Reagan Avoids Questions on Bush, Iran
CLEVELAND — President Reagan today steered clear of the political debate over whether Vice President George Bush should reveal whatever advice he gave Reagan about the Iran-Contra affair.
“Everybody knows everything about Iran-Contra,” Reagan said when reporters asked if he would release Bush from any pledge of secrecy about the matters they discussed.
Reagan spoke at a Cleveland airport as he was about enter his limousine to travel downtown for a speech here.
Earlier, presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said Reagan would not become involved in the debate between Bush and Bush’s rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas. Dole and other GOP candidates have been pressing the vice president to reveal everything about the Iran-Contra affair.
“The President feels that the Tower board and congressional committees have thoroughly looked into all of the issues. . . . The vice president has spoken out,” Fitzwater said.
He said Reagan “just doesn’t want to get involved in campaign charges and countercharges.” He dismissed the whole issue as “just campaign talk.”
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
