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Press Secretary Briefings, 1/28/76
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Press Secretary Briefings, 1/28/76
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This file contains materials relating to H.R. Crawford, Arthur Fletcher, and Daniel Moynihan.
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Ron Nessen Files (Ford Administration)
Ron Nessen's Press Briefing Transcripts
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Digitized from Box 16 of the Ron Nessen Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
This Copy For
NEWS CONFERENCE
#425
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH RON NESSEN
AT 11:36 A.M. EST
JANUARY 28, 1976
WEDNESDAY
MR. NESSEN: Anybody that wants to take a picture
of Prime Minister Rabin when he leaves should meet Thym
Smith outside the door here of the Press Room at 11:50.
As you know, the President had a meeting today
with Republican Congressional leaders, and this was a meeting
requested by the leaders to give them an opportunity to review
and discuss with the President the outlook for the Congressional
election campaign.
Congressman Vander Jagt gave a report on the outlook
as far as House races went and Senator Stevens gave an
outlook as far as Senate races went.
Q
What did they say, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: Well, I don't think it is probably
my business to announce that.
Q
How many were there of them?
MR. NESSEN: How many of them of what?
Q
Republican leaders that met with the President.
MR. NESSEN: It has been posted, I think.
Q
Why did they run and avoid us, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: I didn't know they had. The fact of the
matter is they did tell the President that the outlook was
good for Congressional races, both on the Senate and House
side, and in fact spoke of the possibility that this could be
a duplication of the 1966 Congressional election when the
Republicans picked up quite a lot of seats.
Q
When you said "good," does that mean the
Republicans will hold their own and not lose any or does it
rather mean that they will take seats previously held by
Democrats.
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Q
Would you know, did they compare the outlook with
a Presidential year in their optimism?
Q
Question, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: I don't understand the question.
Q
The question is in 1966 it was a non-Presidential
year and I am wondering whether they compared 1976 with another
Presidential year?
MR. NESSEN: No, their assessment was that the Republican
gains in the Senate and House could be considerable and rival
the 1966 gains.
Q
Why do they think that?
MR. NESSEN: Well, you will have to ask them, Ann.
Q
Who is this? Are you quoting somebody specifically,
Ron?
MR. NESSEN: I said there were two reports given to
the President, one by Guy Vander Jagt on the House outlook
and one on the Senate outlook by Ted Stevens.
Q
So we can say those two said it is encouraging?
MR. NESSEN: The outlook is encouraging, right.
Q
Why did they want to see the President about this?
Did they want to ask him about something?
MR. NESSEN: No, they just wanted to give him a report.
Q
Have you heard any numbers tossed around as to
possible House and Senate gains?
MR. NESSEN: No, there were no numbers tossed around.
Q
Did they do it State-by-State and district-by-
district?
MR. NESSEN: On the Senate side, they did do it
State-by-State, and on the House side they touched on several
key races.
Q
Did they have a Presidential outlook?
MR. NESSEN: They did not talk about that, the
House Members.
Q
Ron, did they talk about Presidential campaigning
on behalf of GOP candidates around the country?
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- 3 -
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MR. NESSEN: It really didn't come up.
Q
Ron, to your knowledge, not all of the people
in that room support the President, do they -- his election --
or do you know?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know.
Q
Ron, does the President have any plans for
campaigning for Members of Congress?
MR. NESSEN: Let me back off here to the extent on
Russ' question -- there was a discussion of the help the
President had given to the Republican Party last year when he
was going out and making speeches and appearances on behalf of
the Party and there was sort of some gratitude expressed and some
views expressed as to how that had helped the Congressional
party get itself in a position to have an encouraging year
this year. There was that discussion of the President in the
context of campaigning, but it was not beyond that.
Q
Ron, yesterday there was a report that Governor
Reagan collided with a microphone. I was wondering if the
White House had taken note of this and -- (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: The read-out on the Rabin meeting we expect
to have at about 2:30 this afternoon, so what I think we will
do is put on a lunch lid after this briefing.
Q
Will that be a Joint Communique or a White House
statement?
MR. NESSEN: This will be a White House report on the
meeting.
Q
Then put out a joint statement?
MR. NESSEN: At this time that is not decided yet.
Q
Does the President plan to campaign for
Republican Members of Congress this year?
MR. NESSEN: Well, it was not discussed this morning
and I,myself, don't know what his plans are beyond the trips
we have announced so far.
I think you know the Japanese Ambassador is coming in.
It is a farewell call. The Ambassador will be returning to
Tokyo for another assignment next month.
Q
Ron, let me just interrupt for a second on
Rabin. Is there any plan to hold further face-to-face talks
between the two men after today's meeting?
MORE
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MR. NESSEN: There are no plans but I would not be
surprised if they talked about the possibility at today's
meeting.
Q
You mean something like what we did with
Sadat, that while Mr. Rabin is touring the country, the President
may meet Mr. Rabin somewhere in the country as he met Sadat
in Florida?
MR. NESSEN: No, I don't. You know, it is something
that could possibly be discussed if more time is needed.
Q
Yes, by meeting here in Washington?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
Are they having dinner tomorrow night?
MR. NESSEN: Isn't tomorrow night the reception that
the Israelis are giving for the President?
Q Yes.
MR. NESSEN: This afternoon at 2:15 the President will
have a meeting with Dr. Ikle, who is the Director of the Arms
Control and Disarmament Agency. This will concern arms control
issues and SALT. Some of you have asked this morning and
also yesterday evening whether General Haig would be in to
see the President. He will be at 3 o'clock this afternoon.
He and Brent Scowcroft will meet together with the President
at 3:00 to discuss NATO and American-European relations in
the broader sense.
Q
Ron, will that Ikle meeting be just head-to-head
or is anyone else in on that meeting?
MR. NESSEN: Brent will also attend.
Q
Did the President ask Haig to come back?
MR. NESSEN: My understanding is that he is here for
a series of meetings.
A while back when we announced some changes in the
speechwriting shop, somebody raised the question of, are
there contemplated or have there been any changes in the
Domestic Council. I think you have a list of a couple of the
changes that have been made in the domestic area. Jim Cavanaugh
is being promoted. He will be Deputy Assistant to the President
for Domestic Affairs. He continues to serve on the Domestic
Council also as Deputy Director.
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- 5 -
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Arthur Fletcher is coming aboard as a Deputy Assistant
to the President for Urban Affairs. That is a new position.
Q
Can you tell us more about Fletcher, please,
because he left the White House under another President very
unhappy. Can you tell us what motivated this?
MR. NESSEN: Well, it is a very important job that
the President wants to create and fill with a very qualified
person, and he found Arthur Fletcher and was pleased that
Arthur Fletcher agreed to come here for this job.
Q
What will his job consist of?
MR. NESSEN: He will do a number of things. First
of all, he will do a comprehensive review on a continuing basis
of the impact of Federal programs on urban areas. He will
report to the President specifically on the effectiveness of
each Federal program in urban areas and will suggest ways that
the effectiveness of these programs can be improved.
Q
How much money is he going to make and how much
do the others get?
MR. NESSEN: I asked for it just before I came in.
Q
Did the President know him personally? I am
wondering how he got pulled back into Government.
MR. NESSEN: I will have to check. I believe they do
know each other from Arthur Fletcher's previous Government
service.
Q
He will be working in what may be called -- it is
a bad phrase -- but what may be called "black affairs," won't
he?
MR. NESSEN: No, urban affairs.
Q
I know, but I am asking you whether it is a
synonym.
MR. NESSEN: It is not, no.
Let me give you the salaries when I get through all
the other things.
Then Arthur Quern is being promoted to Deputy
Director of the Domestic Council for Policy and Planning.
This is the replacement for Dick Dunham after Dick went to
the Federal Power Commission, and Steve McConahey is being
promoted to Special Assistant to the President for Inter-
governmental Affairs. This is essentially the same area
that Jim Falk worked in, but the job is being upgraded and it
is being upgraded in keeping with, first of all, a request to
the President from Governors and mayors and county officials
and the President has promised them in the past at meetings
that he would upgrade this job and he has done SO.
MORE
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- 6 -
#425-1/28
The salaries--I will give you the ranges. Cavanaugh's
will be a salary of in the range of $38,000 to $42,000;
Arthur Fletcher's salary will be the $36,000 to $40,000 range;
and Steve McConahey, $34,000 to $38,000.
Arthur Quern?
Q What did you say the last one was?
MR. NESSEN: Steve McConahey's salary is in the
$34,000 to $38,000 range.
MORE
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- 7 -
#425-1/28
Q
Can you give us an overall view as to why
there has been this considerable shake-up, if you will, in
the Domestic Council?
MR. NESSEN: Well, I can't really, Walt, because
it is not that. Each one of these changes was done for a
specific reason -- in one case to keep a promise to the
Governors and mayors and in another case to promote Jim
Cavanaugh for his good service over the years and to give
Jim Cannon the deputy which he has not had before; Arthur
Fletcher, to create a new position which the President
wanted.
In other words, each one has a separate reason
behind it and there is not any overall philosophy that
brought this about.
Q
Does it represent an upgrading of the
Domestic Council and its role?
MR. NESSEN: It represents an upgrading of certain
offices dealing with some aspects of domestic affairs.
Q
Who was appointed as the promise to the
Governors?
MR. NESSEN: As the what?
Q
You said one of the reasons --
MR. NESSEN: Steve McConahey.
Q
Why has the President promised the Governors
that he would name Steve McConahey to whatever --
MR. NESSEN: No, the President promised that he
would create a job in the White House organization to deal
with intergovernmental relations; that is, relations between
the Federal Government and the States and localities.
Q
Ron, are all these appointees outside the
Hatch Act?
MR. NESSEN: Let's see. Well, McConahey would be
and Cavanaugh and Fletcher.
Q
Ron, before you go on to another subject,
who besides Falk has left? I don't see Mike Duval's name
on here, for instance.
MR. NESSEN: Which one are you talking about?
Q
Well, on this list of responsibilities chart.
Are a number of people leaving the Domestic Council staff
as others are coming?
MORE
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- 8 -
#425-1/28
MR. NESSEN: I am not aware of any other mass
departure -- any other departures. (Laughter)
Q Duval is the one I am talking about.
MR. NESSEN: Duval, for some considerable time
at least -- oh, I would say back half a year at least -- has
not worked on the Domestic Council but rather has worked
on intelligence matters.
Q He is still here.
MR. NESSEN: But he is at the White House and
working, yes.
Just to catch you up to date on the -- I don't
know whether anybody cares any more about the State of the
Union reaction and budget reaction, do you?
Q Yes.
MR. NESSEN: I thought you would. All right, by
popular demand.
The State of the Union, culmination of mail,
telegrams and phone calls as of this morning, in favor of
the President's approach, 1,102; opposed, 226; assorted
comments, 247.
On the budget, the mail so far and the telegrams
and so forth have been quite light, really negligible. In
favor of the budget, 18 (Laughter); opposed, 48 --
Q Were those form letters?
MR. NESSEN: Assorted comments, 7. So you see
it is not very much.
Q Ron, is that all of your announcements?
MR. NESSEN: Not quite.
On the override of the HEW labor bill, the
President is disappointed by the fact that Congress talks
a good game about fiscal responsibility but when it comes
down to actually voting --
Q
Let's go a little slower, please.
MR. NESSEN: I have not said all that much yet.
Q
Talks a good what?
MR. NESSEN: Talks a good game.
MORE
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- 9 -
#425-1/28
Q
You are right about that.
MR. NESSEN: Oh, I asked for that.
The President is disappointed that Congress seems
to talk a good game about fiscal responsibility but when
it comes to actually voting to save the taxpayers money
they vote the same old way.
I think you know without my going into any great
detail that the bill would provide about a billion dollars
more than the President asked, adding to the deficit. That
is the overall figure, but when you look at the details
of the bill you will see that the individual increases are
unjustified, unnecessary and unwise.
Q
When you say "individual increases" could
you be more specific?
MR. NESSEN: I will have to get an analysis of
the bill, but when you get down to the specific provisions
of the bill.
Among other things, the bill adds $382 million
to this fiscal year deficit and adds $372 million to the
1977 deficit. Those figures are increases above what the
President recommended. This would simply carry on the
process of raising expectations for higher and higher
spending in future years. Also, the bill will add 8,000
people to the Federal payroll.
So, as I say, the President's feeling is that the
Democratic Congress talks about practicing fiscal respon-
sibility but when it comes to voting they don't follow their
own claims.
Q
Ron, does the President read anything into
this as far as the outlook for his spending proposals
being concurred with by the Congress? Does it make him
less optimistic than he was before?
MR. NESSEN: No, because he believes that he is
right and that the public is behind him on this and will
communicate that to Congress.
Q
Ron, in light of what you said, how does the
President account for the fact that 49 Republicans voted
with the Democrats in overriding?
MR. NESSEN: Well, this is the President's view
of the veto override.
Q Did this subject come up this morning with
the Congressional leaders?
MR. NESSEN: It did not, no.
MORE
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- 10 -
#425-1/28
Q
Ron, on this whole subject, since the matter
seems to be moot now, I am wondering if you are trying to
prepare the President in not spending some of this money
as Mr. Nixon used to do?
MR. NESSEN: I have not heard any discussion of
that, Bob.
On the Defense Department appropriation and its
Angola amendment, you know the statement we put out last
night. The President will study the bill when it arrives
here and will study a variety of the provisions, not just
the Angola provision, before deciding whether to sign it
or veto it.
Q
If the Angola money is cut out of it as has
happened on the Hill, what advantage is there to vetoing it
other than spite?
MR. NESSEN: There are a number of other provisions
in there that, as I say, the President is not happy with.
For one thing, the money total is below what he requested.
Q
What did he request, Ron? Do you remember?
MR. NESSEN: Well, it represents a $7 billion
cut not counting the Vietnam money.
Q
Isn't that fiscal responsibility? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: Well, as the President said in his
State of the Union, we have to order our priorities and divide
the money up according to needs and he believes that the
Defense Department needed additional money.
Q
Ron, will the President make a formal request
for restoration of the Angola funds and other legislation
pending?
MR. NESSEN: It is possible but not decided that
the President may send a separate request for Angcla money
but it is not decided yet whether he will or not. It is
a possibility.
Q
Can you comment any further on that possible
separate request from what you did last night? Do you know
any more specifics?
MR. NESSEN: It has not moved any further since
what I said last night.
Q
Why does he think he could do it in a
separate request when it was voted on so overwhelmingly?
MORE
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MR. NESSEN: Somebody asked me here yesterday about
how does he think he can get this through Congress when the
public is so completely against him, and I see NBC said
last night the public was evenly divided on the matter
according to its poll. So by presenting the arguments
clearly and forcefully as the President did in his letter
yesterday to the Speaker, he hopes to be able to persuade
Congress that the course he is pursuing is the necessary one.
Q
Ron, would he possibly make some effort
towards compromise, though, such as being willing to spend
the money openly instead of covertly?
MR. NESSEN: Well, whether to make a separate
request and, if so, in what form, has not been decided yet.
On the Pat Moynihan story, I think Secretary
Kissinger talked to some of you in front of Blair House,
I guess it was. The President, as I have said all along,
completely approves of and supports the way Ambassador
Moynihan is conducting his office at the UN. Pat was in
here yesterday and the President told him personally and
directly that he does think he is doing a good job at the
UN.
Q
Did they talk about that -- the cable?
MR. NESSEN: They didn't talk about the so-called
cable because it had not been printed yet, but the President
did tell him yesterday that he approved of the job he was
doing.
Q
The President didn't know about the cable?
I mean, the Ambassador did not volunteer that he had written
such a thing?
MR. NESSEN: It was not a lengthy part of the
conversation.
Q
Does the President think that the State
Department is undercutting Ambassador Moynihan and, if he
does think so, has he done anything about it, to tell
Kissinger and others to let the man --
MR. NESSEN: Well, Moynihan has not said that the
State Department is undercutting him and certainly the
Secretary gave him a strong endorsement this morning, if
you listened to that tape.
Q
He said basically that he does feel he is being
undermined.
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MR. NESSEN: No, he didn't, Helen, and I suggest
you listen to Secretary Kissinger and what he said about
the support Pat has from him and others at the State
Department and also what is a fairly routine exercise in
a Washington bureaucracy which is that everybody does not
always agree with everything and every way that a person
conducts his business.
Q
Well, he is complaining, isn't he?
MR. NESSEN: Dr. Kissinger?
Q
No, no, no, no. We are talking about
Moynihan. Kissinger has nothing to do with this.
MR. NESSEN: Well, Pat is supported by the
President, by the Secretary of State and by the top officials
of the State Department.
Q
Did the President deplore the leaking of this
cable, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: He didn't say one way or the other.
Q
Did the matter come up when Moynihan was here?
MR. NESSEN: It did not.
Q
The President was not aware that he had sent
it out or he didn't know?
MR. NESSEN: As far as I know he was not; that
was not the purpose of the meeting.
Q
He just read about it in the paper?
MR. NESSEN: This morning?
Q
Yes.
MR. NESSEN: Yes, he did.
Q
What was his reaction?
Q
If, in fact, the cable was sent out on the
23rd of January and Moynihan was in here yesterday talking
to the President, presumably one of the things they would
talk about would be the UN.
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
Why would Moynihan's massive complaint be sent
to every embassy around the world and not be raised with
the President of the United States?
MORE
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MR. NESSEN: I don't accept that it was a massive
complaint, Ted.
Q
It takes a full page in the New York Times.
(Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: That does not make it a massive
complaint.
Q
You don't think so?
MR. NESSEN: I am telling you what the President
said to Pat yesterday apparently in passing. My understanding
is the cable didn't come up yesterday and both Secretary
Kissinger and the President are on record today supporting
Pat. I don't know what further we can do.
Q
Ron, how does the President feel about picking
up the paper and finding that? He is not annoyed by that?
MR. NESSEN: Finding what, Bob?
Q
Well, what I would call some directions to the
President on how he ought to run the State Department.
MR. NESSEN: I don't read it that way and I don't
think it is accurate.
Q How do you read it? How do you see this cable?
MR. NESSEN: I listened to the tape of what
Secretary Kissinger said today and I thought it was --
Q
We are not talking about Kissinger. We are
talking about Moynihan's complaint.
MR. NESSEN: I am in no position to judge Moynihan's
complaint. I am only telling you how the President and
Secretary Kissinger and the top officials of the State
Department feel about Pat. I am in no position to judge
the cable. I have not read that whole cable, as a matter of
fact.
Q
He does not feel that he is getting support.
MR. NESSEN: Well, you have the President of the
United States and the Secretary of State of the United States
behind him.
Q
This is the second time around and he is still
complaining. (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: Moving right along.
MORE
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Q
Does the President have any question about
whether Kissinger and Moynihan can operate in foreign
affairs together, whether it is compatible to have both
Moynihan and Kissinger in high public areas?
Q
Whether the world is big enough for the two
of them? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: I think your question is, does he
think, as Rudy said, the world is big enough for both of them.
Q Yes.
MR. NESSEN: Certainly so, yes. I mean, he
appointed Pat and he keeps Henry.
Q
Did Moynihan mention that he might resign
soon and maybe go into politics?
MR. NESSEN: No.
Q
He didn't apply formally for his job?
MR. NESSEN: As far as I know he did not. (Laughter)
MORE
#425
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#425-1/28
Q
Did you know of the cable before it appeared
in the Times?
MR. NESSEN: No, I did not.
Q
Ron, one more question on Angola. Could I go
back for a moment?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
Is it conceivable he would veto the bill --
MR. NESSEN: Just to go back, if I may, because I
have sensed that I have not persuaded all of you. You read
Secretary Kissinger's own remarks and the President's own
remarks and you see that there is certainly no policy difference
on this issue.
Q
Obviously the person that is not convinced is
Moynihan, though, Ron; it is not us.
Q
Have you read the cablegram?
MR. NESSEN: Not the entire cablegram.
But as Henry said, that any bureaucracy in
Washington -- and I assume that means newspaper bureaucracies
as well as Government bureaucracies -- there are always some
folks down along the line who don't agree with every activity
and every action. That is the way Henry put it and I think
that is an accurate summation of the situation.
Q
Ron, does the President then favor a policy
of letting other Nations know that if they don't support us
diplomatically and go along with us that we feel free to take
some form of action which might be against their interests?
MR. NESSEN: I didn't go into any detail, but what
I was referring to when I said that the President and Henry
have both spoken out and reiterated the same policy that
Pat is pursuing they have both said that, first of all,
aid programs are geared to our own national interests, and,
secondly, they have said that our attitude toward other
countries are based on their actions toward us. I mean,
this is basic American policy that the President and Kissinger
have both enunciated in the past.
Q
Ron, would it be fair to say that both the
President and Secretary Kissinger might not disapprove totally
of the flamboyance with which Mr. Moynihan is pursuing his
policy?
MR. NESSEN: Ted, I have said before that the
President approves of the way that Pat is performing his duties,
and I think that includes both content and manner.
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Q
Ron, on Angola, if I can put my question,
is it conceivable that he might veto the bill because of Angola
quite apart from the other provisions you say he is considering?
MR. NESSEN: Well, there is no decision one way or
the other because it has to be reviewed for a number of
matters that are in his mind and need some study before he
makes his decision. He has not decided one way or the
other.
Q
Do you have any timetable on sending proposed
legislation or messages to Congress yet?
MR. NESSEN: There is a rough timetable which, I think,
is going to be firmed up with some shifts and there will not
be any legislation going this week. I would say tentatively
it is scheduled to begin to go next week.
Q
Ron, has the President decided not to make any
statement on abortion at all?
MR. NESSEN: No, he has not, Les.
Q What is his position?
MR. NESSEN: His position is that it is a very
complicated issue which he wants to give some thought to
before he makes a public statement on it.
Q Can you give me some ideas as to what areas
will be covered in the first messages?
MR. NESSEN: I didn't bring my timetable out here
with me and I would rather wait until the schedule is firm
before I tell you.
Q
To follow up on abortion, he has never taken
a position on abortion in the past?
MR. NESSEN: I have not searched the record that
clearly, Helen.
Q
Just to get this in perspective, I wondered
whether he was revising --
MR. NESSEN: I have not searched the record that
closely.
Q
Ron, didn't he take one the first month
when Jerry terHorst was the Press Secretary. Didn't he
take one then?
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MR. NESSEN: I just don't know one way or the other.
Q
Ron, do you have any timing on the State of
the World Message yet?
MR. NESSEN: No timing on it, no. There will be
one.
Q
Is President Ford going to get clobbered in the
Florida primaries?
MR. NESSEN: Well, on the subject of the Florida
primary, I have not seen or talked to Johnny Apple for about
six months. The last time I saw him was at the Palm Restaurant
and we didn't talk politics.
Q
Did the story say you had seen him?
MR. NESSEN: The story quoted me as telling Apple
those things. I have not seen Apple.
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Q
That is not quite SO. The story quoted you.
MR. NESSEN: Let me finish what I am saying, Walt,
and maybe you will learn something.
I have not talked to Johnny Apple so obviously
the quotes did not come from me to Johnny Apple. I have
talked with some reporters informally about Florida. The
fact of the matter is that I am not a political expert or a
primary State expert so I don't know of my own knowledge
what the situation is in Florida.
I do know that the latest report to the President
on Florida was given this morning at the meeting with the
Congressional leaders and it was given by Bo Callaway and
by Stu. Spencer and by Lou Frey himself, who was there.
Q
Was Callaway there, too, because we didn't
see his name on there?
MR. NESSEN: Who?
Q
Callaway.
MR. NESSEN: Callaway and Stu Spencer and Lou Frey
were all there, yes.
What they told the President -- and these are the
people who know because they are working on the thing and I
am not -- is that real progress is being made in Florida;
that there have been some difficulties there but they are
being overcome. All three told the President that he can
win in Florida and that they are encouraged by the outlook
in Florida.
Q
Could he have mentioned your analysis? I mean,
your alleged analysis?
MR. NESSEN: No, my name didn't come up because
I am not one of your noted political seers.
Q
Did the Johnny Apple quotes accurately reflect
something you have said about the Florida primary?
MR. NESSEN: As I say, I said I have talked to
reporters informally about Florida, Walt, but I don't
know anything about the outlook in Florida.
Q
Can you tell us anything about when he is
going down there to campaign and how often?
MR. NESSEN: No. Lou Frey this morning said that
the people down there were looking forward to it and he
would like to be able to announce the date, and he was told
that the date had not been fixed yet, and it has not been
fixed yet.
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Q
Is it only going to be one trip, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: Well, one trip is being planned at this
point, right.
Q
Can you tell us just informally what you told
those other reporters informally? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: As I said, I don't know anything
about Florida.
Q
I mean, is that what you told them? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: But then again, that has never stopped
me from talking before.
Q What was that, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: The experts who know what the outlook
in Florida is told it directly to the President this
morning and I have relayed that to you.
Q
Ron, you are not denying the quote in the
New York Times?
MR. NESSEN: I am saying that I don't know anything
about the outlook in Florida because I have no way of knowing
what the outlook in Florida is.
Q
Informally, have you ever told anyone that
the President would get clobbered in Florida?
MR. NESSEN: The President was given the official
report of those who are running the campaign.
Q
That is not what I asked.
Q
Ron, that was a very legitimate question.
Couldn't you answer Annie's question? That was a very
important question, Ron; a very strategic question. (Laughter)
Annie has been so polite, Ron. Couldn't you give her an
answer?
MR. NESSEN: Aren't you pleased to have your
question endorsed by Les?
Q
I would be more pleased to have an answer.
MR. NESSEN: The Good Housekeeping seal of approval.
Les says it is a good question.
Q
Ron, you haven't answered my question.
Did you, at any time this week, use the phrase about
President Ford getting clobbered?
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MR. NESSEN: I didn't talk to anybody about
Florida this week.
Q
How about last week, Ron? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: Let's leave it where it is.
Q
But you are informally denying --
MR. NESSEN: I have never --
Q
When did you decide you are not an expert?
Can we take from here on in?
MR. NESSEN: You can certainly take it from here on
in that I am not an expert on any primary outlook and I have
never pretended to be.
Q
What about skiing conditions? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: That is another area in which I am
not an expert.
Q
Or plumbing in West Virginia?
MR. NESSEN: That is another area.
Q
And Louisiana, there is another one, isn't it?
Q
Let me bring up something about Moynihan again.
MR. NESSEN: All right.
Q
Moynihan's speech after the vote the other
night was said to be very moderate by most diplomatic
observers. Did the President have anything to do with that?
Did he pass the word along that he wanted a moderate response
to that vote?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know that I would accept
your particular adjective, John. Yes, that did reflect
the President's views following the UN vote.
There were two statements issued. There was
Pat Moynihan's statement during the debate and the statement
that the State Department put out after the debate. They
both reflected the President's view that however that
particular vote came out the President strongly believes
that the momentum toward a settlement or another step
toward a settlement must be kept up and that stalemate has
always resulted in growing tensions in the past and he does
not want that to happen now and so he wants to leave that
particular vote behind and move on with the peace process.
So both of those statements reflected his views.
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Q
Ron, is it true that the President called
Mr. Crawford over at HUD yesterday and demanded his
resignation and that the Justice Department is now investigating
a possible conflict of interest?
MR. NESSEN: I think HUD has put out a press release
on Mr. Crawford's resignation. I am not aware that the
President called him, but there is a press release from
HUD that will give you the status of Mr. Crawford's
resignation.
Q
It does not say anything about the Justice
Department?
MR. NESSEN: The press release does say something
about the Justice Department, right.
The HUD press release says that the matter was
referred to the Justice Department.
Q
Ron, is the White House closing its office
here that had to do with minority affairs, especially to
Spanish speaking?
MR. NESSEN: No. Fernando DeBaca is still here
and Stan Scott has been replaced by J. C. Calhoun.
Q
DeBaca is still here?
MR. NESSEN: Fernando DeBaca?
Q
Yes.
MR. NESSEN: Absolutely.
Q
Has he already accepted a position in New
Mexico and has it already been announced? He has been
away from his office for some time. Has he gone already?
MR. NESSEN: I am told that I ought to check on
that. I am not aware of anything specific but I will check
on it.
Q
Ron, on Crawford again, there is no question
but what the President desired his resignation, whether he
called him directly or not, is there?
MR. NESSEN: His resignation was requested, that
is correct.
Q
By whom? Do you know?
MR. NESSEN: I really don't, to be honest with you.
Whether it was Carla or - Buchen was aware of the matter
and discussed it with Crawford and suggested it would be
proper for him to resign.
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Q
The President had nothing to do with this?
MR. NESSEN: I am not aware that he was directly
involved, no.
Q
Ron, has the Counsel's Office looked into the
question of whether any law might have been violated by
those people who sent checks along with their letters on
the common situs bill?
MR. NESSEN: That is such an old item I don't
know if I still have all my stuff or not. I think I gave
up this morning and thought it would never come up again.
Q
Question, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: I guess I did take that out of this
thing today.
Phil was asking about that old matter of people
who sent in checks. I am told that all the checks that
came to the White House came in after the veto and made
no direct reference to the fact that they were in any way
related to the veto and they were all sent back.
Q
The question, though, was whether there might
have been a violation of any law by people sending money
related to a specific issue.
MR. NESSEN: Well, apparently they were not related
to a specific issue. The letters didn't say "Here is your
reward for vetoing the common situs bill." That is a
paraphrase, Phil.
Q
Ron, do you have anything for us on the
letter from Mr. Buchen to the FEC?
MR. NESSEN: It is still in the drafting stage
and has not gone yet.
Q
You have been drafting it for two weeks.
MR. NESSEN: I know. We want to be very careful.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END (AT 12:15 P.M. EST)
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