White House Delays Key Decisions : Reagan’s Surgery, Regan’s Status Affect Personnel Moves

With President Reagan facing prostate surgery and Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan politically weakened and unsure of his future with the Administration, the White House is further delaying a series of crucial personnel decisions vital to the course of Reagan’s final two years in office.

At least six key offices now vacant or soon being vacated must be filled, adding to the many other problems plaguing Reagan, including coming battles over the budget and other issues with Congress and three separate investigations of the Iranian arms-and-hostages scandal.

In addition, Reagan likely will have to search for a new CIA director to succeed the critically ill William J. Casey. Casey has responded slowly since surgery Dec. 18 to remove a cancerous brain tumor and Administration sources say that they do not expect him to resume his duties as director. The White House has said there are no plans at present to seek a replacement for him.

May Take Six Weeks

Reagan, who turns 76 on Feb. 6, enters the hospital Sunday for surgery to relieve discomfort in the prostate gland and tests to determine whether he has cancer of the prostate or a recurrence of cancer of the colon. Although he should be hospitalized for only a few days, doctors say, it takes six weeks for most patients who have undergone the surgery to resume normal activities.

Reagan and his wife, Nancy, returned to Washington on Friday after a holiday vacation in California.

At the White House, three positions--head of domestic policy, chief of speech writers and deputy assistant for political affairs--are vacant now. And chief White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Cabinet Secretary Alfred H. Kingon are planning to leave soon, Speakes to become an executive of a Wall Street brokerage firm and Kingon to be the U.S. representative to the European Community in Brussels.

Clashed With Regan

In addition, Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., who clashed with Regan over the White House’s handling of the Iran scandal, has signaled his intention to resign soon as the President’s assistant for political affairs. Daniels told a friend that he probably will join an Indianapolis law firm.

Also, some Administration officials have suggested that Otis R. Bowen may resign as secretary of health and human services if the White House rejects his proposal for a $1.8-billion expansion of Medicare and other measures aimed at increasing insurance protection for those hit with catastrophic medical expenses.

Bowen has passionately defended the proposal, which grew out of a nine-month study ordered by the President, but it has been denounced by some White House officials, including Beryl W. Sprinkel, chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.

“If they go against Dr. Bowen on the catastrophic health plan, he may leave,” a senior White House aide said. “But he has had a fair hearing and open debate on the plan, so maybe he’ll stay even if they reject the plan.”

Unsure of Future

With key offices vacant and others soon to be vacated, the chief of staff normally would have moved by now to suggest potential appointees to fill some offices. But White House sources suggest that Regan, the subject of continuing criticism and an ouster movement by Republican leaders in Congress, has been too unsure of his own future with the Administration to submit names of candidates to the President.

Moreover, the sources point out, Regan’s power already has been diminished as a result of the Iran controversy. Not only does he have relatively little support in Congress, but he no longer is the only official with direct access to the President.

Both Frank C. Carlucci, the new national security adviser, and David M. Abshire, who was named to coordinate the White House response to the investigations into the Iran controversy, will have direct access to Reagan. Carlucci’s predecessor, Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter, who lost his White House post after it was discovered that he was aware of the diversion of funds from the arms sale to aid the Nicaraguan rebels, always was accompanied to the Oval Office by Regan.

Weakened Position

The President has said that he will not fire Regan and the chief of staff says he does not intend to resign. But some Administration officials predict that, because of his weakened position, if for no other reason, he will not remain in office much longer.

“I wouldn’t expect he would stay much after the President’s State of the Union address,” a senior Administration official said. Reagan is scheduled to deliver the address Jan. 27.

While Regan holds on to his office despite calls for his ouster, some White House officials who otherwise had planned to leave at this stage of Reagan’s presidency say they are remaining because they do not want to leave at a time when the President must cope with the Iranian arms controversy and so many other problems.

Buchanan Would Leave

Patrick J. Buchanan, White House communications director, indicated that he is among a number of officials who would be leaving or making plans to leave were it not for the controversy.

And William Henkel, deputy assistant to the President, said he had planned to leave, but “I have deep concern that it would be misunderstood as to why I was leaving at this time. So I hope my experience can be put to use in the next six months.”

Henkel has been in charge of advancing major events for Reagan, including foreign trips. He recently returned from Venice, where he directed preparations for the President’s June 8-10 trip for the economic summit of industrial nations.

“I originally planned to stay here only two years,” Henkel said, “but I’ve been here for over four years. I’ve had some wonderful highs in this job and I admire the President and I’m not going to leave him in a time of trouble.”