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a neat *- a. a Pee Ree 6: sete a Sithlee eet ate a? Sisal Ee GOR a sea at Sh ee Jats nel People of the Weeke ; ESE'S: STEUER ATG CEE Fasc BEX ES aGRR i O SS 3 George Bush Gets His Chance As Reagan's Stand-in As substitute for a convalescing Ron- ald Reagan, Vice President George Bush stepped into a role he had re- hearsed behind the scenes for weeks. Taking over the President’s ceremo- nial and office duties, Bush displayed confidence that he could assume com- mand at the White House while Rea- gan, in a hospital bed, remains in con- trol as the nation’s Chief Executive. This smooth partnership stems from no written guidelines, but is the result of quiet preparation and a steadily im- proving personal rapport between two men who not long ago were fierce po- litical rivals. - Bush moved quickly on March 30 - when Reagan was wounded by gunfire - in Washington. He cut short a trip to “Texas and returned to the capital to coordinate the executive branch. Fol- lowing=Reagan’s successful surgery, it was the Vice President who appeared - on television to calmly reassure citi- zens that “the American government ‘is functioning fully and effectively.” Administration insiders described Bush as at ease and decisive in presid- ing at cabinet meetings in-Reagan’s ab- sence. The 56-year-old Vice President — carefully avoided appearing presump- tuous by sitting in his own chair and leaving Reagan’s vacant. Bush also worked in his own office rather than in the Oval Office of the President, and he permitted reporters ‘and photographers only limited access to his activities. Just before he was wounded, Reagan gave Bush a big vote of confidence by placing him in charge of overall crisis management in the White House, a move that publicly displeased .Secre- tary of State Alexander Haig. “Performing well.” The potential for Bush-Haig rivalry was intensified with public comparisons of their actions in the early tumultuous hours after Rea- gan was shot. Consensus: Bush—sea- soned in the political arena by service in the House of Representatives, Unit- ed Nations, Central Intelligence Agen- cy and as envoy to China—behaved in cooler fashion than Haig. _ Said James A. Baker HI, White House chief of staff and Bush’s former presi- dential campaign manager: “He is per- forming extremely well. He’s filling in for the Président without being brash or overly assertive.” Another top presidential aide, one of ee Bush’s critics in the past, compliment- ed him for his disereet actions and con- firmed that the Vice President’s status is growing among longtime intimates of Reagan. The relationship between Reagan and Bush has warmed rapidly in the 10 weeks since they assumed power. On Reagan’s orders, Bush has been brought ‘into every important decision. and meeting on foreign and domestic policy—spending an average of 3 hours a day at Reagan’s side. It was during a quiet dinner-table conversation with Bush’s wife Barbara at Reagan’s 70th-birthday party on February 6 that the President disclesed his concern‘ about keeping his top dep- uty informed. “Is George happy with his job?” Reagan asked. “Does he feel what-he’s doing is worthwhile? If the, awful-awful should happen, George should know everything.” re Vice President Bush fills In for Reagan at ceremony while Alexander Halg looks on. In addition to keeping the Vice Pres- ident informed, Reagan has handed Bush a number of important assign- ments. Two days.after the inaugura- tion, Bush was directed to head a presi- dential task force on reducing government regulations on business. Another Bush assignment is to super- vise the government’s role in helping solve the murders of black children in Atlanta. Bush has gone on the road to make a. series of speeches as. administration salesman for the President’s economic- recovery plan—an activity that will slow during Reagan’s recovery. He also has played a strategic role with Repub- lican senators poridering the contro- versial Reagan budget cuts. The Vice President, to the dismay of his moderate GOP ‘friends, even drew cheers from a former ‘bitter enemy— the Conservative Political Action Con- ference—in a March 20 speech that some -critics interpreted as coming close to groveling for the support of the right wing. Closing the gap. Bush’s position at .the right hand of the President is a long climb from several months ago, when he and Reagan fought nearly down to the wire for the Republican presidential nomination. At one point in the primary battle, Bush referred scornfully to Reagan’s tax proposals as “voodoo economics,” a charge that in- furiated Reagan loyalists and delighted -Democrats. At the GOP convention in--Detroit last July, Bush was far from Reagan’s first choice as a running mate. The Cal- ifornian only selected him after-his ef- forts to get former President Gerald Ford on the ticket collapsed. At the time, there were widespread reports -of problems between their wives—specifically that Nancy Reagan did not like Barbara Bush. A close friend of the First Lady says now: “She and Barbara and the President and George have really become devoted to each other.” Still, it is surprising to many political analysts that Reagan and Bush have become such close working partners in only a brief time. ~~ Peter Teeley, Bush’s press secretary, explains it by saying, “Bush under- stands who he is. He’s the Vice Presi- dent—and only the Vice President.” Unspoken, yet understood by every- one amid the tension and concern fol- lowing the attempt to assassinate Rea- gan: George Bush’s strong performance as the President’s loyal backup man can only help his own ultimate ambition— to serve someday as the elected Presi- dent, not as a substitute. O U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT, April “C2 HW 54952 DoclId: 32969491 Page 24
_ HW 54952 US.NOWS ~ & WORLD RGPORT Repercussions for months—in A gunman’s attack on President Rea- gan touched off shock waves that promised lasting effects on a fledgling administration and the nation. Ramifications go beyond the ques- tion of how quickly Ri bullet in the chest on able to return to the Ov aftermath of the assassination attempt: z Polls showed Reagan is widely re- garded as a hero, admired for showing courage and humor ordeal. The boost in pop is muting opponents end may even prolong his honeymoon with Congress. = Secretary of State Alexander Haig shapes up as a casualty, White House aides who felt the former general behaved erratic tumultuous hours after the shooting. a Vice President George Bush, un- ghout the crisis, . flappable throu al No. 2 man on the emerges as the-re 22 DoclId: 32969491 eagan—felled by a March 30—will be al Office. In the during a painful ularity already Page 25 attacked by ally during the » o ct ad a yemcntie. a ne. tetees e : we near wet tages a Hl wv ¥* A recovering President Reagan, his wife “beside him, takes a hospital stroll. of the assassination attempt will ripple domestic and foreign policy alike. , For now, the U.S. is happy to have a hero for President. Reagan team and potentially a power- ful political force in 1984 or beyond. a Top White House aides, thrown into a state of confusion in early stages of the emergency, embarked on a cam- paign to reassure the nation that the administration is in firm control. p Reagan, having suffered a severe injury, will come under increasing pres- sure from staff and family not to over* tax himself. This could force a change in -a freewheeling style that has made him especially vulnerable to attack. nm The Secret Service, one of whose agents was wounded in the assassina- tion attempt, will undergo a full-scale review of the measures it takes to pro- tect the Chief Executive. , = Advocates of gun control, led by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), will press anew for gurbs on-the sale of handguns like the one used to shoot Reagan—but probably will not succeed. Taped by television crews, the attack on Reagan was later witnessed by mil- lions—the second time in a generation that the nation was stunned by the sight of a President shot in the streets during a public appearance. But by the end of the week, doctors reported Reagan was in “satisfactory” condition and was expected to recover speedily, barring unexpected complica- tions such as bleeding or infection. The 70-year-old Reagan, by all ac- counts, exhibited the recuperative powers of a much younger man. Asso- ciates added that he also faid to rest lingering concerns that he was too old to handle the rigorous demands of the Presidency. Boost for Reagan. “It’s clear proof of his physical stamina,” said Presiden- tial Counselor Edwin Meese. “The way he reacted and all that will further en- hance people’s view of him.” The President was wounded by alone assailant about 2:30 on a rainy Monday afternoon as he walked to his limousine after addressing a labor meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel. James Brady, U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT, April 13, 1981 ereerrrny ATOR TACT PT! =)
| HW 54952 Docld:32989491 Page White House press secretary, and two -law“officers also were shotr, Sara Fritz, chief White House corré-"’ spondent for US.News & World Re- port, who was at the scene, gave this account of what happened—= “Six shots rang out, two quick ones followed by four in a steady rhythm. A puff of smoke rose in the air and peo- ple screamed, ‘Get down, get backl’ Bystanders fled, knelt or cowered against the hotel wall. - “A Secret Service agent stood with his back to the wall, holding a subma- chine gun. Another ‘shoved the Presi- dent into his limousine with: tremen- dous force. The motorcade sped away. Back against the wall, a small cluster of men wrestled with someone. “The bodies of three men were sprawled on the pavement, one with his face in a pool of blood—Jim Brady. He tried to move, and a handkerchief was placed beneath his.bleeding head. “Sirens grew louder, and two police squad cars arrived. The struggle sur- rounding the suspect moved into the street. A fair-haired young man was finally shoved into a police car. Ambu- lances began to arrive. One victim shrieked with pain as he was lifted onto a stretcher.” The -man -arrested was John W. Hinckley, Jr., 25, the son of a wealthy U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT, April 13, 1981 > Xg * ‘ “ yrs Rem A Toe eas “EERO Re 8 2% he Ue aS ere LO After shooting, Secret Service agents grapple with the assailant as others tle wounded, fee Colorado oil executive. Authorities said the youth apparently opened fire in an attempt to win the affections of a teen- age movie actress he had never met. The .22-caliber ‘bullet that struck feaias Balk aay, rye ao Accused gunman J a court hearing. Brady, 40, suffered the worst inju- ry—a bullet wound in the head. The slug, removed during 5 hours of sur- gery, caused extensive brain damage. Doctors said he was making “‘extraordi- nary progress” but cautioned that it was too early to tell whether the aide would be permanently impaired. Both Timothy J. McCarthy, 31, the Secret Service agent who took a bullet in the stomach in trying to shield the President, and Thomas K. Delahanty, 45, a Washington policeman shot in the neck, were recovering. First reactions. From across the na- Reagari pierced his left chest bélow thé armpit and collapsed his left lung. The FBI disclosed -later that the bullets fired by the would-be assassin were called “devastators,” a type that is sup- posed to explode on impact. Apparent- ly only the bullet that struck Brady actually exploded, said agents. Whisked from the scene by Secret Service agents, Reagan was able to walk into George Washington Univer- sity Hospital 1% miles away. But by the time he reached the emergency room, he was in obvious pain, bleeding . from the mouth and chest. Yet as Reagan was rolled into the operating room, he managed to banter with his wife and doctors, saying he “forgot to duck” when bullets began flying. That was only the first of a bar- rage of quips and lighthearted com- ments from the President that helped “ease the worries of a nation. Two hours of surgery were required to excise the bullet and repair tissue damage. The operation was described as routine, although Reagan lost 24% quarts of blood; and there was a flurry of concern about blood clots. 26 tion came expressions of shock and sor- row. Loud gasps were heard in the Sen- ate chamber when lawmakers learned of the attack. “It has just gotten to be a game,” declared Montana’s Governor Ted Schwinden. “Whether it is John Lennon or the President, if you’ve got your name up on the marquee, some- one tries to shoot out the lights.” But, in sharp contrast to the national outpouring of anger and despair after the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, emotion ebbed quickly when it became evident that Reagan had escaped a fatal wound. The former California governor came out of the shooting a far more popular President than ever.,A poll by ABC News and the Washington Past found an 11 percent rise in Reagan’s. popularity the day after the attack: 73 percent of those sampled felt he was doing a good job as President. Abroad, Reagan’s speedy recovery helped dispel concern about his age. At the same time, European leaders were apprehensive about the criticism of Haig, for whom they have high regard. Effects of the failed assassination at- 23 ohn Hinckley, Jr., after “*""°