| 1985: | Asked how much he values getting along with Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan says, "Well, I wasn't going to give him a friendship ring or anything." |
| 1986: | The Senate votes on whether to confirm William Rehnquist as Chief Justice. The fact that he has made statements that were directly contradicted by eyewitnesses of his past behavior, as well as several signs of racist bias, manage to get him 33 negative votes; a record number under the circumstances but not even close to rejection. The Senate then approves Antonin Scalia to the vacant Supreme Court seat with none of the close inspection given to Rehnquist, despite the fact that he is just as ideologically far from center, voting 98 to zero. |
| 1988: | One of Dan Quayle's advisers describes him as "the future standing right up there." |