The Michigan Daily-Friday, July 18, 1980-Page 3
Convention Reports
.......................
Source says
Ford sought
to be 'deputy
president'
din
DETROIT (AP) - Gerald Ford
sought a role as a deputy president as
the price Ronald Reagan would have to
pay to bring the former president onto
the Republican ticket, a source close to
Reagan said yesterday.
The source also said Ford, in private
conversations with Reagan on Wed-
nesday, brought up the name of former
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in
the context of a discussion about "a
specific example of the kinds of people"
who might be considered for the
secretary's job. But he said Ford did
not require the return of Kissinger, with
whose policies Reagan disagrees.
-AMONG THE areas on which Ford
sought agreement, there were sticking
points over his interest in obtaining a
role in the National Security Council
and the Office of Management and
Budget, key bodies in the formulation of
foreign and domestic policy, according
to sources in both camps.
The Reagan source, who asked for
anonymity, said the role Ford en-
visioned as Reagan's vice president
would have been one of coordinating the
work of the NSC and budge office, ser-
ving as a "super director" of the White
House staff.
But in the end, said the source, the
talks broke up - and the "dream
ticket" of Reagan and-Ford fell with
them - not as the result of one insur-
mountable obstacle but because "the
president honestly felt this was not
something he should do."
FORD TOLD a reporter: "I didn't
want a traditional role. I wanted a
meaningful role. It didn't work out."
Reagan said yesterday had Ford
wanted the job on the terms available,
itwould have been his.
A Reagan floor whip at the
Republican National Convention, Rep.
Carroll Campbell of South Carolina,
said an agreement was blocked by "a,
list of demands" that Ford control the
NSC and budget office.
Another Reagan friend, Rep. Tom
Evans of Delaware, said Ford's aides
sought for him a veto on the
nominations of the secretaries of state,
defense and treasury and the budget
director in a Reagan administration.
THE SOURCE, reconstructing the
three meetings Reagan and Ford had
beginning Tuesday afternoon and en-
ding at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday -
minutes before Reagan decided to pick
George Bush as his running mate made
these points:
" The Reagan representatives, who
spent about two-and-one-half hours
with "the friends of President Ford,"
drew up a paper summarizing their
discussions. It was written by William
Casey, Reagan's campaign manager,
and typed by Reagan chief of staff Ed-
win Meese.
" Ford, as a former president and
former vice president, was well aware
of the ways in which a vice president
can be used, and misused, by a
president. Kissinger said Ford was
concerned about becoming a "fifth
Wheel" in the White House.
" Ford was always "pretty negative"
about the prospects of the talks' suc-
ceeding. This conforms .with a por-
trayal of Ford's skepticism by his own
aides and congressional friends of the
former president.
" Reagan was "generally amenable"
to a Ford role that could be charac-
terized as a "deputy president."
The meetings, which began Tuesday
night, brought together the brain trusts
of the two staffs. Meese, Casey and
Richard Wirthlin represented Reagan.
Ford sent Kissinger, former economic
adviser Alan Greenspan, former White
House aide John Marsh and his current
staff chief, Bob Barrett.
One friend of the Reagan camp said
Kissinger entered the talks negotiating CHICAGO NEWS VENDOR John Haupt looks over an early edition of the
for Ford and ended up "negotiating Chicago Sun-Times yesterday morning that declared GeraldFord the GOP
more for himself" by seeking a major vice presidential candidate. Later editions changed the headline, and
policy role in a Reagan administration, vendors reported collectors were buying every copy they could find.
Delegates regard O
platfr-mas 'gospel'
By SARA ANSPACH Drake is an anomaly among his colleagues. Reagan's
Speciatote Daily pragmatic choice of Bush for vice-president quashed any
DETROIT-There are those Republican delegates who doubts less conservative delegates may have had. Just about
are plessed with the party's platform and think Ronald everybody wants to see a solidly unified GOP, and in the
Reagan is a damned good choice for presidenthin November. interests of achieving that goal, they have put what they call
And then there are those who quote the platform as if it minor issues-the Equal Rights Amendment, the pro-life
were thehGospel and think Ronald Reagan is God, plank, andthe 30 per cent tax cut-aside.
THE LATTER MAKE up the majority. Liz Simms, a California delegate who favors freedom of
"No use joking about unity. We are two parties. One is choice in abortion and is a supporter of the ERA, says she
m oderatel ongrative nt.hWe trwisonrvativne s feels "very comfortable" with Reagan's choice of George
moderate," svative, the other s conservative Bush as his running mate. Bush's views are close to hers on
conservative," says George Jones, a self-proclaime~d thsiseythescerywcmenthmasram f
moderately conservative delegate from Kentucky. And he those issues, yet he is deny welcome in the mainstream of
admits the conservative conservatives have won hands down the party, she observes.
this year. THE OVERWHELMING majority of delegates say there
Buth nes iis no person who would make a better president than Ronald
But Jnes isn't upset at all. He's been a loyal Republican Reagan. They believe the Republican party and Reagan can
for 50 years and he certainly isn't going to squabble over a bring a moral, economic, and spiritual revival to America.
few minor issues. Above and beyond everything else, he "Under Reagan, I look for a term of respect for all our
wants to see Republican candidate Ronald Reagan in office friends in foreign countries," said an alternate from
next year. California who prefers to be called Mrs. Harry Sakjian.
THERE ARE VERY few defectors. But Timothy Drake, "The liberals say, 'if it feels good, do it.' You can't run
an Illinois delegate and long-time Republican is one who says your life that way. You can't run your country that way,"
the moderates have been trampled this year. "I don't feel the said Georgia delegate Rick Jordan. "Our platform will
platform represents the Republican party as a whole," he offer America a clear moral choice this time around."
says. He said he will probably vote for John Anderson next See MANY, Pages
fall.