Reagan strategists this week said the visit has two purposes to help the President win a 50 state sweep, and to boost the underdog candidacy of Shamie, whose primary opponent Elliot L. Richardson '41 reportedly was urged by some White House officials to run.

Shamie, who is within striking distance of Kerry in the bitterly fought Senate race, is now seen as the Republican Party's best chance to gain a seat away from the Democrats and to stave off expected gains by the opposition party.

Reagan spent much of the early part of his speech praising Shamie, a man who has based his candidacy on support for the President and has frequently asked Reagan to come to Boston to support him.

"[Shamie] is a son of immigrants; he was not born to wealth and privilege," Reagan said in an apparent slap at Kerry, a graduate of Exeter Academy and Yale University with Brahmin roots.

Shamie has received some ribbing during the general election campaign for running an TV advertisement in which the President mispronounced his name 'SHAY-mie.' Reagan yesterday used the gaffe to positive effect, joking, "...and that is 'SHA-mie.' I said it once the other way, but that's all right because after January we'll just call him 'Senator.'"

Double Take

Reagan whose performance in the first Presidential debate raised doubts that his age might impede his future performance in office, gave few signs that he is unfit, though he appeared to be suffering from a cold and his voice became less resonant near the end of the prepared speech.

At one point he mistakenly charged Mondale with trying to force tax cuts on the public. "The American people don't want his tax cuts and he's not going to get his tax cuts." Reagan thundered, only to quickly correct himself "Oh wait, I was talking of tax increases, he never asked for a tax cut in his entire career," Reagan said, "I'm the tax cutter, let's get that straight.