With the passing last week of William P. Clark came acknowledgments of his amazing accomplishments as President Reagan’s “top hand” in the White House, at the State Department, and as secretary of the Interior. Properly, much attention focuses on Mr. Clark’s role in formulating, developing and implementing Reagan’s plan regarding the Soviet Union (“We win, and they lose.”), which led to America’s victory in the Cold War.
What is not well known, however, is the degree to which Reagan was involved in energy, natural resources and environmental policy at the Interior Department, the reason Reagan selected Mr. Clark to replace James Watt when Mr. Watt resigned, and the importance Mr. Clark attributed to continuing Mr. Watt’s policies. In sum, analogous to Reagan’s plan to “transcend” communism, Reagan intended to transcend those partisan opponents he called “environmental extremists” and “modern-day Luddites.”
Reagan was the most knowledgeable president in history regarding energy, natural resources and environmental issues, given his experience as governor of California — half of which is owned by the federal government — and his years researching, writing and delivering radio addresses on those topics. During the 1980 presidential campaign, Reagan made clear his intention to develop the energy and minerals beneath the third of the country owned by the federal government and the billion acres off its shores. So insistent was Reagan that when Mr. Watt sought to back down regarding one controversial oil and gas lease in Wyoming, Reagan told him, “Jim, if you do not do it, who will? If not there, where will we drill?”
When Mr. Watt resigned as a result of what Reagan called “a 2-year lynching,” Reagan enlisted his top hand to take over at Interior. Those who believed in letting Reagan be Reagan were not surprised. Mr. Clark often called Mr. Watt at the president’s request after a nasty bit of media coverage to assure him he was on the right path. Environmental extremists knew nothing of this, but still they blasted Mr. Clark for his knowledge, intelligence and conservative views. After Mr. Clark’s confirmation, Reagan took to the radio praising Mr. Watt, promoting the Reagan record on the environment, and presenting Mr. Clark.
Mr. Clark did not disappoint.
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