Laxalt and Lewis Reject Regan Post, Sources Say
President Reagan reportedly has been rejected by two longtime associates in his quest to find a replacement for embattled White House Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan.
After meeting with the President, former Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.) said he told Reagan he could not come into the White House on a full-time basis because it would preclude him from exploring a 1988 presidential candidacy.
‘I feel that if staff changes are made at the top levels of the White House, potential replacements must provide an unqualified commitment to remain in their post until the end of the President’s term in office,” Laxalt said.
Drew Lewis, former transportation secretary and now president of Union Pacific Corp., also rejected an offer to become Reagan’s chief of staff in a telephone conversation with the President, sources said.
Laxalt, who joined a prominent Washington law firm after he left the Senate, said he would continue to serve as an unofficial adviser to the President for the remainder of his term.
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