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Reagan was most effective in swaying freshmen Republicans to whom he stressed support for the presidency and the need for a strong hand in conducting foreign policy. He also reminded many of them of the help he had given them in their elections. With the Democrats, Reagan tended to emphasize the need for bipartisanship in foreign policy. Despite Democratic Leader Robert Byrd's strong speech against the sale a week before the vote, the Administration's vote counters felt that the tide had turned in their favor, though most polls showed opponents ahead.
Even those who ended up opposing him said that Reagan relied on an earnest appeal, without threatening or cajoling, wheeling or dealing. He told Minnesota Republican David Durenberger, a Roman Catholic, that the Pope would have voted for AWACS. Said Durenberger: "Lyndon Johnson would have talked to me about an airbase in Duluth." Reagan was "soft but firm," said Democrat Wendell Ford of Kentucky, and exuded such sincerity that "I'd hate to play poker against him." Washington Republican Slade Gorton recalled that when Reagan called to offer condolences on the death of his mother, "I kept expecting the other shoe to drop, and the conversation to turn to AWACS. But it never did. The President spent the whole 20 minutes talking about mothers."
Opponents of the sale suggested that some deals were indeed made by the President's staff. Some charged that Montana Democrat John Melcher, for example, won funding for a coal-conversion facility near Butte. Melcher said that the funding was approved long before the AWACS vote. When Majority Leader Howard Baker went to talk to the final uncommitted Senator, he told a colleague: "I've got to go talk to Sugar—I mean Senator Long." The reference was to Democrat Russell ("Sugar Ray") Long of Louisiana, who is fighting for sugar price supports in the pending farm bill and is notorious among his colleagues for trying to get the most mileage for his votes. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa said that he hung up on White House Lobbyist Powell Moore when Moore linked the AWACS vote to the nomination of Grassley's candidate for U.S. Attorney in Iowa. All three Senators ended up with the President, but the White House insists that it was not because any side deals were made.
The White House had some aces in the hole that helped it to pull off what seemed to outsiders an astonishing turnaround. Unbeknownst to leaders of the opposition group, the Administration had the private sup port of some Senators who were not ready to commit themselves publicly for the sale. One was New Hampshire Republican Warren Rudman; nominally uncommitted, he was actually lobbying on its behalf before formally announcing his support. Another was Democrat David Boren of Oklahoma, who said he was leaning against the sale after visiting Saudi Arabia last April, but then began arguing in its favor with Democratic conservatives. Louisiana's Long had already promised the President his support if the vote were close. So had Republicans John Heinz of Pennsylvania and Robert Kasten of Wisconsin.