A Scratch in the Teflon Will Not Stop This President

Ronald Reagan is back. Only a few weeks ago it looked to many as though the last two years of the Reagan presidency would be unsalvageable: dominated by the Democrats in Congress, destabilized by big-name bail-outs from key Administration positions and picked to pieces by Sam Donaldson & Co. But the diatribe against this President is softening as he performs his magic of reconciliation with Congress and the American public.

His nationally televised address, reacting to the scathing Tower Commission report on the Iran- contra affair, hit all the right chords with the people. He admitted mistakes, he took full responsibility, he charted a course for the future.

Equally important is the reaction that he is getting from Congress. The ousting of Donald T. Regan as White House chief of staff, and the appointment of former Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr. to replace him, was heralded by members from both political parties. Other key appointments have been equally embraced. So far, President Reagan is making maximum benefit of a recovery that many said could never happen.

Yet his critics, mostly those with an eye on the next election, will never be satisfied. The media and political piranhas that have been waiting for red meat to be thrown from the White House want to keep this issue alive until the end of the President’s term. For what other reason would the Speaker of the House accuse the Reagan Administration of breaking the law before the independent counsel and the congressional committees complete their investigations?

As a Republican who came to the Senate the same year Ronald Reagan became President, I am no longer astounded at this President’s knack for confounding his critics. Although polls show a plurality questioning everything from the President’s truthfulness to his ability to govern, the strength of his leadership cannot be measured by overnight statistical samplings or editorials. Rather, the process of recovery will reveal the most. You don’t throw out the pan just because there is a scratch on the Teflon.

The recovery process will also play a role in determining whether his political agenda will continue to dominate the American scene after 1988. A noted conservative pollster is quoted as saying that the Iran- contra affair already has shifted to the Democrats the momentum needed for capturing the White House next year. November, 1988, is a long time away in the minds of the electorate, and momentum that can move as quickly as it did away from Ronald Reagan and the Republicans can swing back in their direction just as fast. This President has turned the corner, and will come back strong.

Meanwhile, the national focus is already moving to issues that will put Reagan squarely back in charge. The Soviet Union has dropped a political-relations plum into the President’s hands by seeking an intermediate-nuclear-missile treaty not linked to changes in our strategic defense program. Let’s not forget that it was Reagan who first proposed the “zero-option” arms-control plan several years ago. A ratified arms-reduction treaty with the Soviet Union by the end of the President’s term could not only secure his place in history but boost the Republican outlook as well.

Actually, the Democrats are worried that Reagan will regain the trust and confidence of the American people, because he has the Democratic leadership over a barrel on a number of important issues. For example, he has submitted a budget to Congress that meets the deficit-reduction targets under the Gramm-Rudman law. The Democrats, who control Congress, have not yet produced a budget, and they are already trying to shirk the responsibility of meeting those deficit targets. One way you will know whether the President is regaining his stature with most Americans is if the voices of the loyal opposition become increasingly shrill.

The President made it clear that he wants to lead this nation. He is not tired of the chore, nor does he view it as such. More important, the American people--Democrats and Republicans alike--are ready for this President to lead once again.