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Riding the Storm: November 1986 — February 1987

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Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair

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Abstract

26 November 1986 to 28 February 1987 proved to be a challenging period for President Reagan. It presented his administration with an opportunity to recapture its lost authority and to reflect on the fallout from the Iran-Contra scandal in a more considered manner. The President, following his dramatic and controversial televised appearances during November, spoke to the media, but only in very controlled and limited settings. Vice-President Bush also involved himself in damage control at this juncture, partly in an effort to reduce the presidential burden, while the President’s staff, integral to the mechanics of the damage limitation exercise, came to play prominent roles during this period. For example, Pat Buchanan, White House Director of Communications, waged a lone battle attacking critics of the administration, and Chief of Staff Regan and DCI Casey emerged as scapegoats. They absorbed the political blame, often involuntarily, for the inability of the White House to adequately deal with the operational and public relations failures surrounding the scandal. New faces were introduced to bring fresh impetus to the public relations efforts, David Abshire for example, Special Counsel to the President, entering the fray with a specific mandate to coordinate the administration’s response to Iran-Contra revelations.

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Notes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liverpool Hope University College, UK

    Robert Busby (Lecturer in American Studies)

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  1. Robert Busby
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© 1999 Robert Busby

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Busby, R. (1999). Riding the Storm: November 1986 — February 1987. In: Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14726-7_6

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