Posing with News World, Moon’s pre-Washington Times tabloid

From the Salt Lake Tribune, a discovery in the Reagan diaries that sheds light on Orrin Hatch’s surprising recent turn at playing Jim Steinman to the Unification Church’s Meat Loaf. (The senator-songwriter co-wrote a tune for the 2004 Crown Of Peace coronation.)

WASHINGTON – President Reagan wrote twice in his personal diary that he was worried about Sen. Orrin Hatch, once because the Utah Republican was “on a thin edge” and another time when Hatch turned the tables on the White House and attacked Reagan’s staff.

Then-Nevada Sen. Paul Laxalt “has agreed to call Orin Hatch (sic) who has suddenly gone off the reservation & is throwing rocks at me & the exec. Staff,” Reagan wrote in a Nov. 10, 1987 diary entry.

…

Hatch made another appearance in Reagan’s diary over the senator’s efforts to get a pardon for the Rev. Sun Yung[sic] Moon, the founder of the Unification Church who was convicted of filing false income tax returns and conspiracy. Hatch objected to the jailing of Moon on grounds that it came close to violating his freedom of religion rights.

“Senator Hatch is after me to grant clemency to the Rev. Moon,” Reagan wrote in a Dec. 24, 1984 entry. “I’ve explored this & find I just can’t. I have, however taken action to see if I can grant him a furlough over New Years. It seems that day is the holiest in that religion.”