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:
From Higby to Haldeman RE: removing the White House from RNC affairs. 1 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/7/1973
From Higby to Haldeman RE: Stennis's health. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 2/6/1971
From Higby to Haldeman RE: how to expand the Republican Party. 1 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/5/1973
From Higby to Haldeman RE: organizing the RNC. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/5/1973
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26145427
label
WHSF: Contested, 10-11
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26145427
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
WHSF: Contested, 10-11
description
This file contains:
From Higby to Haldeman RE: removing the White House from RNC affairs. 1 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/7/1973
From Higby to Haldeman RE: Stennis's health. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 2/6/1971
From Higby to Haldeman RE: how to expand the Republican Party. 1 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/5/1973
From Higby to Haldeman RE: organizing the RNC. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 2/5/1973
citationUrl
collections
Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26145427
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
9a31bd3e0419af54
ocrText
Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
Folder List
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
10
11
2/7/1973
Domestic Policy
Memo
From Higby to Haldeman RE: removing the
White House from RNC affairs. 1 pg.
10
11
2/6/1971
White House Staff
Memo
From Higby to Haldeman RE: Stennis's
health. 1 pg.
10
11
2/5/1973
Domestic Policy
Memo
From Higby to Haldeman RE: how to expand
the Republican Party. 1 pg.
10
11
2/5/1973
Domestic Policy
Memo
From Higby to Haldeman RE: organizing the
RNC. 2 pgs.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Page 1 of 1
February 7, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
L. HIGBY
SUBJECT:
RNC
Timmons, Malek, Jones and I met on the RNC today. The swing
in Bush's position on Timmons was primarily a result of Timmons'
hard lobbying for Rietz with Bush. Bill feels, and I agree, that he
has just about pushed as hard as he can on Bush for anything right
now, that he is obviously viewed as a Brock man and probably
would be breaking his pick. He feels strongly, however, and Jones
and Malek agree, that the plan that was presented to you in the
attached is essentially correct.
I
In order to advance this plan and to get the RNC on track and the
White House out of running the RNC, the following plan is suggested:
You call Bush, or Higby call on your behalf, and put
in a request that when he has time to see Malek and
Jones, that they have presented a possible plan for
organization for the RNC for the 1974 elections and
that if the Chairman had an opportunity, you suggest
that they discuss it with him.
Malek and Jones would then follow-up with presenting
the plan.
Higby call Bush
Haldeman call Bush
Other
8J/J
February 6, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
L. HIGBY
Dean told me that Stennis' doctor told an FBI agent,
who in turn told Gray, that Stennis only has a 10%
chance of living. He has an infection of the pancreas.
LH/pp
February 5, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
L. HIGBY
SUBJECT:
Attached Memo from Tom Benham/
Rebuilding the Republican Party
as a Vital Force in U.S. Politics
Attached is Tom Benham's effort on the analysis of the 1972
election and possibilities for broadening and coalescing the
New Majority. He undertakes the basic thesis that the way we
build and solidify the New Majority is to build and strengthen
the Republican Party.
I do not recommend that you read his analysis since it will
be incorporated in part of Bob Marik's study which is due to
be completed in the next two weeks. The last section 1s devoted
entirely to a pitch for market research to explore ways of
merchandising the Republican Party.
A plan laying out this possibility as one option, will be included
in Marik's final report. Also, Benham has met with Marik and will
be meeting with him again this week.
bcc: Bob Marik
1701 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Suite 472
Washington, D.C.
LH/pp
February 5, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
L. HIGBY
SUBJECT:
RNC
CURRENT SITUATION:
Right now we have the RNC under George Bush rolling along at its
own pace with Bush building up an apparatus of little if any White House
guidance. Jones and Malek have met a couple of times with Bush, but
Bush has given them the indication that it is his understanding that
the White House is not to be particularly involved in putting his
operation together. (This is also what Evans and Novak obviously
indicated). As a consequence, he has now named Ed DeBoldt, a reasonably
competent, but not an outstanding man, as his number one man
(Deputy Chairman) and is reported to be conducting negotiations with
Jimmy Allison to handle certain RNC activities. (This via Rietz).
This, to my understanding, is not what we had planned for the RNC.
OBJECTIVES:
It is my understanding that the RNC had two primary functions:
A. To cooperate in whatever way possible with the House and Senate
Campaign Committees in selecting 75 key House races and 10 key
Senate races in 1974 and making sure we win them.
B. Broadening the base of the Republican Party to whatever extent
possible to include greater numbers of youths, ethnics, labor,
Catholics, etc.
No one is sure specifically what you communicated to Bush with regard
to these two objectives or what Bush's plans or commitments were.
As a consequence, Bush has more or less gone off on his own.
Page 2
SUGGESTED ACTION STEPS:
1.
Someone here needs to be given clear charge of working with Bush
to build the RNC in a way that we want it. I would suggest that we
use Jones, Malek and Timmons to do this.
2. Essentially, it would appear that Bush needs three basic deputies
to handle each of the three basic missions:
(a) The deputy to handle the special "74" election objectives.
(b) A deputy to maintain and build liaison with the grass-
roots party organization across the country.
(c) A deputy to run the staff operation here in Washington.
(DeBoldt)
These three deputies would be in concert with the basic Rietz/Brock
plan for the future. To my knowledge, Bush has not even seen that
plan and Rietz indicates that Bush doesn't particularly have any
indication of following that plan.
3. Timmons is convinced that he could talk Bush into putting Rietz
on baord over at RNC and that Rietz would accept (see attached).
Currently Rietz has not been able to work out a satisfactory post
within the Administration. Most parties agree that Rietz's strong
suit is in motivating people and PR, not in management or detail. He
could be a logical candidate, therefore, to handle the special
elections role. Timmons feels that there is no way that he can go to
work up on the Hill in the campaign operation.
HRH ACTION:
Your approval to have Timmons, Malek and Jones to talk to Bush and
start conducting some efforts to up-grade the RNC. Obviously, they
would have to bring you in a time or two on a programmed basis, but
overall we would have a better National Committee this way with far
less problems down the line as we get into the elections.
AGREE
DISAGREE
OTHER