(32 of 35)
It is hard to think of any nation that has a closer relationship with us now than a year and a half ago, except for two or three countries ruled by right-wing regimes. Deteriorating relationships in Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa all grieve me. But I have felt it was better for me not to be constantly criticizing Reagan, so that through experience he would modify his previous radical and erroneous positions. My reticence, I think, has been a factor in his ability to turn back to China, to espouse the Camp David accords, to honor the terms of SALT II and make other beneficial changes.
In some cases he seems to have little concern about the poor, students, the afflicted. He has oversupplied the military with funding for the kinds of weapons they have been requesting for 15 or 20 years and other Presidents have refused. Not only is it unnecessary, it is an improper allocation of priorities. The B-l bomber is a waste of money. The densepack MX missile system seems ridiculous to me. I am concerned too that the nonproliferation effort has fairly well been abandoned.
It hurt to lose to Ronald Reagan. But after the election, I tried to make the transition as smooth as possible. Later, from my experience in trying to brief him on matters of supreme importance, I was very disturbed at his lack of interest. The issues were the 15 or 20 most important subjects that I as President could possibly pass on to him. His only reaction of substance was to express admiration for the political circumstances in South Korea that let President Park close all the colleges and draft all the demonstrators. That was the only issue on which he came alive.
On relations with his successor. I made one courtesy call at the Oval Office, but my relationship with Reagan is nonexistent. I am not asking for an assignment, but I think a former President can certainly be helpful. I called on Nixon and Ford regularly to help me. We briefed them often, possibly more than they actually wanted.
What Kissinger, Ford and Nixon did in the Middle East, I built upon. What they did in China, I built upon. What they did with the SALT negotiations, I built upon. I did not reject. Under Reagan, for the first time in recent history a nonpartisan international effort was set aside. That is still disturbing to me.
It is a mistake, a sign of weakness for an incumbent to blame problems on his predecessor. After a year or so, it may be rubbing the public the wrong way.
On the press. Reagan has been treated with kid gloves. He has been given the benefit of the doubt, not only during this first year and a half, but also during the campaign, when his detrimental policies were never analyzed by the press. Reagan's demeanor as an "aw shucks" grandfatherly type appeals to the country and the press. Some of his characteristics, such as his not being familiar with details of issues, even arouse a sense of protection in the press. There was a kind of game by the press to see if there were questions I could not answer. Part of the reason for this challenge was the aura of morality that I had wrapped around myself, and my commitment not to lie. There was a natural inclination by the press to prove this guy is not as clean and moral as he claims.
On being an