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This file includes comments on Bryce Harlow, Spiro Agnew, Robert Finch, John Connally, Ronald Reagan, Bob Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman.
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1511501
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Nofziger, Lyn (Nixon White House/Reagan Advisor) - Interview, 1/5/78
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1511501
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Nofziger, Lyn (Nixon White House/Reagan Advisor) - Interview, 1/5/78
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This file includes comments on Bryce Harlow, Spiro Agnew, Robert Finch, John Connally, Ronald Reagan, Bob Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman.
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A. James Reichley Interview Transcripts
Politician Interviews
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Political affairs
Presidential campaign, 1976
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1511501
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1976-12-31
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1976
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1969-01-01
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1969
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The original documents are located in Box 3, folder "Nofziger, Lyn (Nixon White
House/Reagan Advisor) - Interview, 1/5/78" of the A. James Reichley Interview Transcripts
at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. A. James Reichley donated to the
United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives
collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in
the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are
presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject
to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Interview with Lynn Nofziger, January 5, 1978.
Nofziger thatat a meeting at Camp David, President Nixon had asked him to
take charge of the political operations in the administration. He said returning
from the meeting with Bryce Harlow in a helicopter, Harlow told him that Nixon
LIERRYA GERALD ? FORD
had given him carte blanche to direct cabinet officers to carry out the strategy
he felt was required. He said that he set forth his understanding of what had
Hld.
been said at the meeting in memo and Harlow routed it through Bob Haldeman, Haldeman
called him to his office and told him that he had been completely wrong, and that
he had not been given the authority that he thought he had been given. Later
Colsh,
Chuck Colson played very much this role. Nofziger said that he was that close as he
not
to
said to becoming Colson himself. He said that his mistake was simply go ahead
and do what Nixon had told him to do, but he is not aggressive in that II in the
Thatitis
way that Colson was. Nofziger said *** that his view of politics is primarily
polter
PR
as-being a matter of propaganda rather than organizationx thought that this
what what had attracted Nixon.
Nofziger recalled in his work in the White House one of his primary jobs was To
try to get senators to stand up vigorously for the administration.
He said that
that)
Chuck Percy and Howard Baker told him that if he would give them something they
he said
Cugra,
could say they would be glad to say but somehow/they never got arund to using
(AS a result,
tx the material that he gave them and that he has a rather a low opinion of Percy
and Baker x as a result of this Nofziger recalled that Harlow had told him that
Aznw,
he had pleaded with W Spiro Agnew not to accept cash from some of his business friends
in the way that he was, but Agnew could see nothing wrong i with this. Sometimes
when he was playing golf with a business man he would be given $200 and he would
simply keep Harlow said that he had pleaded to no avail that Agnew abandon
this practice. Nofziger said **** he had never been able to understand why
Frd
Nixon picked (Ford for/Presidenty The said they were not close The attended meetings
Vice-
with the congressional leadership with Nion and there was no close relationship
between Nixon and Ford. In fact, Nixon was closer to Hugh Scott, Nofziger recalled,
Fuch
than he was to Ford. P Nixon regarded Bob Finch as the son he had never had, Nofziger
is
said. In Nofziger's view Finch was a gutless wonder. Finch / now practicing law
- 2 -
at a small law firm in Pasadena. Nofziger recalled the occasion onwhich
Finch had paralysis of the left arm at a time that he was to speak to
protesters withinthe Department of HEW after the Cambodia incursion. He said
&
FORD
that basically he thought that Finch had had a nervous breakdowny and
He theorized
the fact that the paralysis of the left arm indicated that he
GERALD
LIBRARY
was fearful he would be called a left-winger.
Nofziger recalled that Nixon picked John Connally as secretary of the
Treasury following a memo that he had sent in to Nixon recommending that the
Republicans begin building up a strong successor to Nixon C-A that they bring
Conly.
some strong political figures into the administration with this in mind. He
as
said that Bob Haldeman later told him it was a result of this memo that Nixon
decided to bring Connel lly into the administration. Nofziger says that
Ronald Reagen is now eager to run for President much more so than he was
in 1974x Nofziger said that Reagon will now let him do x things that he would
not let him do X in 1974. I asked Nofziger if he had thought that Reagen had a
Ran.
realistic change of being nominated in 1976 he said that he had, he had always
counted on the incompentence of Ford and a of Ford's political staff to give
Reagon the nomination. He said that the nomination had been saved for Ford by
blunder
the introduction of Stu Spenser into the campaign. The biggest wonder
of
the Reagon campaign, Nofziger said, was not consulting Drew Lewis on the
Schweiker selection.
Nofziger had justiturned from the Panama Canal when I talked with himx
Pn.
said that the briefing given by the military down there tohimself and
completely
Canl,
Senators a Dole and Laxalt was that the Canal was defensible against sabotage
or mob violence any sort of military action. The only threat feared by
(quevillas)
the military on the spot is that that might come from urban gorillas or
terrorists.
Nofziger remarked that Reagen is a terrible politician in the conventional
remember
XXX sense can never names, he hates crowds. Nofziger says that they joke
that after five days on the road they have to introduce him to his own wife.
- 3 -
P
LIBRARY GERALD ? FORD
Nofsiger recalled that Reagen at Bob Finch's urging had put Bob Haldeman
on the Board of Regents in California. Some of the Reagen staff were against
Hld.
this ) but Nofziger was for it because he said that Haldeman is basically a
conservative, more conservative than Finch, and also they had an understanding
with Haldeman that they could count on his vote if they needed it on the
Con the other hand,
Board of Regents. John Ehrlichman, Nofziger said, is basically a liberal.
The Student Unrest Commission was set up on Ehrlichman's recommendation
and was an extremely liberal body and a major word blunder from the standpoint
of the Nixon administration. Midway through the work of the Student Unrest
Commission in 1970, Nofziger was instructed by Haldeman to destroy the
Student Unrest Commission. Haldeman told Nofziger that it was the
President's direct wish that the Student Unrest Commission be destroyed.
Nofziger then planted XX stories in the press which he thought effectively
discredited the Commission so by ix the time itsreport came out it was not
paid much attention to.
Nofziger mentioned that Reagon is a very religious man, He he is always
worrying about what God wants him to do. Nofziger ** says that he tells
Ran.
Reagon that God is not interested in the United States for he would'nt give
us the Presidents that he gives us.