Max Friedersdorf

Yesterday I read the 89 page PDF interview of Max Friedersdorf that was done by the Miller Center. Friedersdorf was among other things, the head of Congressional Liaison for President Reagan (think Josh Lyman getting the required number of votes in the House or Senate on any particular program).

I find these first person histories fascinating for the minor details you learn and for the greater appreciation of the big picture you acquire by getting numerous points of view on a specific time in history.

The minor detail I found to be of the greatest interest was the fact that in the early 1970's Don Rumsfeld was considered a "ringer" in softball. He played shortstop and was that good.

In regards to the big picture - Friedersdorf is yet another person who was hyper-critical of Donald Regan as Chief of Staff in Reagan's second term. At one point I was a big Regan fan (mostly because I read his book probably first among biographies from the Reagan White House). So many people have stepped up and said that Regan's CEO, tyrannical demeanor and control freakishness was a failure in serving the President that I now see Regan in a different light.

I think Regan was a success as head of the Treasury Department and his overhauling of the tax code was one of the major accomplishments of the entire Reagan time in office. However, his need to control access and information to the President as chief of staff badly served Reagan and probably helped make possible the environment that led to Iran-Contra.

With this newfound understanding of Don Regan as chief of staff comes a greater appreciation of the role Nancy Reagan played in helping and protecting President Reagan.

I am grateful to Betsy Newmark for making the Miller Center interviews known to me. I've been reading about one per week and I hate to over use the word but I just find them to be fascinating.