Rockefeller, Nelson - General” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R
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The original documents are located in Box 25, folder “Rockefeller, Nelson - General” of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Ron Nessen donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Digitized from Box 25 of the Ron Nessen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library \' n,_ Es' I t)E;~(i l S (Loc_~ Pec...Le--12_ ~t is not to say that I wish the Congress would keep out of fo~eign affairs and that I want to run everything beyond the water's edge in my own way without legislative inte~ference. Under the Constitution, the Congress has a fundamental responsibility in the shaping of all broad matters of public policy, both foreign and domestic. Nobody knows that better than I do. But while the Congress, together with the President, makes foreign policy, only the Executive can execute it. I seek a coalition of confidence with the new Congress and there is no area in which this is more critical than in the national response to the crisis of ene~gy. In Cyprus, the United States has long sought to mediate between two valued allies in order to secure the independence of territorial integrity of that strategic __:1.!!_1\d_. A new negotiation scheduled to bring together the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey in a meeting with Secretary Kissinger in Brussels this week broke down because of Congressional insistence that military assistance to Turkey be terminated. This action, I am convinced, is a self-inflicting wound. It will seriously impair our relatione with a v~ued ally and achieve no benefit whatsoever. MORE ,, My great admiration for Nelson Rockefeller is very well known. I selected him for Vice President because I respected his judgment, experience and ability. I wanted a "good partner" for a Vice President and he exceeded my expectations. He has done a fine job in every way. \ B~th of us in these coming months will be submitting i \ ourselves to the will of the delegates to the Republican National Convention in 1976. I am confident both of us can convince the delegates that individually and as a team we should be •nominated. // ' 1Mr. President - You haven't answered the question as to whether... you're dumping Rockefeller." The President -- I have answered the question. I will be for the Vice President for renomination. The delegates will make the decision. " ,__ THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON April 11, 1975 Mr. President: Here is a transcript of what Vice President Rockefeller actually said during the NBC interview. The earlier quote "blood on their hands" was phoned to us by NBC but as you can see by the attached transcript, the Vice President never said it. Therefore, no White House reaction is needed or will be given. Ron Nessen Attachment THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON June 16, 1975 Excerpt from May 19, 1975 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS interview: QUESTION: You do want Mr. Rockefeller to run with you? THE PRESIDENT: I said he would be a good partner and he has proven to be a good partner, and I see no reason to change. July 9, 1975 PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT IMPROMPTU PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT, ATLANTA, GEORGIA Wednesday, July 9, 1975 1:00 P.M. QUESTION: The President said that he will be running a separate ca~paign from yours. How do you react to that? THE VICE PRESIDENT: I am not running a campaign. I have taken a position riqht along that I was not a candidate, that I am Vice President of the United States, nominated by Mr. Ford, approved by the House~ that when Mr. Ford is nominated by the Republican Party as candidate for the Party for election, it will then be by tradition in this country his responsibility to indicate whom he would like to have run with him. Up until that time he should be under no constraints and should have complete freedom. QUESTION: Mr. Callaway also·said that you are not. THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. Callaway went further. QUESTION: He went somewhat further. He said he would not be going to the delegates to ask them to vote for Mr. Ford and Mr. Rockefeller, but for Mr. Ford, period. THE VICE PRESIDENT: That is exactly what I said. There is no difference at all in my position and his. We see eye to eye on this matter. He is a very good friend of mine and I understand exactly what he is saying, namely, that the nomination is of the President or for the President of the United States. linen the President is nominated by tradition in both parties over 200 years the President then at that time, ".at that moment, indicates whom he would like to have run with him, who he feels would be the best person. As far as whether I think that he will select me, that is something I don't want to comment on because I don't think he should be bound. I don't want to put any pressure on him at all. QUESTION: Don't Mr. Callaway's comments, though, indicate to you or at least opening the door for President Ford MORE *Meant to say Congress Page 2 to drop you from the ticket? THE VICE PRESIDENT: Listen, I have opened the door for President Ford to do that from the beginning by not being on the ticket as far as I was concerned. I think that is the way it should be. I have said that, as you know, for six months. QUESTION: Do you intend to start a campaign? THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I don't. QUESTION: You do not intend to have a campaign? THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, rna' am. I am not a candidate. Have you ever heard of anyone running for Vice President? QUESTION: They said you would be running separate campaigns giving the impression -- THE VICE PRESIDENT: Who is "they"? QUESTION: Mr. Callaway. THE VICE PRESIDENT: Is that what he says? Who is reading the quote? I am not going to run a campaign. QUESTION: Do you have a particular Southern strategy that you would like to use yourself to assure yourself of a spot on the ticket? THE VICE PRESIDENT: No. I am not trying to. I am not running a campaign. I am Vice President designated by the President, approved by the Congress. We now go back to the elective process. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment will not apply. I am here to help Mr. Ford and the country in any way I can. Mr. Ford, when he is nominated, will then· indicate to the convention whom he would like to have on the ticket with him. MORE Page 3 QUESTION: Mr. Callaway says that the reason he is saying this is that he does not want to alieniate people who might be opposed to you. Do you feel that you have substantial opposition, especially in the South? THE VICE PRESIDENT: I haven't seen Mr. Callaway's statements. So I don't know what he said. I have taken this position for six months. That is a very fundamentally based position which I think (blank spot on tape) assuming the nomination by the party as your assumption is. So that that hasn't happened yet. Therefore, it is an iffy question, but President Ford is doing a fantastic job for this country. We are extremely fortunate in the fact that he appeared on the scene when he did, that he has restored confidence in government, that he has met the problems with the kind of courage that is seldom found in political figures. He is looking for the long-term best interests of the country and the American people and our position in the world and is not concerned about short-term political expediency, which is to me the ideal leader for a great nation. We have that leader in President Ford. QUESTION: Mr. Rockefeller, do you intend to -- THE VICE PRESIDENT: Excuse me. This lady has a follow-up . question. QUESTION: In other words, do you think the fact that you are Vice President now will have any negative effect whatsoever on Mr. Ford's candidacy? THE VICE PRESIDENT: I am not on the ticket. I am actually -- well, I am actually Vice President. The ticket will be only formed when he is nominated and then he indica.tes who he wants to run with him, based on his best judgment at that time, which is a year and a half from now, as to who would best serve the interest of the country as his running mate. He should be free at that point to make his decision. QUESTION: What was your reaction to testimony today~~ this hearing? MORE Page 4 THE VICE PRESIDENT: I thought this was a marvelous example of how our system works. I thought that it is tremendously interesting and useful toLhave this Commission created by the Congress, made up of Congressional and private citizens or local government and private citizens, and to have them come as we have been doing all over the country to various communities to listen to governors, to mayors, to local officials, to businessmen, to the public and, of course, to the ecologists.