POLITICS ’88 : CAMPAIGN ’88 : Reagan Getting Ready to Aid Bush in the Fall
President Reagan, Vice President George Bush and their senior political advisers conferred over lunch Thursday at the White House to map out a role for Reagan in Bush’s presidential campaign.
White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said Reagan acknowledged during the meeting that “the vice president will want to take positions during the campaign that may differ from the President on Administration policy.”
“The President recognizes that the vice president will want to present his own approach to solving the problems of the ‘90s,” Fitzwater said.
He said that after Congress adjourns in October, Reagan would campaign two days each week.
A small, high-level group was set up, under White House Chief of Staff Kenneth M. Duberstein, to maintain contact with the vice president’s political organization.
“The main issue is ‘no surprises,’ ” Fitzwater said, referring to the need for the White House and the Bush campaign to keep each other informed of their public statements and the positions they are taking an various issues.
The spokesman said that Reagan offered to begin making campaign appearances for Bush at the end of August, after the Republican National Convention.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
