First Lady Has No Apology for Speaking Out

Nancy Reagan said today she does not hesitate to offer her views to President Reagan and his staff, saying, “You don’t give up your right to an opinion just because you’re married to the President.”

“Neither marriage nor politics denies a spouse the right to hold an opinion or the right to express it,” she said.

Mrs. Reagan made her comments in a speech at the annual luncheon of the Associated Press, held in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Newspaper Publishers Assn.

In her remarks, the First Lady made light of stories that have said she plays a major role in shaping Administration policy.

“This morning, I had planned to clear up U.S.-Soviet differences on intermediate-range nuclear missiles, but I decided to clean out Ronnie’s sock drawer instead,” she joked.

Unprepared for Scrutiny

More seriously, she said she had been unprepared for the intense scrutiny a First Lady receives, adding, “I was even more unprepared for what I read about myself in the papers.

“I read that I wanted the Carters to move out of the White House early, that I banned sumo wrestlers from the Rose Garden, that I planned to tear down a wall in the Lincoln bedroom.”

She said she finally concluded, “You may never stop being hurt by stories, but you do stop being surprised.”

Mrs. Reagan’s role became the subject of attention earlier this year when some of her friends--speaking anonymously--said she was spearheading a campaign to oust Donald T. Regan as White House chief of staff. He resigned Feb. 27 after learning that Reagan had given his job to Howard H. Baker Jr.

The First Lady’s press office would not comment on the reports about her involvement, but the President said they were “despicable fiction.”