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- Része ennek White House Staff Member and Office Files (Nixon Administration), President's Office Files
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OCR Page 1 of 48PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED COMMENT ON CABINET CHOICES:
RICHARDSON, WEINBERGER, ASH, ROGERS, AND CASEY,
BRENNAN, SHULTZ,
DENT,
LYNN,
RUMSFELD AND DEPARTING MEMBERS PETERSON AND LAIRD
December 15, 1972
GENERAL COMMENT ON REORGANIZATION
John Knight says the shakeup was predictable and necessary
since the 1st term Cabinet hasn't been functioning well. In '68
RN said Cabinet members would be given wide responsibilities, but
w/few exceptions they had little visibility and even less impact. Many
students of govt., including RN, think the presently constituted Cabinet
system is outmoded. Moreover, RN has been displeased by what he
feels has been the misinterpretation of his own policies by Cabinet
members, Knight says.
Van Der Linden reports the present array of WH aides counselors,
special counsels, etc. -- will be trimmed down w/the same ruthlessness
as the fedl. bureaus. No new super-cabinet of "wise men" or deputy
Pres. will be created to form a protective ring. Instead, RN intends
to promote direct lines between himself and the depts. One adviser is
quoted as saying the WH will be more a "manager" than a "line action"
agency. "The idea of a sr. group over everybody else in the WH has
been scrapped. That's not going to happen. 11
Post-Dispatch's Taylor leads: "It became clear that the 'imagina-
tive change' in govt. sought by RN is not at hand. 11 It was apparent
that any changes in policy and the ponderous fedl. structure would
come slowly, after long deliberation, altho WH aides argued this was
what RN had intended and that expectations of dynamic and rapid
alterations at the fedl. level were premature.
Courier Journal
says RN's changes so far "only mildly" make evident his determination
to better control Govt, w/real test on streamlining to be any paring
down of bureaucracy. But readings are "mixed" on whether power will
be decentralized from WH.
Houston Post says RN appears to have made a good beginning in
restructuring. His choices are compatible w/his intention to provide
better govt. w/fewer administrators
But Free Press says the
Cabinet falls somewhat in Ike's "8 millionaires and a plumber" format,
only lower-keyed. Technocrats are in the saddle, w/ideologues
dumped along the roadside. Obviously RN wants more than "fresh
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