Debategate WASHINGTON'S latest scandal may seem like a minor affair, but it tells us a lot about the Reagan entourage.
The scandal basically this. During thẹ 1980 Carter's aides provided him with a 'briefing book' for the TV debate with Reagan.
The back or ine to the hands the present budget director David Stockman during the renearea tor which he Carter.
• Despite this, Reagan claims he never knew anything about the briefing. present White. House Chief of Staff James Baker did see the book however.
Communications Director David Gergen, wate remembering the briefing book, did this week by chance er discover. stack Olivale documents the Carter camp in his own tiles. under the heading 'Afghanistan'.
Baker claims that the nerson wo coline Doo: was present CIA director William Casey.
During the election campaign Cassey was in Charge • of the Reagan camp's intelligence, and employed ficers to report on troop movements Carter tried another atI cicase the hostages in Iran, as a last He canvasil ble.
Casey, of course, doesn't remembe Lne briefing either. his is also minor stutt in terms of American bourgeois politics, which is difficult to distinguish from gangsterism at the best of times.
What it shows is that Reagan is lying through his teeth. After Watergate he will be in big trouble if he gets caught. back