‘Don’t Tell All’ Slip Dogs Reagan

WASHINGTON — In a remark Wednesday that he immediately regretted, President Reagan said he sometimes has not told Congress all that it wants to know.

The subject arose when reporters asked Reagan about his contention that he knew of no laws being broken in the Iran-Contra scandal. If that were so, he was asked, why did Robert C. McFarlane, his former national security adviser, plead guilty last week to four misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress?

“He just pleaded guilty to not telling Congress everything it wanted to know. I’ve done that myself,” Reagan said.

When reporters pursued his comment, Reagan quickly said: “Now don’t distort that. No. I just mean . . . I just think Congress would like to be asking questions about almost anything, anytime.”

Trying to cut off the conversation, Reagan said: “This is in the courts. Let’s wait and determine whether they say the law has been broken.”

As reporters were escorted from the room, Reagan turned to his guest, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, and said in a whisper:

“Oh, boy. Just for that careless remark . . . they’ll go wild about Reagan wants to lie to Congress or something.”

The remark was picked up by a microphone.