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    "ocrText": "NEWS SUMMARY\nDecember 24, 1971\n(Thursday telecasts, wires, columns)\nTHE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN\nMajor News Developments:\n-- RN signs cancer bill, film on NBC and CBS including RN's comments\nthat false hopes shouldn't be raised but there should be hope in that\nall that can be done is being done.\nRN offers Hoffa clemency led all nets. (:15 note on CBS followed\nby cancer bill with later lengthy report on Hoffa.) Asked whether\nhe thought RN had politics in mind, Hoffa said he didn't know but\nwhatever was on RN's mind he \"appreciates\" his release.\nRogers news conference reaffirms US commitment to air support\nfor SVN as it is essential to Vietnamization. All nets noted US\nbombing 73 miles from Hanoi -- nearest to capital since before\n'68 halt. Another CBS report on air war this one on Navy\nactivity followed by the SVN-AF.\n-- Note that Bob Hope is seeking release of POWs makes all nets --\ngood footage of his show troupe on NBC -- - the GIs love it.\n- - All nets noted: FCC dropping of investigation of AT &T because\nthey lack money and manpower; CLC granted 22% of 34% requested\nincrease for gov't employee Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurance\npremiums; CLC exempted the postal service from controls and the\nservice immediately announced 23% increase in 3rd class postal\nrates.\nINDOCHINA\nAll nets noted with similar film Secy. Rogers'\nstrong \"blunt\" (ABC) support of the continued US\nsupport in the air war. (ABC's Koppel said it\nwas the proper time for the Secy. to hold a foreign\npolicy review and he ticked off foreign policy\nachievements of the Admin. Heading the list was\nVietnamization.) Rogers asserted that the NVN\nhas stepped up its attacks in Laos and Cambodia\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n2\nbecause it is failing in its military efforts in SVN -- - -\nits primary goal? All nets had footage of the Secy.\nsaying the air war is essential to the success of\nVietnamization.\nAP reports that the Communist offensive in Laos\nalready has accomplished its first major objective,\nand officials admit concern the push may go well\nbeyond those of earlier years. Officials are most\nconcerned because of the intensity of the attacks\nand the number of men used during the thrust.\nCBS followed the Rogers film with a Bill Plante\nreport from the USS Constellation of NVN. The\nreporter noted that the Navy air effort is more\nrelaxed than in the past when there were 5 carriers\nin the area and 3 on station; now there are 3 in the\narea and 2 or even 1 on station -- a 40% reduction.\nAn officer said the tempo of the missions has been\ncut by 2/3 to 3/4. The reporter noted that Navy\nmissions have become less dangerous but may not\nstay that way. But pilots on film say stepped-up\nenemy anti-aircraft fire means the enemy is being\nhurt. The reporter concluded that even tho there\nhas been a slowing down there is still a feeling of\n\"deadly activity\" on the carrier.\nCBS then went to an air base outside Saigon which\nlooked completely deserted as the reporter noted\nUS withdrawal has taken peace. This report\nemphasized how much SVN is taking over flight\noperations tho they still can't maintain the\nsophisticated aircraft used by the US.\nAP reports that US pilots are attacking targets\nthat they previously ignored inside NVN, apparently\nin reaction to heavy losses of US aircraft last\nweekend. Both DOD and the Military Command deny\nany change in the rules of engagement, other sources\nsay Hanoi's entire air defense system has been\nre-evaluated and pilots are more sensitive to indirect\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n3\nthreats posed by enemy radar\nCommunist\ntroops increasing their attacks on the eve of their\nthree-day ceasefire lobbed 8 rockets into a\nparatroop base at Thien Ngon, blowing up an\nartillery ammunition dump and gasoline storage\narea\nAll nets noted there were 7 KIA and 14\nwounded in VN last week. It was the 11th\nconsecutive week with a KIA under 10.\nThieu\nexpects the NVA to launch an offensive shortly\nbefore RN's visit to the PRC to discourage the\nChinese from selling out to the Americans. \"What-\never happens, we will have the upper hand, 11 Thieu\nsaid.\nFootage on ABC only of Rogers characterizing as\n\"barbaric\" the communist treatment of POWs, tho\nother nets noted it. He cited the long delay during\nthe last 6 months in forwarding letters to relatives.\nRogers said the US would do anything within reason\nto get the POWs back tho Koppel said the Secy.\nrefused to say whether this included a withdrawal\ndeadline.\nA US airline pilot and a broadcaster tried in vain\nto deliver to the VC a recording of Xmas greetings\nfor the more than 330 POWs. The VC refused to\naccept the tapes.\nAll nets also noted that Bob Hope requested a NVN\nvisa SO he could go to Hanoi and try to negotiate the\nrelease of US POWs in a deal involving $10 M\nHope suggested that perhaps he could raise the money for\nNVN children by putting on a show. The NVN gave\nno definite response. Hope said that the idea was a\nprivate one tho he acknowledged that when he decided\nto go to Laos US officials helped set up the trip.\nGerry Warren said that Hope did not inform RN in\nadvance about the \"strictly private visit. 11 Warren\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n4\nrefused, under repeated questioning to say whether\nthe WH considered Hope's initiative as a private\neffort to engage in foreign policy. \"Obviously we\nwould like to see the POWs back, 11 Warren said.\nHope said the odds against going to Hanoi to\nnegotiate a release were about 25 to 1\" and against\njust going to see POWs \"about 10 to 1. 11\nNBC noted that meanwhile Hope's tour is going well.\nThe reporter noted that some GIs showed up 5 hours\nbefore the show and sat in the rain in order to keep\ngood seats. And altho there have been rumors the\nGIs disapprove of Hope's support for RN's VN\npolicy they laughed and applauded and enjoyed every\nminute of it. Footage of Hope saying as long as\nthere are guys who will sit in the rain for hours\nwaiting for his show -- he'll return there - - good\napplause followed.\nAll nets noted reports that the Army considers itself\nno longer bound to a promise by former Secy. Resor\nto release the full report on the My Lai massacre.\nThe decision will be left up to Froehlke -- after\nappeals and reviews are complete.\nIND-PAK\nAll nets noted that Bhutto has temporarily let Sheik\nRahman out of house arrest in order to negotiate\nwith him about the East.\nMeanwhile all nets had\nfilm from Dacca where the acting leaders of Bangla\nDesh returned to a tumultuous welcome and to face\nthe tremendous problems of forming a gov't. All\nnets note expectations of jockeying for power and\nposition by the acting leaders until Rahman returns\nBhutto continued his shakeup of Pak's armed forces,\nretiring the commander-in-chief of the Navy and 8\nother admirals, commodores and generals\nThe\nwires note that reports of revenge slayings in E. Pak\nby both sides continue to reach Dacca.\nAll nets note Bengali refugees will begin returning\nto their country Jan.\n1.\nABC also had film from\nthe ceremonies of surrender taking place in Bangla\nDesh -- all very much according to traditions of\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n5\nGeneva Convention tho reporter Jennings thought\nit because of TV as much as anything. Jennings\nalso stated that rather than humiliation, there was\nrelief among W. Pak soldiers who are glad not\nto be fighting in what they had come to consider a\nforeign country. India's defense minister said he\ndoes not expect bad feeling between Ind-Pak to\nerupt into another shooting war. He called on\nBhutto to \"have the wisdom to see the reality of\nthe situation¹¹ and work for a negotiated settlement\nwith India\nThe PRC has decided to close its\nconsulate general in Dacca \"in view of the occupation\nof E. Pak by Indian armed forces. 11\nSecy. Rogers listed the tragic events of the sub-\ncontinent as the greatest disappointment of US\nforeign policy in '71.\nUN\nCBS AM News interviewed new Secy. Gen. Waldheim\nwho said that the UN is in a real crisis and there is\nno sense trying to hide it. He hopes first to deal\nwith the org's administrative and financial problems\nbecause until they are solved, political problems can\nnot be dealt with. On both Ind-Pak and the Mideast,\nWaldheim said that negotiations are the answer\nparticularly since the UN can only encourage\nmembers to follow their advice\nOn 11 Today\"\nWaldheim rejected the characterization that he is\nan administrator, rather than an innovator. \"I do\nnot have in mind just to administer this organization, \"\nhe said. He added that he understands his limitations\nand will not exceed them but that he believes he will\nuse his powers in \"the right way. 11\nThe International Press Institute criticized U Thant\nfor withdrawing the news accreditation of the\nNationalists calling the decision \"a serious restric-\ntion of the free flow of information. \"\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n6\nCHINA\nCBS AM News had film of ex-Chinese prisoner\nHarbert who returned home for Xmas. She said\nthat the Chinese officially announced that RN was\ncoming to China and the Chinese people around her\nfelt that it would reduce tensions. She said they\nwere very eager to know how she felt about the\ntrip. Asked what she would tell young Americans\ndisenchanted with this country, she said she would\ntell them \"they are very very lucky to be here. 11\nMIDEAST\nRogers listed as #2 in US foreign policy gains the\nmaintenance of the ceasefire in the Mideast. He\nsaid the US was acting \"hopefully to bring about a\nsuccessful conclusion\" of the Mideast conflict.\nDiplomatic sources report, according to UPI, that\nRussia has increased its air power in Egypt in\nrecent months by as much as 50%. The sources\nsaid that despite reports to the contrary, Russians\nare still manning the SAM 3s.\nOther comments by Secy. Rogers: ABC's Koppel\nsaid that in contrast to Rogers' blunt remarks on\nVN the Secy. \"trod softly'' on US-USSR relations\nsaying they had improved and that RN's trip is\nstill on.\nThe wires indicate he appeared unusually\nfavorable towards the Soviet-sponsored European\nSecurity Conference\nHe said the US was \"hopeful\"\nfor a successful conclusion to SALT\nHe said\nthat the US supports the idea of self-determination\nbut acted in its own self interest in its alliance with\nPortugal and that the US was looking forward to a\nvisit by Sato because \"we have a lot to talk about. 11\nThe Okinawa reversion treaty was listed as one of the\ntop 10 achievements of '71.\nFOREIGN MISCELLANY: Christian Dem, Giovanni Leone fell one vote short\nof winning the Italian Presidency after the closest\nand most dramatic ballot by Parliament in any\npresidential race\nPM Heath flew secretly to N.\nIreland to visit British troops locked in a struggle\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n7\nwith the IRA.\nJDL's Meir Kahane says his group\nwill begin harassing Syrian diplomats in N. Y. next\nweek.\nAn AP feature scheduled for Tues. leads: \"A\ncontinent-wide drive for greater independence from\nthe US, Brazil's relentless push to world power\nstatus, and Chile's \"road to socialism\" are the\ndominating factors for Lat. America on the threshold\nof '72. The emergence of a growing call for more\nindependence was for the most part fueled by the US\nsurcharge and the cutback in foreign aid.\nFranco's\neldest granddaughter was officially engaged to a\nmember of the Spanish Royal Family. Political\nsources said the engagement was a love match and\nheld little political significance despite the names\nthat are involved.\nINTERNATIONAL\nSecy. Rogers said RN was prepared to lift the\nECONOMY\nsurcharge \"product-by-product\" to relax the\ninjury that the US economic recovery program had\ncaused to Latin America.\nAP reports that some\nWall Streeters are happily speculating about the\npossibility of $2B-$3B in foreign capital moving into\nthe US Stock Market to fuel a big rally. One reason\nis that US stocks, like US cars and other goods, will\nbe less expensive. But another and more important\nreason is that there is a more buoyant feeling about\nthe international trade picture and worldwide economic\ngrowth. Experts don't see a big Trans-Atlantic switch\nuntil after the 1st of the year\nThe new $ rode high\nand very close to its highest permitted price for the\n3rd consecutive trading session in some European\nmarkets\nMax Lerner states that the Smithsonian\nagreement was notable and the real drama lay in the\ncontrast between the futile exercise over Ind-Pak at\nthe UN and the G-10 achievement. The crucial figure,\nif not the hero, is Connally. His initial roughness seems\nalmost forgotten. And tho the Russians are chagrined\nthat agreement came out of reason the US is relieved\nthat the $ has been devalued without chaos. If RN and\nConnally can be as successful on the domestic economic\nfront they will be President and VP until '76. \"If they\ndon't they will go down as the most deceptive razzle-\ndazzle team in US history, 11 says Lerner.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n8\nRN-HOFFA\nAll nets led noting RN's granting of clemency to\nHoffa, requiring only that he refrain from union\nmanagement until 1980, followed by footage of the\nformer labor leader leaving the prison.\nAsked on film if he thought RN's action was politically\nmotivated to get the Teamsters support and whether\nhe supports RN, Hoffa replied, \"I will determine what-\never I'm going to do politically after I learn what the\nrestrictions are on my parole. 11\nAsked whether he would later seek to return to\nleadership of the union, Hoffa laughed, then turned\nserious and replied: \"I have no intention of returning\nto the Teamsters. The leadership is in good hands.\nFitzsimmons is doing a good job. 11\nA Justice spokesman said he could not interpret the\ncondition that Hoffa not engage in the direct or indirect\nmanagement of any labor organization when asked if\nthis would bar him from involvement with either the\npension fund or acting as a union consultant. He also\ndid not know if there would be any effect on Hoffa's son\nand wife continuing their Teamster ties\nABC and\nCBS both noted the emnity between RFK and Hoffa.\nRather reported that no one in Washington was surprised\nwhen the announcement came since the release has been\nrumored since RN took office. Rather said that Hoffa\nhas always believed that his imprisonment was a result\nof RFK's hatred for him. And RN is said to agree with\nthat assessment. Rather also noted that the Teamsters\nhave often defended RN policy and that Fitz is a\nfrequent visitor at the WH -- the latter said to be,\nthe labor leader RN likes best. The clemency order,\nas is custom, offers no reasons for the action but RN\nwas said to have taken the action because \"he thought it\nright.\n11 concluded Rather\nABC noted, as did the\nother nets, that Hoffa was a model prisoner adding that\nRN may have expedited the request to include Hoffa on\nthe pre-Christmas list.\nOnly Cronkite noted that RN\nreleased 253 other prisoners.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n9\nCBS also had footage of Hoffa's daughter who said the\nfamily has forgotten its bitterness in their current joy.\nUAW's Woodcock said justice had been served by the\nparole\n\"This is the finest Christmas present our\nfamily could ever have, 11 beamed son James Hoffa.\n\"We are gratified by the President's action. 11\nTeamster VP Harold Gibbons praised RN's commutation\nof the Hoffa sentence\nGibbons said there were no\nimmediate plans for a welcome by the union in St. Louis\nfor Hoffa, who was to fly here to spend the Christmas\nholidays with his family. And Detroit labor leaders\ncelebrated Hoffa's release with champagne and\nfestivities which lasted into the night. They praised\nRN for displaying the spirit of the Christmas season.\nThe political implications of the action, however,\nwere not ignored, reports UPI. \"I hope this was not\na political move for votes, 11 said Tom Turner, Pres.\nof the Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO Council. \"I hope\nthis was based on long consultations with Hoffa's legal\ncounsel and the parole board. 11\nRN - CANCER\nNBC and CBS provided film of the signing; NBC noted\nthat RN thought the bill so significant that he called in\nreporters and officials to witness the signing - and he\ngave pens from the signing to EMK and the head of the\nCancer Society\nAll nets also noted that more\nAmericans will die this year of cancer than all in\nWW-II. Footage of RN stating that he did not want\nto raise false hopes, only offer hope that all that can\nis being done. On NBC film he also said that he hopes\nthat history will look back on this signing as the most\nsignificant action taken during this Admin.\nAP leads \"RN signed legislation launching a $1. 6B\nfederal crusade to conquer cancer. He said it is the\nstart of an unprecedented effort to eliminate \"a long\nshadow of fear that darkens every corner of the\nearth.\n11\nAnd UPI reports: \"RN signed into law a\n$1. 6B program to find a cure for cancer and declared\nthat if it succeeds the measure will be \"the most\nsignificant action taken during this Admin. 11\nThe American Cancer Society said the act was \"a mile-\nstone in the long and difficult effort to find the causes\nand cures of cancer. 11\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n10\nOTHER ADMINISTRATION\nRN issued a Christmas season forecast that\nevents in '72 will be a great step forward toward\nworld peace. As he received an advance copy of Pope\nPaul's New Year's Day peace message, RN said the\nfulfillment of the Pope's efforts for peace \"would be\nthe best Christmas present to the world. 11\nRN\nappointed John Eugene Sheehan to be a member of the\nFed Board of Govs\nA spokesman for the Fed said\nBurns \"is very pleased with the appointment and\nbelieves Mr. Sheehan will make a valuable contribution\nto the work of the Board. 11\nToday's Health presents a straight view of the respon-\nsibilities of Dr. Tkach and his staff. Note that Tkach\nis never very far from RN no matter where in the\nworld he is and that Tkach plans to take his whole\nstaff to the PRC. RN, it is emphasized, is in\nsplendid health.\nECONOMY\nNBC noted that Secy. Rogers told how much progress\nwe have made in trade negotiations and Rumsfeld\nwas on hand to tell how much inflation has been\nreduced. Irving R. Levine said Admin officials seem\nto be making a concerted effort to spread Christmas\ncheer in the form of good economic news. But there\nseems to be more hope than evidence. A clip of\nRogers followed saying we will continue to move\nforward in trade negotiations. Levine then said that\ndespite hope trade isn't going very well; Japan has\ninterrupted its talks to study its position and the\nCanada and EEC negotiations are barely moving.\nWhen the US removed the surcharge, said Levine,\nit lost much of its trade negotiation leverage. Admin\nofficials note there is still a moral obligation for our\nallies to break the trade barriers but even they wonder\nif the moral pressure is enough.\nDan Schorr provided a straight rundown on CLC rulings\nand then noted that Rumsfeld was \"unusually cautious\nin claiming success. 11 Footage of Rumsfeld stating\nit's too early to make a firm prediction on success but\nthat he personally believes we will meet the 2-3%\ninflation rate by the end of '72. Schorr concluded that\nthe Admin isn't sure how well the controls are working\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n11\nbut they are optimistic. He noted that after the first\nthe controls \"machine\" will have to deal with rules\n(retroactivity) the Admin didn't want.\nCLC called the Nov. COL figures encouraging but\nadded that larger increases would be recorded in the\ncoming months \"reflecting some of the pressures which\nbuilt up during the freeze.\n11\nUPI leads: \"It now\nappears that inflation, dealt a stinging tho not fatal\nblow by RN's economic controls, will close out '71\nat a markedly reduced rate compared to '70. 11\nAP's Neikirk leads: \"After claiming success for\ntrimming the rate of inflation during the freeze, the\nAdmin is now bracing for a temporary surge in the\nCOL. RN advisers say they fully expect the inflation\nsurge to take place as the nation's economy moves\nthru the transition from freeze to thaw. \"\nCBS noted Secy. Stans said that Xmas sales appear\nto be registering the biggest annual gain in 5 years --\nan estimated 8-9% over '70.\nThe CLC announced it does not plan to impose any con-\ntrols over interest rates \"at this time, 11 the CLC is\nformulating a voluntary program.\nWright Patman\nsaid the Admin's refusal to put controls on interest\nrates is \"a sorry holiday greeting to millions of\nconsumers\" and a violation of Congressional intent.\nPacific Coast longshoremen agreed to extend their\npresent contract until Jan. 10, heading off a possible\nresumption of the 100-day strike on Christmas Day.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n12\nWELFARE\nABC and CBS noted that McGovern proposed that\nthe Gov't send everyone in the country - million-\naires and paupers alike -- a monthly check to\nsupplement his earnings, up to $4,000 annually\nfor a family of 4. He said the idea was to eliminate\npoverty, do away with the current welfare system\nand tax the rich to meet the needs of the poor.\nCBS noted that the Sen. conceded he hadn't worked\nout the details but did know the income tax would\nhave to be raised to pay for it\nNY City and\nPennsylvania joined the National Welfare Rights\nOrg. and several poor people in suing USDA to\nstop cuts in the food stamp program.\nEDUCATION\nNBC had film from Newark where a mixture of\n'bright, earnest young 11 people and \"gentle\"\ngrandmother types were among the group of 128\nteachers who chose Xmas to spend in jail for\ncontempt of court. In 1970 this group refused to\nobey a court-order to stop their strike and on film\nthey expressed their unhappiness with spending\nXmas in jail. (They chose this holiday so they\nwouldn't miss school. )!\nM. Stanton Evans for Spectrum on CBS AM News\nsaid that the US has grown accustomed to curious\nrulings by our courts but one of the most difficult\nto take is the California ruling that property tax\nshould not be used to finance schools. Evans notes\nthat this is \"equalitarianism gone wild\" and as we\ndetermine that equal protection is only possible\nwhen a community is reduced to an equal then we\nwill be receiving everything from Washington.\nEvans said the whole concept should be resisted.\nFCC\nThe FCC dropped its investigation of the Bell\nTelephone system's investment and operating ex-\npenses, frankly conceding it lacked the resources\nfor the job. The action was deplored by 2 com-\nmission members as it means that AT&T need\nnot undergo a lengthy financial probe to determine\nrate increases.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n13\nChairman Burch and Commissioners Lee and Reid\nvoted to drop the financial study. Bartley con-\ncurred with \"deep regret\", suggesting that Congress\nor some special task force under FCC agencies\nshould undertake the study.\nNBC had footage of Burch explaining that the agency\nhad neither the manpower nor the money and you\nhave to ask how much is going to be accomplished.\nDo we want domestic satellites or to look into ex-\npense accounts? Nick Johnson followed stating that\nregulatory agencies are dominated by those they're\nsupposed to regulate -- its \"preposterous. 11 NBC\nnoted that FCC does have a \"modest\" budget and\nhas added only 50 employees in 10 years. Mean-\nwhile AT&T has quadrupled in that period. --\nBut he concluded by noting that AT&T seems to\nbe too complex to regulate\nCronkite also noting\nthe action reported that FCC (in the area involved)\nhas 162 employees compared to 3M with Bell. FCC\nhas a $1M budget; AT&T assets are $4B.\nDRUGS\nCBS AM News had footage of US Army Dr. (Forest\nTennat) who is taking a new approach to GI drug\nuse. He is instructing GIs on how to use drugs.\nWithout encouraging the drug use, (tho the GIs were\ntold marijuana was relatively harmless on film)\nthe Dr. tells them that hashish is dangerous and tells\nthem how to take the drug so as not to be destroyed\nby it. Drugs taken intraveniously are discouraged.\nTennat is traveling the GI bases and estimates that\nhospitalization due to drugs has been reduced by\n2/3 since September.\nVA Administrator Donald Johnson said the drug\nproblem among the US military is far from ex-\nclusively a VN war problem. He also said \"a\nyear ago, specially staffed and equipped drug\ntreatment centers were not much more than an\nidea. Today, we have 32 such centers in operation,\ncapable of treating upwards of 6, 000 drug addicted\nvets a year, in addition to facilities at VA hospitals.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n14\nCRIME\nSevareid commented on the fact that retailers are\nlosing 3 1/2B in shoplifting yearly in all parts of\nthe country; all segments of society. He said we\ndon't know what to do about it then reminisced\nabout how candy-pinching kids used to get a strong\nright hand on the rear. And that might again be\nthe answer.\nA jury acquitted Elmer Pratt, Southern California\nleader of the Panthers and 11 other defendants of\nconspiracy to commit murder and assault with\ndeadly weapons on police officers. The jury did\nfind Pratt and 8 others guilty of conspiracy to\npossess illegal weapons including a machine gun.\nENVIR ONMENT\nNBC reported on the attempt to reverse the environ-\nmental destruction going on at Lake Tahoe where\nthe town council agreed to limit population and\nbuilding in the resort.\nMISCELLANY\nThe Supreme Court announced that it will hear\narguments in January on challenges to the death\npenalty and other tough cases postponed until\nthere was a full bench.\nABC reported from Magra, Wisconsin, a traditionally\nprosperous town, which is about to lose the Kimberly-\nClark Mill that made it that way. (K-C is selling).\nTrue community spirit has emerged as company,-\nemployee and financially uninvolved residents are\ntrying to find new investors for the Mill\nReasoner\ntook the opportunity with his comment to talk of\nreturning Christ to Christmas by recognizing the\nmiracle in the bringing of Christ to the world as\na child.\nPOLITICS\nAll nets noted Pete McCloskey became the 1st can-\ndidate to enter the NH primary. Pete said he hopes\nto lure RN up to NH to debate him on VN and truth\nin Gov't the 2 main issues as he sees it\nABC's Bill Lawrence looked in on the primary\nbattles and concluded that no Dem candidate has\nthe money or popularity to win all the primaries\nas JFK did. In fact the 1st 3 primaries could\nresult in 3 winners making for a bigger battle\nin Miami.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n15\nMcGovern, who said he has spent more than $1M\nrunning for President in the past year, proposed\nthat all candidates for the Dem nomination simul-\ntaneously disclose the sources and amounts of\ntheir campaign money.\nSen. Thurmond who went out on a political limb\nfor RN in '68 is busy these days counting the\nrewards for that campaign effort. Numerous\nFederal grants for S.C. and high government posts\nfor dozens of Thurmond's constituents have made\nthe Senator an example of RN's gratitude and of\nthe Senator's influence in the WH. \"Thurmond's\ngenerally considered the most influential S.\nCarolinaian in Washington since Jimmy Byrnes, 11\nsaid one S.C. political observer as Thurmond an-\nnounced the State's 4th Federal grant in 2 days.\nFrank Moss said that Margaret Smith's criticism\nof \"chronic absenteeism\" in the Senate could be\nbetter applied to VP Agnew. Moss said the VP\nhas been \"absent from his job more than 90% of the\ntime. 11\nJoe Califano, on NET, said Presidents need more\npower to run the country, including authority to\nraise and lower taxes and abolish or create new\ngov't dept's. , without congressional approval in\neach case. Califano, said the President is \"at an\nenormous disadvantage\" in domestic affairs. \"I\nthink the President should be allowed to organize\nhis government in whatever way he wants to, 11 he\nsaid. Asked if that would include authority to\nabolish USDA for example, he replied: \"Absolutely.\nAbsolutely. 11\nLindsay denounced what he called \"petty, carping,\nniggling little men and petty piranhas of the political\nmarketplace\" who have criticized his efforts to\ncontrol the police dept\nOmmited from the News\nSummary was the Tuesday Reasoner comment on\nGloria Steinhem's new mag. Ms. Reasoner said\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n16\nthat he knows that the most patronizing thing\nhe can say to the lady editors is that he's 'sorry''\nbut the mag isn't going to make it. Reasoner\nsaid that the libbers, in their 40 page introductory\nissue, \"said it all\" and now they will have to\nconsider articles on how to prepare an organic\nXmas dinner -- which is available in every other\nwomen's mag.\nA Bill Safire piece in the upcoming NY Times\nmag takes a humorous poke at Dem sloganeering.\nNoting the rush for campaign spending reform\nSafire suggests ''truth in sloganeering is overdue. 11\nHe asserts, tongue in cheek, that a slogan clear-\ninghouse might provide: \"Whoop for Scoop\" or\n\"Jackson Meany's Well¹; Mills Thrills\"; Humphrey:\n\"I'm not over the Hump\"; Muskie: \"Tall in the\nStraddle. 11 Those who say \"Nixon's through in '72''\ncould easily expect to be countered with ''Nixon sticks\ntill '76. 11\nFormer Ambassador Raul Castro of Tucson and\nPhoenix city councilman Ed Korrick were named\nto head Muskie's campaign org in Arizona.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum\n17\nLATE NEWS\nThe Acting President of Bangla Desh, said his\ngovernment wanted captured Pak Army Officials\nto stand trial as war criminals.\nNVN at first refused to accept the tapes brought\nby the pilot and newsman but later called and\ninvited them to meet with them (NVN). The\ntapes were accepted without a guarantee\nthe POW's actually would receive them. A\nspokesman for concern for POWs Inc. said\nthat acceptance of the tapes is believed to be\nthe result of recent accusations by US officials\nthat the NVN is deliberately obstructing communi-\ncations between POWs and their families.\nVC guerrillas ignored the start of their own\nXmas cease fire orders and attacked govt. militia\npositions in the Mekong Delta region of SVN.\nA UPI weekend feature leads: 11 An embattled\nUS auto industry, besieged by crities and\ngovernment regulations for more safety and less\npollution, by shrinking profits and sinking consumer\nconfidence, and by rising imports, goes into 1972\nhoping the corner is turned on all counts. Most\nindustry officials were optimistic that the new\nRN economic game plan would slow down the\neconomic forces pricing their products out of\ntheir own home market. 11\nThere will be no news summary Christmas day.\n#####\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum"
}