in his own people as his deputies. Baker’s man Richard Darman has already decided to accompany his boss to the Treasury. In addition, the recent flurry of chair-shuffling may result in an opening for Jeane Kirkpa trick, who wants to leave the United Nations but had all but des: of being offered anything suitable at the White House. If she does wind up there, conservatives will of course be overjoyed. With his wife as his closest and most trusted confidante and adviser; with Regan as his chief of staff; with McFarlane as his national security adviser, with (perhaps) Mrs. Kirkpa trick as his counselor — with that team President Reagan can still have a mighty impact on Washington, the nation and the world in his final four years in the Oval Office. It is a pros pect that conservatives, at least, can look forward to with enthusiasm. (NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN.) Columnists on The Citizen's Editorial and Forum pages are selected to represent a variety of opinions on a variety of issues. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.
Newspaper Details
Key West Citizen
Key West, Florida, US
Wed, Jan 23, 1985
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Roger M.
USA 01 Jul 2026
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