Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This file contains:
Franklin B Lincoln, Jr., memo on "Presidential Transition" between the pre-election period to post-election period, recommendations and report on the problem of transition, 30 pgs (including a cover and table of contents). [Report], 10/25/1968
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26126826
label
WHSF: Returned, 32-32
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26126826
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
WHSF: Returned, 32-32
description
This file contains:
Franklin B Lincoln, Jr., memo on "Presidential Transition" between the pre-election period to post-election period, recommendations and report on the problem of transition, 30 pgs (including a cover and table of contents). [Report], 10/25/1968
citationUrl
collections
Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Returned White House Special Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26126826
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
409bc6cd0c31c146
ocrText
Richard Nixon Presidential Library
White House Special Files Collection
Folder List
Box Number Folder Number Document Date
Document Type
Document Description
32
32
10/25/1968
Report
Franklin B Lincoln, Jr., memo on
"Presidential Transition" between the pre-
election period to post-election period,
recommendations and report on the problem
of transition, 30 pgs (including a cover and
table of contents).
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Page 1 of 1
1968-69
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
Franklin B. Lincoln, Jr. Oct.25,1968
1968-69
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
INDEX
Page
I.
Introduction
1
II.
The Transition
1
A. Pre-Election Period
1
1. Organizational and substantive studies
1
2. Plans for a personnel search
1
3. Contact with the Johnson Administration
1
B. Immediate Post-Election Period
2
1. Presidential Transition Act of 1963
2
2. Location of President-Elect and Staff
3
3. Johnson-Nixon Meeting
3
a. Security Clearance
4
b. Current Information for the President-
elect
4
C. Other Presidential Information
4
d. National Security and Budget Observers
5
e. Orientation of Appointees
5
f. The Handling of Crises
5
g. News Release
5
4. Key Items
6
a. Clearance of New Appointees
6
b. The Handling of Crises
7
C. The Administration's First Months
7
D. Task Forces
7
III. Appointments Key Positions to be Filled
8
A. The White House Staff - Pre-Inaugural Period
8
1. Special Assistant (for Programs and Policy)
8
2. Special Assistant (for National Security
Affairs)
10
3. Personnel Adviser
12
4. Appointments Secretary
12
5. Press Secretary
12
6. Correspondence Secretary
12
Index - 2
Page
7.
Chief of Staff
13
8.
Staff Secretary
14
9. Cabinet Secretary
14
10. Administrative Assistants to the President
14
11. Armed Forces Aide to the President
15
12. Congressional Liaison
15
13. Scientific Adviser
15
B. The Executive Office - Pre-Inaugural Period
16
1. Bureau of the Budget
16
2. Council of Economic Advisers
17
3. National Security Council
17
4. The Central Intelligence Agency
18
C. Executive Office
18
1. Budget Director
18
2. Chairman and Members of the Council of
Economic Advisers
19
3. Executive Secretary of National Aeronau-
tic and Space Council
19
4. Director of Office of Economic
Opportunity
19
5. Director of Office of Emergency Planning
19
6. Director of Office of Science and
Technology
19
7. Special Representative for Trade
Negotiations
19
8. Executive Secretary of National Council
on Marine Resources and Engineering
Development
19
9. Executive Secretary and Chairman of
Consumer Advisory Council
19
D. Executive Departments, Commission, Agencies
and Boards
20
1. Appointments in General
20
a. Retaining Career Officials
20
b. The Appointments Process
20
C. Personnel Policy
20
2. Cabinet Appointments
21
Index -3
Page
E. Relations with the Military
22
1. Replacement of Incumbent Joint Chiefs
22
of Staff
2. Presidential Military Adviser
22
IV.
Relations with Congress
23
A. Organization of Congress
23
B. Program
23
C. Future Relationship with Congress
24
D. Patronage
24
V.
Control of the Republican Party
24
A. National Chairman and Staff
24
B. Patronage
25
Conclusion
25
EXHIBITS
A. White House Offices.
Roosevelt White House Office
i
March 10, 1945
Truman White House Office
ii
September 20, 1945
Truman White House Office
iii
July 1, 1952
Eisenhower White House Office
iv
July 1, 1953
Eisenhower White House Office
v-vi
June 1, 1960
Index - 4
EXHIBITS (continued)
Page
Kennedy White House Office
vii
June 1, 1961
Kennedy White House Office
viii
June 1, 1963
Johnson White House Office
ix
June 1, 1964
Johnson White House Office
X
October 14, 1968
B. Johnson Executive Staff - October 14, 1968.
xi
C. Executive Departments - October 14, 1968.
xii
D. Chairmen of Principal Independent Agencies -
October 14, 1968.
xiii-xiv
MEMORANDUM ON TRANSITION
October 25, 1968
I. Introduction
There are about seventy-five days between Election
Day and Inauguration Day. The immediate tasks are the desig-
nation of capable and responsible leadership to the Executive
Branch, the identification of the functions of that Branch,
and the acquisition of information about key governmental
issues.
II. The Transition
A. Pre-Election Period
Work should begin on three principal fronts:
1.
Organizational and substantive studies beyond
those immediately required for campaign purposes should
be started as soon as possible.
2.
Plans for a personnel search for prospective
departmental and agency appointments should be finalized.
3.
Contact with the Johnson Administration on
matters related to the transition should be pursued.
In response to President Johnson's invitation, a
good working arrangement has been established with Charles
2
Murphy, the White House designee.
There have been meetings with the Bureau of the
Budget, the General Services Administration and the
United States Civil Service Commission. Each is pre-
pared to aid in the transition.
A list of Presidential appointments and current
vacancies has been obtained. A statement on the ex-
piration date of statutory Presidential Reorganiza-
tion Powers and other special powers has been re-
quested. FBI clearance procedures for Presidential
appointees and others are being explored to expedite
security and Presidential clearances as soon after
after Election Day as possible.
B. Immediate Post-Election Period
1. Presidential Transition Act of 1963
Sponsored by Kennedy, this law vests in the
Administrator of General Services the authority, upon
request, to provide to the President-elect and the
Vice-President-elect services and facilities, includ-
ing office space, payment of salaries, travel expenses,
communications services, printing and binding, and
postage. An appropriation provides $375,000 for the
President-elect and $75,000 for the Vice-President-
elect for expenses incurred during the period between
election and inauguration.
3
The Administrator has set aside 12,500 square
feet of floor space in the Kennedy Federal Office
Building (#7) on 17th Street, Washington, D.C. for
the use of the President-elect after election without
charge. It is excellent space and offers no problem
as to security.
There is no government space available in New
York but space can be obtained on a rental basis and
therefore subject to a charge for its use.
Office furniture and fixtures will be furnished
at a very nominal cost. In addition, transportation,
including airplanes, will be available without charge
to the newly elected President and Vice President.
Telephone and telegraph will also be supplied by the
Government at reduced tariff.
2.
Location of President-Elect and Staff: Both
Clifford and Murphy strongly recommend that Washington
be established as the headquarters for the new Adminis-
tration not only because of convenience and nearness
to the seat of government but equally important because
of the public image created thereby. This is, of course,
a matter of personal preference.
3.
Johnson-Nixon Meeting
The President will undoubtedly initiate contact
with the President-elect. He presumably will suggest
4
an early meeting. If precedent is followed, an
agenda will be prepared by Murphy and Lincoln after
consultation with the principals. If not, you might
want to give some thought to the topics to be ex-
plored at such meeting.
Such an agenda should include the following
points:
a. Security Clearance - Final arrange-
ments for expediting security clearances for
appointees.
b.
Current Information for the President-
Elect - Arrangements to receive such Administra-
tion information as daily military, diplomatic and
foreign intelligence reports, briefings and memo-
randa on current problems and "cable traffic. "
C.
Other Presidential Information - Arrange-
ments to obtain copies of personal memoranda of
Presidential meetings with foreign officials, op-
erating information from outgoing Presidential
staff, Task Force reports prepared for the Presi-
dent and not publicly released, reorganization
studies in the Departments, Agencies or in the
Bureau of the Budget, personnel information re-
5
lating to appointments, terms and vacancies,
memorandum on technical operations of the White
House Office.
d.
National Security and Budget Observers -
Arrangements for early and close cooperation on
national security affairs and the budget process.
e.
Orientation of Appointees - Arrange-
ments for briefing of new officials by their
predecessors, access to career staff and depart-
mental information, clerical and professional
assistance, and establishment of ground rules
for access to policy discussions.
f.
The Handling of Crises - A procedure
should be established to facilitate coordination
between the principals in the event a crisis OC-
curs.
g.
News Release - It may be useful for the
President and President-elect to issue a joint
statement after their meeting. The substance of
such a statement could be along these lines:
The President and President-elect had a
full, friendly and useful discussion.
They and their associates will cooperate
in every appropriate way in order to in-
sure a smooth and effective transfer of
responsibility on January 20. They will
6
continue to consult as they think desir-
able and are confident that such coopera-
tion can be achieved without impairing
the orderly functioning of the Executive
Branch.
3.
Key Items
Two items on the proposed agenda are particu-
larly significant.
a.
Clearance of New Appointees
The President-elect in cooperation with
the President must make appropriate arrangements
to investigate the background of new appointees
in order to assure the Johnson Administration that
persons to be given access to classified informa-
tion have security clearance. It is also wise to
establish the practice of investigating all pros-
pective Presidential appointees regardless of
their need for access to classified information.
Especially for the first category, the
process must begin as early as possible. As to
these, the Johnson Administration should properly
examine the report, make its decision and forward
the report to the President-elect. As to the second
category, the present Administration should order
the check and send the FBI report unopened to the
President-elect.
7
b.
The Handling of Crises.
In the event of a crisis of major
proportions during the transition period, the
President will undoubtedly consult with the
President-elect. The Nation would normally ex-
pect this but there is no requirement by prece-
dent or otherwise that the President must abdi-
cate his constitutional authority and duty to
decide or that the President-elect must join
in or be bound by the President's decision.
C.
The Administration's First Months
Pockets of resistance to the President in-
evitably tend to exist in the Departments, in Congress
and in the Party. It goes without saying that the
President-elect should assume the reins of power and
leadership in his own hands, as soon as possible.
D.
Task Forces
In addition to the selection of capable people,
the President-elect should appoint task forces in at
least two Departments: State and Defense.
President Kennedy made a mistake by having
too many task forces (approximately 29 in number), in
addition to numerous departmental studies conducted by
McKinsey & Company.
8
President Johnson has directed (through
Murphy) each Department and Agency to prepare a
volume on organization, function, budget and person-
nel and a second volume on pending issues. The Bureau
of the Budget likewise is to prepare a similar study
on each Department and Agency. This material will be
available through Murphy after election.
The Brookings Institution has in preparation
a volume on important issues confronting the new Admin-
istration and has promised to deliver a galley proof
by November 1, 1968. The title of the study is "Agenda
for the Nation. 11
III. Appointments - Key Positions to be Filled
A. The White House Staff - Pre-Inaugural Period
A skeleton staff should be chosen, briefed and
prepared to move into operation the day after the election
or shortly thereafter. This staff must be capable of
discharging a variety of duties and the following key
senior positions are suggested:
1. Special Assistant (for Programs and Policy)
This is the key policy post on the staff and
should in addition have primary responsibility for
speeches, messages, proclamations, review of Executive
Orders and similar tasks.
9
This position on the President's Staff was
initiated during the war by President Roosevelt
who appointed Judge Samuel I. Rosenman as Special
Counsel to the President. President Truman abolished
the position but later resurrected it by appointing
Clark M. Clifford as Special Counsel. Charles S. Murphy
succeeded Clifford. In addition, John R. Steelman,
the Assistant to the President, aided in coordinating
Federal agency programs and policies.
Under President Eisenhower this function was
performed by Staff members reporting through Governor
Sherman Adams and later General Persons.
President Kennedy used Theodore Sorensen as
Special Counsel to focus from the beginning on the
State of the Union message and to continue to advise
on questions of program and policy. This role under
President Johnson is now occupied by Joseph A. Califano,
Jr. as Special Assistant to the President.
The Special Assistant should have a staff to
assist him and access to the Administrative Assistants
as they are appointed. The Special Assistant's draft-
ing group should begin as soon as possible to collect
ideas for and to prepare initial drafts of the Inaugural
Address to be given on January 20, and, following that,
10
a State of the Union message which will present the
President-elect's legislative program. These messages
should be tied in closely with the Budget, and there-
fore it would be wise to bring into this group, on a
temporary basis, an experienced man with background
in the Bureau of the Budget. The President-elect may
later choose to divide the responsibilities of this
position among other staff personnel, but initially,
the responsibilities for the described functions
should be delegated to one individual.
2.
Special Assistant (for National Security Affairs)
It is imperative that the President-elect have
on his staff an adviser or advisers to brief him on de-
velopments involving national security. This Special Assist-
ant serves as liaison between the President and the National
Security Council and supervises the staff of the National
Security Council.
Additionally, the Special Assistant brings to
the President's attention issues which the President may
want to explore with the Secretary of State; briefs the
President on current military, diplomatic and foreign
intelligence; serves as a general point of contact be-
tween the White House and the operating departments con-
11
cerned with National Security; and briefs the Presi-
dent on impending problems which have not yet reached
crisis proportions.
The duties of this position were performed
under President Roosevelt by Harry L. Hopkins, Special
Assistant; Admiral Leahy, Chief-of-Staff to the Com-
mander-in-Chief; and Judge Rosenman. W. Averill
Harriman assumed this role under President Truman,
serving in the specially created position of Director
for Mutual Security. Under President Eisenhower, Adams
and later General Goodpaster handled these duties.
President Kennedy named McGeorge Bundy to the National
Security Adviser's job and President Johnson appointed
Walt W. Rostow upon Bundy's departure.
It is suggested that the implementation of
the positions for Special Assistants for Programs and
Policy and for National Security should not be permitted
to develop into chief of staff functions. These posi-
tions should not block access to the President.
The following are additional staff positions
which should be filled as soon after election as possible.
Some may be only temporary but most will later become
the official White House Staff.
12
3.
Personnel Adviser
The President-elect should have an assistant
to coordinate the recruiting and screening of top per-
sonnel.
Attached hereto is a list of high priority
positions to be filled prepared from a computer tabula-
tion listing provided by the Chairman of the United
States Civil Service Commission.
4.
Appointments Secretary
This individual keeps the President's calendar,
coordinates his time, assists in determining priority of
visits, supervises the making of travel arrangements,
ceremonies and official functions. The position requires
an assistant and a secretary.
5.
Press Secretary
A vital job requiring the talents and diplomacy
of a highly skilled individual to serve as the President's
spokesman to and liaison with the press. He will need
one deputy who can speak in his name, and preferably two,
and an appropriate staff. He should be one of your ad-
visers on public relations.
6.
Correspondence Secretary
He has responsibility for the President's cor-
respondence, refers inquiries to Departments for answer,
and functions in cooperation with the Staff Secretary and
13
Executive Clerk in handling volume mail. He will need
some staff personnel.
The Staff of the White House is the President's
personal staff and should conform in size and function
to his needs. It is suggested that initially the
President-elect's staff be kept small and versatile.
The staff can be expanded later. Back-up resources in
the Bureau of the Budget and in the Council of Economic
Advisers are available.
Each Administration has, in addition to the
regular White House staff assistants, acquired by assign-
ment from Departments and Agencies, a large pool of back-
up personnel.
For example, the Johnson White House Office
is served by 2500 persons. We are seeking to obtain
more detail on their functions.
7.
Chief of Staff
President Eisenhower found the Chief of Staff
organization well suited to his method of operation.
Others have rejected it as inadequate. It is suggested
that a system that permits all senior persons on the
staff access to the President and provides for regular
meetings with staff encourages much desired intra-staff
communication. Staff should share in the government-
wide perspective of the President.
14
The President's staff should include the
following senior positions in addition to those enumer-
ated above:
8.
Staff Secretary
"Monitor" of White House staff work, keeping
track of documents requiring action, of assignments re-
quiring execution, of decisions reached in Cabinet meet-
ings, legislative leaders' meetings, and elsewhere.
Coordinates and synchronizes the work of the staff. The
staff secretary works closely with the White House Execu-
tive Clerk (normally a non-political position), who
handles and records all formal papers and documents for
President's action or attention.
9.
Cabinet Secretary
Handles general liaison with Cabinet officers
and other agency heads, investigating grievances and
adjusting minor differences not requiring Presidential
intervention. Attends Cabinet meetings and keeps minutes
of proceedings.
10.
Administrative Assistants to the President
The White House staff should have at least six
Administrative Assistants. Several should be capable
writers, to assist in speech writing and to be available
for direct assignment by the President to other jobs.
The other Assistants should have roving assignments as
15
directed by the President. One Administrative Assist-
ant could be permanently assigned to the recruitment
and processing of top level appointees to significant
policy positions, after the groundwork has been done
initially by the Personnel Adviser.
11. Armed Forces Aide to the President
This post should be held by a regular military
officer and is useful for ceremonial and housekeeping
functions, travel and similar responsibilities.
12. Congressional Liaison
Assists in formulating Administration strategy
for achieving a legislative program and advises on Ad-
ministration policy-making on what Congress is or is not
likely to do. He also serves as a conduit for legisla-
tors to the President.
13. Scientific Adviser
Assists President and his advisers in analyzing
and understanding complex technical questions on the
weapons, space, disarmament, drug, mining, agricultural,
and related fields.
In addition to the above White House staff posi-
tions, the President requires other personnel such as the
household staff, the Secret Service, communications room,
switchboard, files, the mail room, personnel office, and
related services, all of which will carry over in their
16
present form and with much the same personnel. Also
required are the social secretary and such other
staff as the President's wife may require who will
have to be brought in.
Attached to this memorandum are lists of the
Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson White
House office staffs for purposes of comparison.
B. The Executive Office - Pre-Inaugural Period
1.
Bureau of the Budget
As indicated above, contact has already
been initiated with the Director and Deputy Direc-
tor of the Bureau of the Budget. There is a criti-
cal need for the President-elect, as his first ap-
pointment, to designate an individual or individuals
to serve a liaison function with the Bureau. Presi-
dent Eisenhower's designation of Joseph W. Dodge
within ten days after the election in 1952 to work
with the outgoing Budget officials did much to in-
crease the effectiveness of the new Administration
during its early months.
The Bureau has indicated that considera-
tion of the most important budget matters relating
to the departments and agencies will be taken up
between Election Day and Thanksgiving.
17
The Budget liaison man may be a new
Presidential staff member on loan or the President-
elect's ultimate choice for the Director's position.
The Bureau is preparing 21 Department
and Agency Highlight Summaries, which identify
main aspects of program and policy, budget legis-
lation, and organization and management of which
incoming management should be informed at an early
date, 75 Issue or Topical Papers and a series of
Basic Reference and Descriptive Papers covering
the various functions of the Bureau. These papers
will be made available through Murphy the day after
election.
2.
Council of Economic Advisers.
The President-elect should promptly desig-
nate an individual to act as liaison with the present
Council of Economic Advisers and with the Bureau of
the Budget on economic matters. Access should be
given to the Treasury Department. This individual
could be the new Chairman of the Council of Economic
Advisers.
3.
National Security Council
The National Security Council is composed
of the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary
of State, the Secretary of Defense and the Director
18
of the Office of Emergency Planning. As indi-
cated above, the President-elect should at his
meeting with the President make arrangements to
permit a representative of the President-elect
to observe National Security Council meetings and
to facilitate close cooperation between the
President's White House advisers in this area
and their designated counterparts.
4.
The Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is under
the direction of the National Security Council. The
Director of the CIA is probably the most important
man in the intelligence establishment. The President-
elect might consider retaining the current Director,
a career man, for several months at least and then
replace him if he was found unsatisfactory. If so,
this should be announced before inauguration.
C. Executive Office
The key positions are:
1.
Budget Director
The Budget Director is a direct arm of
the Executive (not even Senate confirmation for
his appointment is required). Under his direction,
the Bureau of the Budget is a source of sophisticated
19
economic analysis and a potential participant
in positive policy making. In addition, the
Bureau can serve as the most effective way of
controlling the departments and shaping of Presi-
dential policy. A strong Director is essential.
2.
Chairman and Members of the Council of
Economic Advisers
The Council serves a valuable function
to keep the Department of the Treasury and the
Federal Reserve from overpowering the President,
and to estimate and define the differences between
the Treasury and the Federal Reserve.
The following agencies constitute the re-
maining bodies located within the Executive Office
of the President. They need no priority attention
from the President-elect at this time.
3.
Executive Secretary of National Aeronautic
and Space Council
4.
Director of Office of Economic Opportunity
5.
Director of Office of Emergency Planning
6.
Director of Office of Science and Technology
7.
Special Representative for Trade Negotiations
8.
Executive Secretary of National Council on
Marine Resources and Engineering Development
9.
Executive Secretary and Chairman of Con-
sumer Advisory Council
20
Attached hereto is a list of the key
appointive positions making up the Executive Office.
D. Executive Departments, Commission, Agencies and Boards
1.
Appointments in General
a.
Retaining career officials. Some of the
posts to which the President-elect may make appoint-
ments are now held by very capable people, some of
whom served under the Eisenhower Administration and
who will not find it difficult to serve loyally under
a new Republican Administration.
b.
The Appointments Process. The President-
elect will normally fill Cabinet positions from his
intimate advisers and other major political figures.
As to the others, the President-elect
should utilize the skills of an individual or in-
dividuals with wide acquaintanceship in the fields
of government, law, business, education, and founda-
tions to conduct a talent hunt for the several hundred
sub-cabinet posts that must be filled.
One danger to avoid is that encountered by
Kennedy, that of filling too many departments from
the bottom up. Generally, the Secretary should be
named first, so that he can be consulted on lower
jobs in his department.
C. Personnel Policy. Various general personnel
21
problems, such as pay raises, leave payments,
and reclassifications inevitably greet the
President-elect. The United States Civil Service
Commission, under John W. Macy, Jr., Chairman,
is best equipped to function on these problems.
These problems should not be handled by individuals
occupied with selecting and screening top appoint-
ments.
2.
Cabinet Appointments
In selecting the heads of the twelve Execu-
tive Departments and the Ambassador to the United
Nations, the new President establishes a public image
of the character of his Administration. Bi-partisan
appointments might be considered. There is a good
public relations impact in making early appointments.
Priority should be given to the following
positions:
a.
Secretary of State and two Under-
Secretaries.
b.
Secretary of Defense and Deputy
Secretary.
C.
Secretary of the Treasury.
d.
Attorney General.
e.
United States Ambassador to the
United Nations.
22
E.
Relations with the Military
1. Replacement of Incumbent Joint Chiefs of Staff
Although the President naturally desires
to have his own men around him, it probably is good
judgment to retain for the time being the present
Joint Chiefs and other senior military men. General
Wheeler, the Chairman, serves at the pleasure of the
President; the term of General Westmoreland, Army
Chief of Staff, expires in 1972; the term of Admiral
Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations, expires in 1971;
and the term of General McConnell, Air Force Chief
of Staff, expires in 1971.
Under former Secretary McNamara the status
of the Joint Chiefs was reduced to that of techni-
cians. It would be advisable to restore the earlier
prestige and usefulness of the Joint Chiefs by a
meeting with the President-elect before January. It
would be welcomed by the Chiefs and helpful to the
President-elect.
2.
Presidential Military Adviser
This is a delicate choice as evidenced by
the antagonism aroused in the military establishment
by Kennedy's personal relationship with Maxwell Taylor
and James Gavin. Certainly a personal military ad-
viser to the President can be found who would not
23
arouse such antagonism at the Pentagon.
IV. Relations with Congress
The President-elect will be in a position to
develop a strong continuing relationship with the Con-
gress and he must take the initiative immediately after
election to do SO.
A.
Organization of Congress
The President-elect should give attention to
the organization of both Houses.
B.
Program
The President-elect should plan strategy for
his legislative program with the Congressional leaders.
Many points of his program have, of course, been out-
lined by the President-elect in his public statements.
As soon as Congress meets, steps should be taken to
effectuate these proposals. The State of the Union
message to the Congress will itemize his legislative
objective.
An analysis of the Bills in the 90th Congress
on which full hearings were conducted should be made
and a determination made as to those Bills which the
President-elect might decide to support.
The President-elect has the alternative of urging
their immediate passage or incorporating them into a
24
broad program as presented to the Congress in
his State of the Union message.
C.
Future Relationship with Congress
The President-elect might wish to set forth
immediately his ideas on regular meetings and channels
of communications between him and Congressional leaders.
Personal weekly conferences with the Big Four accom-
panied by ad hoc contacts with committee chairmen and
important Congressmen might be the best approach at
least initially. As already noted it is essential
for the President-elect to establish a position within
his own staff to supervise congressional liaison.
D. Patronage
The Congress, of course, is a constant source
of requests for appointments to government positions.
Lest this create unwanted friction explicit procedures
should be established.
V.
Control of the Republican Party
The President-elect will have control of the
National Committee and the support of the leaders of most
of the organizations within the Republican Party. If not,
this should be acquired shortly after election.
A.
National Chairman and Staff
The President-elect should work with the
National Chairman to encourage communication be-
25
tween the Party leaders and the President-elect,
to assist with patronage with members of Congress
and party leaders, and to coordinate the fund
raising for mid-term elections.
B. Patronage
Between election and the inauguration, re-
quests for patronage and recommendations of appoint-
ments to Executive Branch positions, particularly
below the level of Assistant Secretaries and policy
heads, will be quite heavy. Perhaps the President-
elect could use the National Committee to divert
pressure from the White House.
Field positions, such as attorneys and post-
masters are politically important but should be made
thoughtfully as a persuader in obtaining passage
of programs through Congress.
Conclusion:
This memorandum is purposely brief. It is primarily
an interim report and check list and seeks to reflect the best
thoughts of a host of others who have worked on the problems
of transition.
Franklin Franklin B. B. Lincoln, Jr.