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Press Secretary Briefings, 7/13/76
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1671679
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Press Secretary Briefings, 7/13/76
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This file contains materials relating to Bob Mead.
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Ron Nessen Files (Ford Administration)
Ron Nessen's Press Briefing Transcripts
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Taiwan
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1976-07-13
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1976
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1976-07-13
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1976
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Digitized from Box 20 of The Ron Nessen File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
This Copy For
NEWS CONFERENCE
#532
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH RON NESSEN
AT 12:00 NOON EDT
JULY 13, 1976
TUESDAY
MR. NESSEN: Let me give you some details on the
trip today. The press check-in at Andrews is 5:00. The
press plane leaves at 5:30 and arrives at Philadelphia
International Airport at 6:15. The President will take off
by helicopter from the South Lawn at 5:55, depart Andrews
at 6:15 and arrive at Philadelphia International Airport
at 6:45.
The plan is to go directly to the stadium and
participate in a brief reception, which will include
representatives of each of the Major League baseball teams.
The President then will visit the locker rooms of the
American and National League All-Stars and then will throw
out the first ball to the opposing catchers at about 8:30.
The President will take a number of guests with
him to the game. They will meet briefly in the Oval Office
and then go by helicopter to Andrews and then on to
Philadelphia.
They are Ernie Banks, the former baseball player,
and Joe Garagiola, the former baseball player.
Q
Is he also taking some sportswriters?
MR. NESSEN: At the stadium the President is going
to have other people with him in the box, including the
baseball Commissioner, Bowie Kuhn; Warren Giles, the
President of the National League; Joe Cronin, the President
of the American League, Hank Aaron; Mrs. Julius Stevens and
her son, who are Babe Ruth's daughter and grandson--our
advance people don't have their names--Roone Arledge of
ABC; Governor and Mrs. Byrne of New Jersey, and several
sportswriters, whose names I can't give you at the moment.
The President will throw out the first two balls,
as you know, and he will be handed the balls by Bob Lemon
and by Robin Roberts, former baseball players who are the
most recent inductees in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The
one pitch will go to Johnny Bench, who is the catcher for
the National League All-Star team, and the other to Thurman
Munson, who is the catcher for the American League team.
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I think you know that tomorrow is the President's
63rd birthday. As part of this, he is having his semi-
annual routine physical examination in the White House
Medical Office at 8:00 in the morning. I think you know
that the way this works is that the President has the
full physical once a year, in January, and then the half-
yearly shorter examination on his birthday in July.
That is tomorrow morning at 8:00. It is
expected to take 30 or 40 minutes. It consists of an EKG,
laboratory tests and the physical examination portion. Dr.
Lukash will conduct it, and I expect by briefing time we
will be able to give you a report on it.
Q
Can we have that today? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: It is a kidding day on the briefing
front. (Laughter)
On Friday night the President will go to Baltimore
to attend a reception given by Chancellor and Mrs. Schmidt
aboard the German tall ship Gorch Fock. The President will
go there by helicopter, leaving the South Lawn at about
6:00, and will be back shortly after 8:00.
The press will go by bus, with the buses departing
the Southwest Gate at about 4:00.
Q
Will there be a pool at all on the chopper?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
Aboard ship?
MR. NESSEN: We will have a sign-up sheet posted
following this briefing. The coverage plans are that there
will be an expanded pool, which will be actually aboard the
ship, and for anybody else who wants to go, it is going to
be dockside coverage, which is open coverage but on the dock.
I think we will be able to get a few seats,
probably something like the Charlottesville plan, for going
on the helicopter with the President.
Q
Ron, do you anticipate there will be toasts
at that dinner?
MR. NESSEN: No, it is a reception.
Q
He is not having remarks at all, then?
MR. NESSEN: Thursday night is the State dinner
for Chancellor Schmidt. This is Friday night.
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Q
Schmidt is not entertaining him at dinner
aboard the ship?
Q
Is this a reciprocal?
MR. NESSEN: It is possible that there could
be some brief remarks there.
Q
How long will he be there?
MR. NESSEN: He leaves the South Lawn at about
6:00 and gets back a little after 8:00, so he will be gone
about two hours altogether, so probably an hour on the
ship.
Q
Is Schmidt going on the helicopter?
MR. NESSEN: No, Schmidt will be there to greet
him. I have not got the exact plans yet.
Q
What is he doing tomorrow night on his
birthday?
MR. NESSEN: There are no plans to announce
right now.
Q
Is he going to be here in the Residence?
MR. NESSEN: As far as I know, he will be.
Q
Watching television?
Q
How about entertainment or some kind of
party?
MR. NESSEN: I don't have any plans for tomorrow.
Q
Ron, you said at one time this President
was one of the most athletic in recent times. Did he ever
play baseball?
MR. NESSEN: He watches baseball.
Q
When was the last time he went to a game?
MR. NESSEN: He threw out the opening ball in
April in Texas, so that would have been about two and a half
months ago was the last time he was at a baseball game. Of
course, he threw out the ball at the opening of the season in
1974 and saw Hank Aaron hit the 714th homerun at that game.
That was in Cincinnati. Then, it seems to me, he went to
another game after that, before the opening of the season,
down in Texas this year.
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Q
Do you know if he played in high school,
Ron?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know whether he played any
baseball or not. I have not heard him say that he played
baseball.
Q
Did he watch the Democratic Convention
last night on television?
MR. NESSEN: What he did was, when he went up to
the Residence, he turned on the TV -- as he often does --
and kept the sound down low while he did about an hour and
a half's worth of paperwork. That is what he normally does
each night, is to turn on the TV and look at it if it
interests him and also go through his paperwork. That. is
what he did, and he said that really he concentrated mostly
on the paperwork.
Q
Did he hear the keynote addresses?
MR. NESSEN: He didn't really turn up the sound.
Q
You don't have any reaction to the keynote
address then from the President?
MR. NESSEN: No.
Q
So, based on your statement of what his style
is, he found nothing last night that interested him?
MR. NESSEN: That is correct.
Q
The same way with Nixon. (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: Now there is an honest man.
Q
What else is new?
MR. NESSEN: Not much. What's new with you, Rudy?
(Laughter)
I don't have anything else.
Q
What is he going to say this afternoon to
these foreign exchange students?
MR. NESSEN: I haven't looked at the text of that,
John.
Q
Will that be on schedule so we can
cover it and get to Andrews?
MR. NESSEN: 3:15 -- Yes, I think he will do that
on schedule.
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Q
What about Saturday's schedule?
MR. NESSEN: Saturday's schedule -- I have not
gotten the exact arrangements yet, but it is going to be an
awfully early departure.
Q
Approximately what?
MR. NESSEN: 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.
Q
Leaving 5:30?
MR. NESSEN: Yes, because he is going up there
for a breakfast.
Q
Do you mean 4:30 for us?
MR. NESSEN: No, no, I am saying press departure
about 5:30 or 6:00. The President will probably leave
about a quarter to 7:00, go to breakfast and some other
events connected with the convention in Hartford, and
then will be back shortly after the beginning of the day.
Q
Who is he going to breakfast with?
MR. NESSEN: I have not got the exact details.
Q
Sounds like fun.
MR. NESSEN: Doesn't it?
Q
Can we go to the Officer's Club and get drunk
in Salem? (Laughter)
MR. NESSEN: It is all right with me. I don't
have any problems.
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Q
Ron, may I have your reaction here to the
Philippines establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam
and Thailand, as reported?
MR. NESSEN: I don't have any comment on the
establishment.
Q
In that connection, then, has the Administration
satisfied itself yet that any steps are being taken on the MIAs
that would encourage normalization relations between the U.S.
and Vietnam?
MR. NESSEN: I think you know that there has been
some communication back and forth but no progress to report.
Q
Anything to report on the IOC?
MR. NESSEN: Well, I would only say this, John:
My understanding is that the IOC is meeting this afternoon
at 2 o'clock to consider the Executive Committee decision
of yesterday. I would say that the American position or the
White House position is that politics have no place in the
01ympic Games; that we believe the 01ympics are a sporting
event; that the participants in the Games should be determined
by the International 01ympic Committee.
The role of the host country is solely to provide
facilities for the Games and the host country should not
stipulate political or other considerations for participation
in the Games.
Q
Has the President relayed this feeling to
Trudeau or anyone else in the Canadian Government?
MR. NESSEN: There has not been any direct contact
with the Canadian Government.
Q
Ron, based on this attitude at the White House,
it seemed to me that the President is at this point -- if
it continues -- of the attitude to recommend that the U.S.
team not participate.
MR. NESSEN: Phil, I just don't want to project
that far ahead. The IOC is meeting today. The President
still hopes that this will be resolved in a way that athletes
can compete freely without their participation being determined
on political grounds.
Q
Ron, does the President have any reply to the
charge by the External Affairs Minister of Canada that the
President has engaged in political interference because of
your comments yesterday?
MR. NESSEN: The President does not have any
response to that, no.
Q
Do you have any?
MR. NESSEN: No.
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Q
You say there has been no direct contact with
the Canadian Government?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
Any indirect contact?
MR. NESSEN: No.
Q
You were using that phrase to rule out any
contact?
MR. NESSEN: Yes.
Q
In other words, your only way of letting Trudeau
know how the President feels is through the media and through
the American Olympic Team?
MR. NESSEN: Well, there certainly has been no
direct communication with the Canadian Government in this.
Q
Has the President suggested or has the President
discussed any of this matter of Taiwan and Montreal with his
Commission Study on the Status of Amateur Sports in the
United States?
MR. NESSEN: Let's see. Mike Harrigan, I believe,
is the head of that committee. Mike Harrigan has participated
in meetings at which this matter was discussed.
Q
This week?
MR. NESSEN: This week and the latter part of
last week, yes.
Q
Ron, Krumm will be in attendance at the IOC
meeting this afternoon.
MR. NESSEN: That is correct, yes.
Q
Will he deliver to the IOC the statement you
just delivered to us?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know whether he will deliver
the exact statement. The United States Olympic Committee is
a private organization unconnected with the Government. I
just recall to you the President's phone call to Krumm yesterday
in which he urged Krumm to use his influence to have the
Executive Committee decision overturned. So, Krumm will have
to make his own presentation. He is not under any sort of
Government control, but he certainly knows how the President
feels based on the phone conversation.
Q
I gather he shares the President's feeling
on this subject.
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MR. NESSEN: Well, I can't speak for Krumm. I
don't know. You will have to wait and see what he does at
that meeting today.
Q
Ron, on another subject, in the Post today
there is a story here on Bob Mead and it reports you as
having said that you saved Mead several times and Mead says:
"I don't know what he is talking about. I would like for
him to say on the record when he saved me and why he was unhappy."
I wonder if you would respond to that.
MR. NESSEN: Phil, I think if you were here yesterday
you know that I called attention to Bob Mead's public remarks
that he wanted his resignation to be handled in a quiet
and personal manner and I respect his wishes and I told him
that on the phone yesterday and I intend to conduct this in
the same manner that Bob has, which is to do it in a quiet and
personal manner.
Q
Well, he is quoted here as saying that he wants
you to say publicly where you saved him.
MR. NESSEN: Well, Bob and I have talked and I
think that is the way to handle this matter.
Q
How long is he going to stay?
MR. NESSEN: He will stay for 30 days beyond the
date of his resignation.
Q
Why?
MR. NESSEN: That is the normal way of doing it.
Q
When will he leave, then?
MR. NESSEN: August 8. His resignation was dated
July 8, so his departure will be August 8.
Q
Ron, along that line--if this has been asked
earlier--
MR. NESSEN: He will probably take some vacation
time during that period.
Q
Has the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee
given any assurance that Margita White's nomination will be
in fact taken up?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know about that, Bob. I will
have to look into that.
Q
Ron, was the timing of the GOP Convention an
influence in Bob's departure?
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MR. NESSEN: You have to ask Bob, because he
submitted his resignation last week and I don't know what his
considerations were in submitting it.
Q
He indicated he would be willing to stay on
until August 31 after the Convention, but this suggests that
the White House does not want his services during the
Convention.
MR. NESSEN: Well, this is a fairly normal manner
in which to handle resignations -- 30 days of service beyond
the date of the resignation.
Q
Ron, you are probably aware that the Public
Broadcasting Service telephoned Bob yesterday and offered to
send a letter to the President indicating that they would take
the entire blame for the broadcast, the telecast of the
Queen's dinner. I am wondering if you have apologized
personally to Bob for the letter which you sent?
MR. NESSEN: Phil, as I say, I am going to accede
to Bob's wishes and handle this matter in the quiet and
personal way that he, himself, has asked for.
Q
Ron, you know, I saw a whole weekend of
quotes. It is a little late to be handling it in a quiet
and personal way. I mean, hasn't that boat sort of left the
dock?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know, Aldo. I know I am going
to respect Bob's wishes and do it this way.
Q
Starting yesterday?
Q
Then, it is fair to say that you do retract
your weekend statements where you said that you had saved
him for six months?
MR. NESSEN: I am not entirely clear of what your
goal in this is, Phil.
Q
My goal is to find out the truth.
MR. NESSEN: Well, my goal is to accede to Bob's
wishes that his resignation, for whatever reasons, be handled
in a quiet and personal way, and I intend to do that, as I
said yesterday and today.
Q
Why didn't you accede to his wishes over the
weekend when you were making comments about what a terrible
job he had done?
MR. NESSEN: I don't know that I said that to anybody,
Fred.
Q
I certainly saw it quoted by UPI.
MR. NESSEN: Well, I would like to be responsible
for my own remarks and --
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Q
Were you misquoted on that?
MR. NESSEN: I am going to handle this the way Bob
suggests. It is a man's life and career and I think that Bob
has a right to have it treated in a, as I say, quiet and
personal way. I am going to live up to that --
Q
It most certainly is --
MR. NESSEN: -- as I told Bob on the phone yesterday.
Q
It most certainly is his career, and you were
quoted over the weekend as saying that you saved him for six
months, that a lot of people wanted to fire him and that you
personally saved him -- this time you decided to step aside.
Our question has nothing to do but with, are you
admitting that you made those statements?
MR. NESSEN: Phil, as I said, Bob yesterday asked
that this be handled in a quiet and personal manner. I
told Bob on the phone that I was going to handle it in a quiet
and personal manner, and I am going to.
Q
Do you regret that you made those weekend
statements?
MR. NESSEN: I am going to handle Bob's resignation
in a quiet and personal manner, as Bob suggested, and as I told
him I would.
Q
So, you are stonewalling my question.
MR. NESSEN: I told Bob on the phone yesterday that
I was going to handle his resignation in a quiet and personal
manner, as he suggested, and I intend to keep my promise to
Bob.
Q
Do you regret you made those statements over
the weekend?
MR. NESSEN: Phil, I can repeat my position on this
for quite a long time, but I think we are probably not going
to get very far doing it.
Q
Your position is untenable unless you make a
statement that you wish you had not made those remarks over
the weekend, or whether or not it is true or not you would
like to wipe the board clean. I mean, you can't handle this
in a quiet and personal manner.
MR. NESSEN: I can handle it the way Bob and I
agreed it would be handled, which is in a quiet and personal
way, as Bob requested, and I intend to do it that way.
Q
The previous comments stand, though, unless
you retract them.
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MR. NESSEN: Well, I don't know what previous
comments you are talking about, John. I am going to handle it
the way Bob and I have agreed to handle it.
Q
When did he ask you to handle this in a quiet
and personal way?
MR. NESSEN: Well, as you know, yesterday we talked
about that appearing on the UPI wire and I later talked to
Bob during the day and I said that is the way I preferred
to handle it also, and so we agreed --
Q
Why can't you show courtesy to the man and
answer our question of whether or not you made those statements
and you stand by them or, number two, you made them and you
regret that you made them? Now, one of those two things is
a courtesy to Bob Mead.
MR. NESSEN: Phil, Bob yesterday asked that his
resignation be handled in a quiet and personal manner. I
talked to Bob on the phone yesterday and I said, "I agree with
you and that is what I intend to do," and that is what I do
intend to do.
Q
You don't consider this a hit-and-run tactic
on a man's career?
MR. NESSEN: I don't, Phil.
Q
That was a serious question.
MR. NESSEN: I know it was a serious question, and
my answer was a serious no.
THE PRESS: Thank you, Ron.
END
(AT 12:22 P.M. EDT)
#532