Howard H. Baker, Jr.

Speaker: Sen. Howard Baker, Jr., Senate Majority Leader; White House Chief of Staff

Date: 8/24/2004

Description:

The transcript for this interview is currently closed.

In this short interview, Senator Baker begins with a discussion about his appointment in February 1987 as White House Chief of Staff, succeeding the embattled Donald Regan in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal. He describes his decision to abandon his 1988 bid for the presidency and join the administration at Reagan's request, and his eighteen-month tenure in the White House, specifically his efforts to defuse the scandal and forge a new legislative agenda for the final two years of the administration. During this section, Baker offers insights into the sense of humor, intelligence, style, and other personal qualities of Ronald Reagan. The interview also touches briefly on the controversy surrounding the nomination of Robert Bork and Douglas Ginsburg to the United States Supreme Court, and on U.S.-Soviet bilateral relations.