George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

Gregg: Well, I haven't because I think I'm fully qualified to be Ambassador to South Korea. And
so does the Vice President [sic]. So I am here because he has asked me to serve....
Sen. Cranston: ... Senators will recall that on Oct. 5th of '86 a plane bearing military supplies to
the Contras was shot down over Nicaragua. The sole survivor, Eugene Hasenfus, spoke publicly of
the role of Felix Rodriguez, alias Max Gomez, in aiding military resupply and noted Gomez's ties
to the Vice President's office. Could you please describe your understanding of why it was that the
first call to official Washington regarding the shootdown was from Felix Rodriguez to your aid[e]
in Washington?
Gregg: ... [It] was because on the 25th of June of that year he had come to Washington to confront
North about what he regarded as corruption in the supply process of the Contras.... [H]e broke
with North on the 25th of June and has not been on speaking terms with the man since then.... [H]e
tried to get me--he could not--he reached Colonel Watson....
Sen. Cranston: As you recall, the Vice President was besieged at that time with inquiries regarding
Rodriguez's ties to the Vice President's office. What did you tell [Bush press spokesman] Marlin
Fitzwater regarding that relationship?
Gregg: ... The thrust of the press inquiries was always that from the outset I had had in mind that
Rodriguez should play some role in the Contra support operation, and my comments to Marlin ...
were that that had not been in my mind....
Sen. Cranston: Let me quote again from the New York Times, George Bush quoted October 13,
'86. Bush said, `` To the best of my knowledge, this man, Felix Rodriguez, is not working for the
United States government. '' Now Mr. Gregg, you knew that Rodriguez was aiding the Contras and
receiving material assistance in the form of cars, housing, communications equipment and
transportation from the U.S. government. Did you inform Bush of those facts so that he could
make calculated misleading statements in ignorance of his staff's activities?
Gregg: ... At that point I had no idea that Felix--you said--you mentioned communications
equipment. I had no idea he had been given by North one of those encryption devices. I think I
was aware that Colonel Steele had given him access to a car, and I knew he was living in a BOQ at
the air base. He was not being paid any salary. His main source of income was, as it is now, his
retirement pension from CIA.
Sen. Cranston: ... You told the Iran-Contra committee that you and Bush never discussed the
Contras, had no expertise on the issue, no responsibility for it, and the details of Watergate-sized
scandal involving NSC staff and the [Edwin] Wilson gang was not Vice Presidential. Your
testimony on that point I think is demonstrably false. There are at least six memos from Don
Gregg to George Bush regarding detailed Contra issues....
Sen Cranston: Am I correct in this, that you have confirmed ... that senior U.S. military,
diplomatic ... and intelligence personnel, really looked with great doubt upon Rodriguez's mission
and that they tolerated it only because Rodriguez used his contacts with the Vice President and his
staff as part of the way to bolster his mission.
Gregg: ... I was not aware of the diplomatic; I was aware of the military and intelligence, yes, sir.
The committee voted in favor of confirmation. Cranston voted no. But three Democrats--
Charles Robb, Terry Sanford and Chairman Claiborne Pell--joined the Republicans.
Sanford confirmed Cranston's viewpoint, saying that he was allowing the nomination to
go through because he was afraid `` the path would lead to Bush, '' the new President.