Craig Fuller - Chestertown Spy

Conversations with Craig Fuller: Ambassador and Author Frank Lavin

February 22, 2025 by Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

My friend and former White House colleague Ambassador Frank Lavin has a book coming out in March about his experience in the White House and Administration of President Ronald Reagan. It’s told in unique way through the author’s own first hand experiences as a member of the White House staff, the Commerce Department and then later as the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore. He also sought out groups of former colleagues who shared with him their stories and recollections.

We enjoyed a conversation recently about the book and his approach to sharing insights about the Reagan presidency and some of the lessons he took from his time in government.

Those interested can purchase the book on Amazon here.

Here is a short description of Inside the Reagan White House: A Front-Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today

What makes a good White House memoir? The right mix of personal stories, insight on the president, discussion of policy and historical events, and crazy, colorful anecdotes that capture the reader’s attention.

Inside the Reagan White House has all this—plus a vivid take on the Reagan assassination attempt, , Gorbachev and the Reykjavik summit, Ollie North and the Contras, , the 1988 Bush-Dukakis contest—and other critical moments of that era.

Original insight on Ronald Reagan, as well as discussions of cabinet members and others, are interspersed with personal anecdotes, off-hand comments, and unique family details that historians and general readers will love.

On the colorful side, the action moves from movie stars to Soviet spies to (literal) knife fights, neo-Nazis, plain old Nazis, intimate affairs, fights on planes, and con men chased by INTERPOL.

And at the heart of the story are the thousands of dedicated, patriotic Americans who helped Ronald Reagan as he worked to push back against the Soviet Union, promote democracy, improve trade, lower taxes, and reduce the size and scope of government.

Craig Fuller served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Having been engaged in five presidential campaigns and running public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., he now resides on the Eastern Shore and publishes DECADE SEVEN on Substack.

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Midair collision over the Potomac: Week two update by Craig Fuller

February 5, 2025 by Craig Fuller 1 Comment

There is news in every direction these days, but I still follow the press conferences by the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) concerning the midair collision over the Potomac River one week ago.

As I shared with my first post on this topic, I try to avoid speculation about aircraft accidents until all the facts are known. Having flown for 50 years, I know there are always a number of factors that go into any accident.

Yesterday, the NTSB shared important information, and I do think they are narrowing the focus in a search to determine what happened.

It seems clear that the commercial regional jet accepted a change in their approach to land on runway 33 at Reagan National and was carrying out that maneuver when the collision occurred. It is also clear that since the collision occurred at about 300 feet, the Black Hawk military helicopter was above an altitude restriction of 200 feet. Flight tracking also suggests the helicopter diverted from the standard flight path.

The question remains: why?

Here are the areas of inquiry that most interest me.

The tower controller:

he can be heard on at least two occasions, telling the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter that they have traffic and both times the helicopter pilot stated they had the traffic in sight….we should find out what the tower controller saw on his screen with regard to the helicopter’s altitude. It should not have been above 200 feet.
because the controller was told the traffic was in sight by the helicopter, the controller did not provide any reference information about where the traffic was in relationship to the helicopter nor did he provide a heading that would have kept the helicopter away from the aircraft…not so much an error as a very unfortunate omission.
the helicopter pilot requested a “visual separation clearance,” and the controller responded, “vis sep approved.” What did the controller mean exactly (more below)?

The Black Hawk Pilot:

traffic was pointed out twice to the helicopter and twice the pilot reported “traffic in sight.” It is highly doubtful in my view that the helicopter actually saw the traffic the controller cautioned about….pilots just don’t hit things they see.
the helicopter pilot, upon receiving the second caution for traffic, said they had it in sight and requested a “visual separation clearance.” What did he actually mean by that (more below)?
and, most importantly, why would the helicopter have been high and slightly off the designated course for the route they were flying, even making a slight turn to the right apparently before the crash which was away from their flight path?

The Helicopter’s Altimeter

these devices are very accurate provided the correct barometric pressure is set manually into the altimeter. NTSB will closely examine this and all instruments aboard the helicopter, but even a small error in a setting could cause a 100 foot deviation where the indicated altitude was different than the actual altitude. Had the altimeter setting been updated on a very cold (20 degree) night is something we should know. In listening to the voice recording, the tower controller was informing landing aircraft of the proper altimeter setting and it was changing.

About “pilot/controller speak:”

One of the important aspects of our air traffic management system is the language used by controllers and pilots is carefully constructed and common across the entire system.

In over 5,000 hours of flying, I have many times been instructed by a controller to “maintain visual separation” from another aircraft. This instruction is issued when a pilot sees the other aircraft and it specifically requires the pilot to “maneuver” in a manner to avoid the other aircraft.

Now, I did not fly helicopters, but in all of my flying I never requested a “visual separation clearance.” Interestingly, the tower controller “granted” the request, instructing the helicopter to pass behind the traffic.

At that moment, the collision was seconds away.

Hopefully the cockpit voice recorders will reveal exactly what the helicopter pilots elected to do with their “clearance.” The flight records suggest they turned slightly right and climbed above 200 feet. The question remains, why? Did they believe the 200 foot restriction was lifted? Did the altimeter show an altitude of 200 feet when it was actually 300 feet? Did they turn to stay behind an aircraft other than the one that the controller cautioned them about?

While the focused has narrowed, the questions remain. However, it seems we are getting closer to learning why.

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A midair tragedy last night in Washington by Craig Fuller

January 30, 2025 by Craig Fuller 3 Comments

The only place to begin is to express condolences to those who lost their lives and to their families and friends. The people on both of the aircraft involved in this midair collision left the ground fully expecting to return safely. Tribute must also be paid to the hundreds of first responders who moved quickly to save lives.

I have flown airplanes since the age of 17, logging over 5,000 hours of flight as the pilot in command of aircraft from two-seat fabric-covered airplanes to business jet aircraft. Hence, when something happens like the tragedy experienced over the Potomac River – something extraordinarily rare – people ask, “what happened?”

Like all pilots, I have an aversion to speculation because there is much to be learned and the early speculation is often shown to be in error.

That said, there are a number of known factors. I am certain that our air traffic system is the safest in the world. It was yesterday, and it is today. One of the reasons is that the aviation community looks into every incident to learn from it as a means of correcting any circumstances that can prevent future accidents.

So, here are some of the known factors:

Weather

It was a clear night in Washington, D.C. Ironically, that is a significant factor. Had there been low overcast, the training mission for the helicopter would likely not have been conducted. Also, the commercial jet was established on a long approach to a long runway at Reagan National and the controllers asked the pilots to shift to a shorter runway. In clear weather with visual conditions, that is not unusual, but it increases the workload on the pilots as they are on a short approach to the landing. Lastly, on a clear night, near the ground the bright lights can make spotting other aircraft challenging.

Flight Paths

It is being stated by officials that both aircraft were on standard flight paths. If this proves correct, it means the pilots were not in error navigating their respective aircraft.

Through flight tracking and listening to air traffic controllers, it is evident that there were numerous arrivals and departures being conducted at Reagan National. It is also the case that the commuter aircraft flew a standard pattern and was on final approach to the longest runway at the airport. The controllers, likely working to manage air traffic flow, asked the commercial pilot if he could accept the shorter Runway (known as 33). The pilot accepted the request. There is no error in doing this, but it means that near the ground, the two pilots in the cockpit would be reconfiguring their systems for a new approach to landing. Under any approach to landing, it is busy in the cockpit with attention focused on making judgements associated with the landing.

There is equipment onboard to warn of other aircraft in the area; however, near the ground with multiple aircraft in the air and busy with adjusting to the new runway, pilots may well not have seen a risk with indicators of traffic near them.

Communication with the Helicopter

Reports indicate that there were three people onboard the military helicopter. It is also reported to have been flying around 300 feet above the ground. Again, on a clear night in busy airspace, it is challenging to monitor air traffic.

Then came a warning from air traffic control to the helicopter pilot that there was a commercial jet ahead of them on approach to landing. The helicopter pilot replied that the aircraft was in sight and they would maintain visual separation.

One reality, since the beginning of flight with more than one aircraft in the air, is that pilots do not hit what they can see. It is not known yet, but I suspect the helicopter pilot identified an aircraft other than the one the air traffic controller was warning him about. Indeed it was only seconds later that the collision occurred.

Like virtually all tragedies involving aircraft, there is not just one reason for the incident. It is also true that if just one factor was removed from the events that transpired (e.g. the runway change did not occur; or, the volume of traffic was less), perhaps there would have been no collision.

It should be said that there has been consistent pressure on Reagan National to accept more flights into and out of the airport. Ironically, one Member of Congress stated last night that he had lobbied to get American to fly the route from Wichita in to Washington.

So, there remains much to be studied in the days and weeks ahead. Clearly, there was a failure resulting in tragic consequences. What we must do is rely upon the facts and learn from them how to reduce the risk of accidents on clear nights in busy airspace.

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The Classic Motor Museum starts a new trip in St. Michaels: Craig Fuller talks to Mike Iandolo

January 19, 2025 by Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

Classic Motor Museum board member Mike Iandolo joined in a conversation with the Spy’s Craig Fuller at the end of last week, soon after closing on acquiring new property in St. Michaels for the Museum.

Mike Iandolo talks about the journey they have been on during this first phase of a project to renovate and restore the property leading into the Town of St. Michaels to its earlier appearance as a 1950s-style service station.

When completed, the new facility will provide service bays as a hands-on classroom for the Museum’s automotive apprenticeship program. Further renovation will provide exhibition and storage space.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length. More about the work of the Museum and a look at some of the vehicles now on exhibit can be found on their website: classicmotormuseum.org

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A Warning from the U.S. Surgeon General by Craig Fuller

January 5, 2025 by Craig Fuller 3 Comments

These two leading paragraphs in a WALL STREET JOURNAL story in the past few days got my attention:

The U.S. surgeon general said alcoholic beverages should carry cancer warnings to increase awareness that the drinks are a leading cause of preventable cancers.

“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said in his advisory issued Friday. “Yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk.”

Really, I thought?

Later, as five friends gathered for lunch, one who does not drink said, “…I hope you guys who drink saw the story about alcohol causing cancer.”

Is this for real, I thought?

There are a few things I know: any cancer diagnosis gets 100% of an individual’s and their family’s attention. Rightfully so!

Also, if a person wishes to reduce the risk of experiencing a health issue, I am all for it.

That said, I also know that health professionals in government often see as their mission the modification of behaviors through labeling and regulation. And, if you can assert a link to cancer, regulatory action most likely will follow. Usually following news coverage and a book deal!

I should say that I do consume alcohol in moderation and have done so for a significant majority of my seven-plus decades on the planet. Thus, I decided to read the report issued by the Surgeon General, a report released in the last month of the current administration.

There are several questions that come to mind to put all of this in perspective:

Q. How many people in the U.S. consume alcohol?

A. The Surgeon General says 72% consume one or more drinks per week.

Q. How many people die in the U.S. each year?

A. About 3.4 million.

Q. How many die from cancer?

A. About 611,000.

Q. How many people does the Surgeon General believe die each year as a result of the relationship between alcohol and cancer?

A. He says it’s about 20,000. (Not sure how he calculated this, but 20,000 a year would be 0.6% of total deaths from all causes and 3.2% of cancer related deaths.)

Q. How many does the Surgeon General think receive a cancer diagnosis related to alcohol consumption?

A. From the report: In 2019, an estimated 96,730 cancer cases were related to alcohol consumption including 42,400 in men and 54,330 in women.

The report discusses the risk of having cancer, but it does not share some of the positive news around the treatment of cancer. For example, this comes from the American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society estimates that as of 2025, there are about 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. This includes individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer at any point in their lives. With a U.S. population of around 334 million, this translates to roughly 5.4%.

And, the Surgeon General’s report focuses on breast cancer in women, stating:

The largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the U.S. is for breast cancer in women with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, representing 16.4% of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women.

However, it does not share this statistic:

In the U.S., the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is around 90%, according to the American Cancer Society.

One wonders just how the Surgeon General came to understand the risk relationship between alcohol and cancer. Well, the report explains that:

Determining whether there is a causal relationship between a risk factor—a behavior, exposure, or characteristic—and a health outcome such as cancer is done through comprehensive assessments of scientific evidence and the application of well‑established scientific criteria, such as the Bradford Hill criteria.

So, I wondered, who is Bradford Hill?

Well, he was born in 1897. In 1965 he established a set of principles.

The Bradford Hill Criteria are a set of principles established by Sir Austin Bradford Hill in 1965 to assess causal relationships between a potential risk factor and an observed effect, such as cancer.

In so many words, what Sir Austin laid out is a protocol for studying studies. An approach called epidemiology, it suggests, among other things, that if enough studies (the Surgeon General used 22) come to a similar conclusion, there must be a risk relationship. (OK, maybe that is oversimplified.)

Here’s the conundrum.

If a person who drinks is diagnosed with some form of cancer, can anyone really determine if the cause of the cancer diagnosis for that individual was their drinking?

Here is a finding from the University of Missouri:

Alcohol and nicotine use have long been known to go hand in hand. Previous research shows that more than 85 percent of US adults who are alcohol-dependent also are nicotine-dependent.

So, the Surgeon General indicates that the greatest cause of cancer today is tobacco use. By the way, the second is obesity. Which begs the question, if study after study in the 22 selected by the Surgeon General compare the incidence of a cancer diagnosis between people who drink a little, a lot, or none at all, what about these other issues and behaviors in the life of one who drinks, say “smoking” for example?

To end where we began, is there really a strong case that warning labels should be placed on every bottle of wine, beer and spirits because, after using a protocol developed in 1965 and reviewing 22 studies, the Surgeon General finds a “…body of scientific evidence demonstrates a causal relationship between alcohol use and increased risk for at least seven different types of cancer?”

I doubt that very many people really believe today that alcohol provides health benefits (although, there are some studies suggesting that), but I do think if you are going to scare the 72% of our citizens who consume some amount of alcohol each week, then you might point out that what you are concerned about is the possibility of an increased cancer risk for a fraction of the roughly 5% or so of Americans who are alive today who have or have had cancer or might have a cancer diagnosis in the future.

I am the first to suggest that bad decisions and risky behaviors should be avoided. They cause harm and heartbreak. I’m just not sure I am fully sold on this 11th hour announcement from the Surgeon General where the headlines seem way out ahead of what is actually contained in the report.

But, everyone should make their own decision on this one.

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Destination Dover Station: Craig Fuller talks to Sevan Topjian

December 11, 2024 by Craig Fuller 2 Comments

A new market opened in a place known for commercial activity in Easton for a century. Their theme, “Shop small / shop local,” is gaining attention among shoppers and makers of handcrafted products across the Eastern Shore and beyond. And, with the holidays approaching, there couldn’t be a better time to explore the many offerings.

Recently, Craig Fuller dropped by to talk with Sevan Topjian, a local resident and developer of Dover Station LLC. Sevan explained the vision he and his wife Keri are bringing to the three large structures at 500 Dover Road in Easton.

The Market at Dover Station is in a revitalized historic building. Many makers and artisans have already found the location provides a wonderful opportunity to display and sell what they create. There is already a great sense of collaboration among the artists. And, as Sevan explains, the systems in place takes care of recording inventory and transactions, allowing those who make the products to keep creating while leaving the retail side to the team at the Market.

Spend a few minutes enjoying the conversation and tour the Spy took with Sevan and meeting some of the people involved in creating an innovative new environment that will eventually include a Café Bistro and a brewery.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about the Dover Station please go here.

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For the Love of Bugatti: Craig Fuller talks to David North

November 25, 2024 by Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

After a distinguished career in finance, David North made the easy decision to return to his passion for cars as part of a second professional life. Starting in high school to help his father restore and maintain a growing automobile collection, David’s love of industrial design and unique craftsmanship led him to open his Easton shop, the go-to restoration center for some of the rarest cars in the United States.

While David has the highest respect for several classic brands like Aston-Martin, Duesenberg, or MG, he’s the first to admit he has a special place in his heart for the work of the Bugatti family and the art they created with their automobiles.

In our continued Conservations with Craig Fuller series, Craig stops by David’s workshop to understand more about the legacy of the Bugattis as thousands make plans to visit the Academy Art Museum’s exhibition Bugatti: Reaching for Perfection, which opens early next month. In their chat, David makes a compelling case for how design, craftsmanship, and art can all come together in the form of an automobile.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For information about the Academy Art Museum and the Bugatti exhibition, please go here.

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MPT, the Chesapeake Bay and Viewers Like You: A Chat with Station Manager Steven Schupak

August 14, 2024 by Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

While there are a number of things that bring all Marylanders together, crabs being the best known, there has always been special affection for Maryland Public Television since it started broadcasting in 1969.

Beyond becoming an important portal for high-quality television productions by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, MPT distinguished itself early on as one of the most innovative local producers of news and other special interest subject. That included the highly successful finance talk show, Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser, the popular MotorWeek, and the revered State Circle with Jeff Salkin.

While MPT remains on the state’s most admired list, Steven Schupak, the channel’s station manager, is tasked with envisioning its future in an era of social media, the web, and endless programming choices.

In Craig Fuller’s ongoing series of interviews with major stakeholders, he invites Steven to discuss MPT’s new era of serving Marylanders, and particularly its renewed commitment to covering the Chesapeake Bay’s history, commerce, and environmental challenges.

This video is approximately minutes in length. For more information about MPT please go here.

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So Much Money, So Little Time by Craig Fuller

July 22, 2024 by Craig Fuller 2 Comments

After anticipation of President Biden’s withdrawal stretching for weeks, the fact of it occurring less than 24 hours ago feels stunning. However, the stunning part may be how fast events are moving to anoint and fund Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Biden had a choice and he wasted no time with an immediate endorsement of Vice President Harris, claiming his selection of her to be Vice President was the best decision he’d made.

Just as importantly, the Biden campaign followed up yesterday evening by transferring the nearly $96 million in the Biden campaign to Vice President Harris. And, that was topped off by what is reportedly the largest one day fundraising record of this election cycle as the Harris campaign raised $46.7 million. Larger amounts are being pledged by the Super PAC funders and one report indicated that President Biden would hit the road to raise money where he will be welcomed as a hero during every event at which he appears.

The “hill” for any other Democrat thinking of running just became very, very steep!

Ironically, while many hoped President Biden’s decision would have come sooner, the urgency of getting everything sorted immediately may prove very helpful. Very little time is left, even if the process remains “open,” for anyone to emerge as a viable Democratic candidate as long as Vice President Harris steps forward effectively.

And, a word about her.

Regardless of how one views her politics, the discipline shown throughout the entire term, but especially over the past few weeks, to let events play themselves out while remaining loyal to the President is impressive.

Having had a front-row seat with Vice President Bush, I can only say that the role of Vice President for someone who has campaigned successfully for elected office in the past and finds themselves playing a supporting role to the President is extremely difficult.

By no means is this campaign close to being over, but it is rapidly being reset in a way that makes the contest much more competitive.

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One Amazing Story by One Amazing Individual by Craig Fuller

July 13, 2024 by Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

One of the best lessons I learned during my eight years on the White House staff was the importance of two factors: how one spends their time; and, who they spend it with.

A President and Vice President have the opportunity to meet with pretty much anyone with whom they wish visit. Hence, I always thought one of my most important responsibilities as chief of staff to Vice President George Bush was to make the best use of his time and to insure he had opportunities with the best informed, clear and honest experts on critical issues.

In the mid-1980s, one of those issues was HIV/AIDS and there was no one better suited to help senior officials understand a disease spreading throughout the population than Dr. Tony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He did not have the rank of a cabinet officer, nor did he run the National Institutes of Health (NIH). What he did have was total dedication to ridding us of, or reducing the threat from HIV/AIDS for millions of people throughout the world.

Having learned about his role, it seemed the best way for then Vice President Bush to understand the battle that Dr. Fauci and his team were waging would be to go to him for a briefing at NIAID in Bethesda, MD. While it broke with some protocol, the visit proved fateful. What the Vice President saw and heard left a strong impression. However, the most important part of the visit, I thought at the time, was that Bush found someone he could trust on the most challenging of health care matter.

After reading Dr. Tony Fauci’s book, On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service, I came to realize how incredibly important Dr. Fauci’s work has been to millions of people around the world. I also came to appreciate how that successful first briefing proved vital to providing Dr. Fauci with the support he would need to wage the battle.

Years later, Dr. Fauci would say in an interview something that makes this point so much better than I can. In a Miller Center interview, Dr. Fauci said about President George H.W. Bush,

Although he had a strong conservative base, he was driven much more by doing the right thing regardless of ideology. When he first came to the NIH as Vice President, that’s when I developed my relationship, the early part of my relationship with him. I was asked to show him around because I was the AIDS person here. We developed a good friendship that has lasted even up to today.

As President, he kept on asking me to come down to the White House and explain to him the need for this and the need for that. He became very sympathetic and actually increased the budget a fair amount.

This relationship with President Bush would continue in significant ways with all the Presidents who would follow.

And, it’s his perspective that makes Dr. Fauci’s book so compelling. He committed himself in his twenties to fight infectious diseases and then did just that for five decades. The diseases and epidemics are familiar to us all. What is revealed about the work behind the scenes to save lives reads like any of our great mystery novels.

The take aways from Fauci’s “public service journey” are also compelling. His ability to build relationships and create collaborations across national boundaries and with people vocally opposed to him, and to do it all cheerfully and optimistically provides lessons for us all, especially to those who commit themselves to public service.

I have said many times that Dr. Tony Fauci is a national treasure. Anyone who reads his story will be, in my view, compelled to agree.

You can find more about the book by CLICKING HERE.

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