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White House Staff Coordination Changes - Memo, 1978
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White House Staff Coordination Changes - Memo, 1978
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WH Staff Coordination/Changes Memo, 1978
Folder Citation: Collection: Office of the Chief of Staff Files; Series:
Hamilton Jordan's Confidential Files; Folder: WH Staff
Coordination/Changes Memo, 1978; Container 37
To See Complete Finding Aid:
http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/libraryfindingaids/Chief_of St
aff.pdf
Ham Indan
PERSONAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
1-24-78
To Senior Staff
I have asked Hamilton Jordan
to:
Provide overall political policy
Coordination and communication among
the White House staff;
Convene weekh meetings of the
senior staff $ regular meetings of
other staff members, & file regorts
of These meetings with me;
Convene bi-weekly meetings of
the foreign policy- domestic political
staff; Advise me on better stall
Coordination & communication.
This will in no way affect the X
direct access and relationship you
have with me. Give him your help
& support-
Timmy Carter
Ham Indan
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
1-24-78
To V.P. Mondale
Sec. Vance
Dr. Brzezmski
In order to insure closer
Coordination of The political and
staff dimensions of freign policy
decisions, I have asked Hamilton
to participate more formally in
discussions I foreign affairs. He
will attend our weekly breakfasts
and have access to all reports
except The PDB.
Let's use Hams political
judgment & strategic planning
ability
Jimmy
"DETERMINED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
CANCELLED PER E.O. 12356, SEC. 13 AND
ARCHIVIST'S MEMO OF MARCH 16, 1983"
Jimmy Carter Library Staff Processing Note: (2/13/87)
Staff archivists have determined that Hamilton Jordan's office staff
transferred these materials to Susan Clough, the President's secretary,
sometime near the end of the administration. In June 1986, they were
subsequently transferred to the Jimmy Carter Library by the Office of
Jimmy Carter. The folder titles appear to have been created by Hamilton
Jordan.
C
TOP SECRET
TO:
PRESIDENT CARTER
FROM:
HAMILTON JORDAN
H.Y.
RE:
FOLLOW-UP TO MY EARLIER MEMORANDUM
On the memorandum that I gave you prior to your trip,
you made several notations including "discuss all of this
thoroughly with the VP" and "comply with my notes".
I discussed all of these matters with the Vice-President
as directed and went over my memorandum with him in de-
tail. It is my understanding that he was going to submit
his thoughts to you in writing as he is out of town for
a day or SO. He did not want to comment in writing on
the personnel changes that I recommended but went over
them with me orally and authorized me to convey his
feelings to you.
ELECTROSTATIC REPRODUCTION MADE FOR
PRESERVATION PURPOSES
"DETHERMINED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
CANCELLED PER C.O. 12356, SEC. 13 AND
ARCHIVIST'S MEMO OF MARCH 16, 1983"
At a convenient time when these things can be discussed
in a way that will allow you time to reflect on them,
I would like to pursue the following items:
-The possibility of using Tim or Phil to coordinate
and direct our political activities
-The replacement and/or better utilization of certain
staff members
-Better White House/Cabinet coordination and coop-
eration
-Setting a date for special meeting with Cabinet to
review problems and recommended changes
I personally believe that the real challenge is to make
these changes and improvements in a positive way and not
to allow an "us and them" mentality develop between the
White House staff and the Cabinet. At the same time,
it is equally important that we face up - as a group -
to the real problems that confront us and reach a con-
sensus as to how they can be solved.
ELECTROSTATIC REPRODUCTR MADE FOR
PRESERVATION PURPOSES
FOR You
^
I am anxious to make final decisions on these matters
that I can begin to implement so that we will be in the
best possible position for the tough issues that will
confront us in the next several months.
I will need to pursue these with you in a meeting.
Do you want to talk about these this afternoon or to
wait until Mondale's return? Without involving other
staff members in the details of our discussions, I would
like for you to have the benefit of Jody, Frank and Stu's
comments on certain of the White House staff changes that
I have recommended.
ELECTROSTATIC
?
C
CONFIDENTIAL
TO:
PRESIDENT CARTER
FROM:
HAMILTON JORDAN
HD.
RE:
PLANS FOR STAFF COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION
As relates to the new responsibilities that you have
assigned me, I want to keep you informed of my plans
and would appreciate your suggestions and reactions.
Staff Meetings
Although it will not solve all of the problems, I
believe that regular staff meetings involving different
levels and combinations of White House staff members
will allow us to identify and solve some of our problems
before they reach the crisis stage. I don't believe in
"DETERMINED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
CANCELLED PER C.O. 12356, SEC. 13 AND
ARCHIVIST'S MEMO OF MARCH 16, 1983"
having meetings for meetings sake, but I do plan to
begin the following on a regular basis:
Monday. Continuation of the 8:30 senior staff meeting.
I plan to expand it to include Esther Peterson, Peter
Bourne, Greg Schneiders and others who complain about
not being included. The purpose of this meeting will
be limited - mainly to review and discuss the coming
week's activities. I believe that your participation
in this meeting should be optional. You certainly don't
need to spend more than five or ten minutes when you
come. As most topics covered at this meeting by you are
repeated at the Cabinet meeting, you should only attend
I
I agree
this meeting with you have a special gripe or request.
Tuesday. Foreign policy/domestic staff meeting from
8:30 - 8:45. Includes Brzezinski, Powell, Moore and
Jordan. Brzezinski reviews status of foreign policy
decisions and activities.
Wednesday. No meeting scheduled.
Thursday. Foreign policy/domestic staff meeting from
8:30 - 8:45.
Friday. Meeting with Jordan, Powell, Eizenstat and
Moore. Jordan reviews relevant matters discussed at
the foreign policy breakfast earlier that day.
Other Meetings
In my earlier memorandum to you, I alluded to the fact
that beyond the senior staff, I felt that we had a
morale problem. This is particularly true with the many
young people who did not work in the campaign and/or
began working so late that they never developed a per-
sonal relationship with you.
These many secretaries, staff assistants and deputies
to senior staff members can complain quite legitimately
that they have to read about you and your programs in
the newspaper and that they don't know what is going
on. Well, we will always have this problem to some ex-
tent, but we can do better communicating with this group
of people than we have to date.
I plan several things:
Deputies Meeting. Some of the brightest people in the
White House serve as "deputies" to senior staff members.
By and large, I don't think that we have the complete
loyalty of many of these people. Many are from Washington
and worked on the Hill. These people are generally
bright, energetic and more liberal than you. They want
to be involved in everything but feel that they know
nothing. I plan to begin to meet each week with per-
sons at the deputy level. I will review with them gen-
erally our plans and actions, defend the decisions that
we have made and seek their criticisms and advice. I
believe that this kind of frank exchange is needed with
this particular group of people.
White House Staff Briefings. I am going to schedule
this week a briefing for everyone on the White House staff
in the room in EOB where you hold your press conferences.
We will have to have two meetings to accomodate the entire
staff. At this meeting, Stu will present our domestic
agenda for this year and take questions and Zbig will do
the same in foreign policy. I am going to ask the Vice-
President if he will preside at these meetings. I plan
to do this quarterly on a regular basis and believe
that it will engender a positive feeling among the staff
members who are seldom exposed to "the big picture".
White House Daily News. I plan to begin to produce
immediately a simple, mimeographed newsletter which
will be put out every day and distributed to the White
House staff. It will be informal, newsy and will at-
tempt to keep everyone generally informed. A mock-up
of this newsletter follows.
wind It will up of or
is
White House News
Friday, Janaury 27th
JOHN WHITE ELECTED DNC CHAIRMAN at Friday morning
meeting attended by the President. Former Deputy
Secretary of Agriculture John White was unanimously
elected Chairman of the DNC today. Despite bad
weather in many areas of the country, the DNC barely
managed a quorum for the election of White and passed
a resolution in support of White giving him broad
authority. The DNC members were entertained last
night at a recpetion at the residence of the
Vice-President
STRAUSS AND SCHLESINGER ON SUNDAY PROGRAMS. Special
Trade Representative Bob Strauss will appear on
"Meet the Press" Sunday and Secretary of Energy Jim
Schlesinger will be on "Issues and Answers". Be sure
to watch them.
ADDRESS TO NATION ON PANAMA SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY.
The President will go on national television Wednesday
night to present to the American people his reasons
for supporting the treaties negotiated and signed in
September. This has been a good week in the Senate
for the treaties and a good vote out of the Foreign
Relations Committee is expected.
PRESIDENT ATTENDS 30TH PANAMA CANAL BRIEFING. On
Thursday, the President participated in the 30th
briefing on the Panama Canal Treaties. Thanks go
to Betty Rainwater, Joe Aragon, Vivian Lichman and
Laurie Lucey for their efforts in making these brief-
ings so successful.
NEWS TIPS
UAW President Doug Fraser got
snowed in in Detroit Friday and had to reschedule
his appointment with the President for Tuesday
The President will hold his regular news confer-
ence on Monday at 2:30
The ILGW (International
Ladies Garment Workers) will be honored by the Pres-
ident and First Lady at a reception Monday night at
the White House
We are still getting compli-
ments from the Machinists for the reception they had
at thw White House earlier in the week
CEQ
member Marion Edey withdrew her name from consider-
ation by the Senate
After receiving a letter
from the President reaffirming our countries policy of
opposing the military presence of the Soviets in our
hemisphere, Senator Richard Stone announced he would
support the Panama Canal Treaties.
These are some of the more obvious and simple things
that I can do around the White House to improve staff
coordination and communication. There are some tougher
and more complex problems that I also plan to study
and work on, including:
-Development of systems and proceedures
-Utilization of our political resources
- -Improved political utilization of the Cabinet
I will need your help and support in all these areas.
For the time being, I would like to ask you to help me
in the short run by asking the senior staff members at
our Monday meeting to cooperate with me by attending
those meetings that I schedule. I will be filing reg-
ular reports with you of these meetings.
EYES ONLY
TO:
PRESIDENT CARTER
FROM:
HAMILTON JORDAN
After you called me last week to convey Jody's suggest-
ion that I begin to chair a regular meeting of the senior
staff, I told you that I would give you my own frank
analysis of our situation and my own suggestions for im-
provements and/or changes at the White House.
I have been embarrassed by and am sure you are getting
tired of several of my colleagues lobbying to have me
designated chief of staff.
We don't need a chief of staff, but we do need and should
have a greater amount of coordination among your staff
than exists at present. This can be accomplished with
some minor adjustments in our present structure and in the
decision-making process. You will have to determine whether
these adjustments are merited.
Personal Situation
As I have been the subject of these recommendations from
Stu, Jody and others, I am going to respond frankly to you
without any pretense at being modest.
As you know, I have not sought any additional titles or
responsibilities. I have recently expressed my feeling to
you that I could be much more helpful to you in the future
than I have been this first year. I feel that I have been
underutilized. Your response was understandable - that you
were anxious for me to have a larger role if you had some
sense that I would not leave shortly after you made this
investment of time and exposure to new problems in me. I
have - as you know - made such a committment.
Analysis of Our Problems and Needs
In analyzing the White House staff, its functions and
processes, I would start from the premise that you have
assembled a very talented and harmonious group of men
and women to serve you. Some areas of our operation are
stronger than others, but fortunately the strongest people
are in the key positions.
Perhaps the most unique quality that exists among this group
of people is their ability to work together. Many of these
same people have worked together for you over a long period
of time and are secure in their relationship with you. One
of the great ironies of our present situation is that we are
not taking full advantage of their potential to work together
for lack of a better structure or coordinating mechanism.
In summary, I would contend that some improvements can and
should be made - not because things are so bad but because
things are good and could be much better.
What are our problems and/or needs? I don't want to
overstate or exaggerate them, but I realize that some
of them are not obvious to you from your own perspective.
They are:
1. We need better staff coordination. At present, staff
coordination is practically nonexistent. To the extent
that any coordination takes place, it is voluntary. Com-
munication among the staff is loose and not structured. We
have very little idea or understanding of what each other is
doing. There are no staff meetings or opportunities which
force us to share our work, our ideas and our problems with
each other.
2. Because coordination and communication among the staff
is poor, morale among the White House staff is not good.
Senior staff members are stimulated by their contact with
you, but beyond the senior staff there is a morale problem
that results from individual staff members not having a clear
idea of how their own work and contribution relates to the
"big picture". There are no staff meetings or devices
for communication among the staff.
3. Because no one is in charge (at the staff level), no
one is held accountable for their mistakes. This means
that there is a great reluctance for any of us to worry
with or do anything about the problems and mistakes of
other members of the staff. The result is that many small
problems (which could be solved) are ither ignored or
never confronted unless they become big enough to merit
your own attention.
Consequently, many small problems that involve the areas
of several senior staff members are neither confronted nor
resolved because we lack a simple mechanism which will force
people at the White House to engage the problem. With so
much to do and no coordinating mechanism apparent, there is
a great tendency to ignore and/or tolerate each others mis-
takes.
4.
There is no formal political input in the foreign policy
decision-making process nor any standard proceedure to inform
staff members with political responsibilities once de-
cisions are made. You have agreed that this is a problem
which requires our attention and have said that you are
willing to make some adjustments. Let me give you the most
recent example.
At some point prior to or during your foreign trip, the
decision was made to proceed with the sale of F-15's to
Saudi Arabia. You informed the Saudis of your decision
at your meeting with the King.
First, I doubt if anyone familiar with the facts would
question the decision that you made. However, anyone who
is familiar with the mood of the Congress would tell you
that this is going to be a very tough legislative fight.
And Frank Moore, who is the person who will have to fight
to have the sale approved and who is the person most fam-
iliar with our other legislative priorities, did not have
the opportunity to comment on when to do it, how to do
it or who should be informed of the decision in advance.
Secondly, not only did Frank not have an opprotunity to
comment on the sale itself, he learned about the decision
to sell the F-15's to the Saudis from a newspaper story.
From that point on we were reacting politically instead of
getting out in front of the decision. Frank had to call
Lucy Benson at the State Department to confirm the story,
and by that time was being deluged with Congressional calls
questioning the story without being able to present our
justification for the sale.
Consequently, you had the situation where twenty or thirty
people at State and the NSC know about a decision that will
require Congressional approval when the one person on your
staff who will have to coordinate the fight to win Congress-
ional approval has to read about it in the paper. This can
and should be easily corrected.
Conclusions and Options
In summary, we have a need for:
-Better staff coordination
-Better communication among all White House staff
- -Improved political/policy coordination
- -Improved foreign policy/domestic coordination
There are several options for dealing with these problems.
None are perfect and all have some disadvantages. They are:
1. Utilize the Vice-President to work more closely with
the staff on these problems. Mondale has the ability,
the intelligence and obviously the clout to deal with the
problems I have described.
On the other hand, I don't think you can or should expect
the Vice-President to supervise and/or coordinate your own
personal staff. He can and should continue to work with the
senior staff on the agenda and long-range problems. But, I
don't think it would be fair to him or the best use of him
to involve Mondale in the day-to-day problems of your senior
staff. To the extent that you decided to use him in this
way, it would give him less time to work directly with you
and the Congress on our priorities.
2. Designate a "staff coordinator" with specific but
limited responsibilities. Make it plain at the outset
that this person's job is to "coordinate". That he/she
will not be anyone's boss nor will this person impede
anyone's access to you nor change the direct relationship
you have with the members of your senior staff.
The responsibilities of the "staff coordinator" would be:
-Convene weekly meetings of the senior staff and
regular meetings of other White House staff persons.
-Convene bi-weekly meetings of domestic political-
foreign policy staff (Moore, Powell, Eizenstat, Jordan
and Brzezinski.
-Develop systems for improved communication among the
White House staff.
-Provide overall political/policy coordination.
This person should be me - not only am I the best person
to do this, but I am also the only person on the staff with
the flexibility and perspective to perform such a function.
This is not unlike what I did doing the campaign. While I
was the "campaign manager" in title, key people in the
campaign (Powell, Rafshoon, Caddell, Lipshutz, etc.)
had tremendous freedom and autonomy to work in their own
areas without interference. My role was to relate the
work of each unit to the other in a way that was compatible
with our overall objectives. I like to see things go
smoothly and take personal satisfaction in developing a
espirit de corps among the people I work with.
The disadvantage of this approach is that it could be
alleged that I was functioning in fact as "chief of staff"
which would be reneging on your campaign promise not to have
such a position. Jody would simply have to explain and
define the position and its limitations.
3. Leave things basically as they are, rationalizing
that the present "loose" structure has some disadvantages
inherent in it. And that to try to tighten up our operation
here is inconsistent with the loose structure that has
served you well this first year. The argument for leaving
things as they are is that we can't have it both ways.
Decisions/Implementation
If you decide to utilize Mondale in solving these problems,
you should talk directly with him about it. If you decide
to leave things basically as they are, no action is necessary.
If you decide to designate me "staff coordinator" with
specific but limited responsibilities, it will require some
action on your part. There will be a direct relationship
between my ability to help you on these problems and the
degree to which you formalize my role.
You could present this decision to a meeting of the senior
staff or in a memorandum. Whether written or verbal, the
points which should be made are included in the following
draft:
TO:
SENIOR STAFF
FROM:
JIMMY CARTER
After much thought and consideration, I have asked
Hamilton Jordan to assume the responsibilities of staff
coordinator.
In this capacity, Hamilton will do the following things:
-Convene weekly meetings of the senior staff, regular
meetings with other White House staff members and file
reports of these meetings with me.
-Convene brief bi-weekly meetings of the foreign policy-
domestic political staff.
-Provide overall political/policy coordination.
-Develop better systems for coordination and communication
among the White House staff.
This new assignment of Hamilton's will not change in
any way the access you have to me personally nor the
direct relationships that I have with each of you. I
know that you will give Hamilton your support.
Regardless of what decision you make on the question
and problems of the White House staff, I do need to
have my role in the foreign policy decision-making process
formalized by you.
Because there is very little in the way of a direct
contribution I can make in these decisions, the members
of your foreign policy team will be less inclined to
treat me as an equal participant. I don't need to see
highly sensitive information or be involved in NSC meet-
ings, but I do need to have formal access to the decision-
making process. Unless I am automatically included in
these things, it will be a hit and miss operation.
The points that need to be made are included in the follow-
ing memorandum.
CONF IDENTIAL
TO: Vice-President Mondale
Secretary of State Vance
Dr. Brzezinski
FROM: President Carter
I would like to involve Hamilton Jordan in a more formal
manner in the foreign policy decision-making process.
I feel that it is important for one member of our group to
focus exclusively on the political dimensions of our actions
and decisions.
To implement this decision, I have asked Hamilton Jordan
to attend our Friday morning breakfast meetings, review
Cy's daily report and want him to have greater access to
information and meetings. I would appreciate having your
thoughts and suggestions on this.
"DETERMINTED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
CANCELLED PER C.O. 12356, SEC. 1.3 AND
ARCHAIST'S tismo OF MARCH 16, 1983"
Conclusion
You asked me to tell you what I thought. I have tried to
be objective in analyzing our situation although I realize
that this memorandum is quite self-serving.
If you decide to go with a staff coordinator, I believe
it will improve things generally. It will not be a panacea
for all of our problems, but will provide - I think - a
better mechanism and forum for dealing with a lot of our
problems.
And again, it should be said that things now are not bad
in terms of our staff operation. They simply can and
should be better with a little work on everyone's part.