RONALD REAGAN AND DAVID BRINKLEY: A FAREWELL INTERVIEW (TV)
Summary
This special program features David Brinkley's farewell interview with President Ronald Reagan as he completes his second term in office and prepares to return to California. The program begins with a filmed segment, presented by reporter Sam Donaldson, summarizing the the key issues and events of Reagan's presidency, including the following: his successful economic policies; his controversial position on the homeless; the spiraling national debt; his enmity toward the Soviet Union and subsequent friendly relations with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev; his response to terrorism in the Middle East and diplomatic success with Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat; his unprecedented popularity and reputation as the "Great Communicator"; blunders such as a visit to a cemetery containing Nazi officers and the Iran-Contra scandal; the assassination attempt made on him; and the influence and support provided by his wife, Nancy. Commentary on Reagan is provided by the following: former White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker III; former Speaker of the House Thomas P. O'Neill; former White House Communications Director Patrick Buchanan; Mayor Andrew Young of Atlanta; former Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver; and former White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan. Appearing in footage are former director OMB David Stockman and Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus, who also comment on Reagan. Brinkley then interviews Reagan in the Oval Office, and the president discusses the following topics, among others: whether he is ready to leave the White House; his desire to reform legislative reapportionment; the machinations of the "iron triangle," comprised of Congress, special interest groups, and the media; his legacy to successor George Bush; his thoughts on the homeless and the poor; his reputation as the "Teflon President"; whether his acting career has helped him in his role as president; predictions about his unfinished projects dealing with the Soviet Union and the Middle East; recent intelligence indicating the manufacture of poison gas in Libya; his personal feelings about Regan, O'Neill, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan, Vice President-Elect Dan Quayle, and Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega; his failure to generate congressional support for the Nicaraguan Contras; and his plans for the future. Includes commercials and promos. This program is closed-captioned.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundation, 1997.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 22, 1988 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:13479
- GENRE: News; Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Iran-Contra Affair, 1985-1990; Middle East politics; News; U S - Economic conditions; U S - Foreign relations - Soviet Union; U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews; U S - Presidency - 1988
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1988
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Archer Daniels Midland Company
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "ABC College Football"
- TV - Promos - "Cannonball Run II" (telecast of a feature film)
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Incredible Sunday"
- TV - Promos - "Mission Impossible"
- TV - Promos - "The Koppel Report"
CREDITS
- Dorrance Smith … Executive Producer
- Marc Burstein … Senior Producer
- Terry Ray … Producer
- Lisa Cohen … Associate Producer
- Lynne Neufer Litt … Associate Producer
- Rocci Fisch … Operations Producer
- Bill Carruthers … Director
- Bob Golombik … Direction (Misc.), Associate Director
- Ann Andrews … Researcher
- David Brinkley … Host, Interviewer
- Charlie Hughes … Announcer
- Sam Donaldson … Reporter
- Ronald Reagan … Guest
- Baker, James A., III … Guest
- Patrick Buchanan … Guest
- Michael Deaver … Guest
- O'Neill, Thomas P. "Tip" … Guest
- Donald Regan … Guest
- Andrew Young … Guest
- Yasser Arafat
- George Bush
- Mikhail Gorbachev
- Daniel Ortega
- Howard Phillips
- Dan Quayle
- David Stockman
- Margaret Thatcher