A Second Chance - CONCLUSION

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Other Administration Positions

(All excerpts taken from In My Defense by Robert F Kennedy, (c) 1984

Whitehouse Communications Director

Pat Caddell

Pat as the director of communications and deputy campaign manager during the 1976 campaign had handled it remarkably well in drowning out criticisms and attracting the youth vote. In order to fulfill that role during my Presidency, he was made Whitehouse Communications Director and even in the darkest of times did the best that anyone could have under the circumstances.

Whitehouse Chief of Staff

Richard M Daley

Illinois State Senator 1972-1977

Dick Daley Jr. was not my first choice for the job. However, the others that I had wanted for the job I had already sent off to their respective departments, such as Bill Clinton to Agriculture, and I settled on the son of Richard J Daley. Richard M Daley served in his capacity well, however there were a large number of mishandlings in 1979 that I would not like to repeat.

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National Security Adviser

Cyrus Vance

United States Secretary of the Navy 1965-1971
Deputy National Security Adviser 1971-1972
National Security Adviser 1972-1973

In order to bring on tried hands to help master the foreign policy landscape, family friend and former Navy Secretary Cyrus Vance was brought on as National Security Advisor. His years of experience in Jack's Adminsitration were a great asset to the difficult years ahead. However, no-one could have prepared for those years.

Secretary of the Navy

Stansfield Turner

President of the Naval War College 1972-1974

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[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'm most likely going to have a couple of flashbacks sprinkled throughout the upcoming posts concerning Cuba and Vietnam during the sixties or something like that. Not sure where it will lead, but I have some ideas.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

March 3rd, 1965
A conversation between former National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and Attorney General Robert F Kennedy.
Kennedy: One of the goals of the next eight years is to do what you and Tricky Dick never could. Take down Castro.
Kissinger: (in thick German accent) Be careful mister Attorney General. that was a can of worms that you dont want to open.
Kennedy: Oh, we're prepared to open it. Even if it takes years we're not going to tolerate Mr. Castro ninety miles from Florida.
Kissinger: One day, you may understand that the United States can tolerate and will have to tolerate Mr. Castro.
Kennedy: Just because Dick could get dick done in Cuba after three successive failures with it doesn't mean that it can't be done.
Kissinger: Talk to me again after 1969 when your brother is no longer President. We shall see.

March 16th, 1977
President Robert F Kennedy recalls the conversation from over twelve years ago. Looking over CIA reports and profiles of Kissinger, Nixon, and Castro.
Kennedy: Nixon couldn't do it, Jack was too concentrated on Vietnam. No more.
Kennedy picks up the Whitehouse phone.
Kennedy: Ms. Kopechne, could you put me on the line with CIA Director Richard Bissell? Thank you.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

March 20th, 1977

President Unveils Economic Recovery Package!

Yesterday on Capitol Hill at a press conference, President Kennedy unveiled his economic recovery package. It is a combination of middle class tax cuts, an economic stimulus, and new domestic spending. It is controversial on both sides of the aisle for its combination of one thing Republicans support and two things Democrats support. However, a majority of Democrats support and it is expected some moderate Republicans will sign on.
However, not all is well in response to it. Former President Bush today called it "a horrid combination of supply-side economics, keynesianism, and deficit spending". Meanwhile his former running mate, former Senator Ronald Reagan of California has said "While I can't say I'm against tax cuts, that doesn't mean I can rightly endorse the rest of the package. The domestic deficit spending will only increase the deficit and lead to more inflation which is the main problem right now".
Meanwhile, Senator Walter Mondale has privately exclaimed "It's about time!" given that the President has been in office for two months. The President has not yet responded to any of these comments.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

March 20th, 1977
The office of Treasury Secretary George Romney, where he is on the phone with former Vice-President Gerald Ford, a fellow Michiganian.
George: Listen! Jerry, they can call me whatever they want! I'm, I'm doing what's right!
Jerry: That's not what some Republicans are saying and I can't say I'm not agreeing with some of their comments.
George: L-look, I'm no traitor to the party! If the Republican Party is-is right, then it'll accomodate for me doing what's right!
Jerry: But this package isn't right! It'll destroy everything Bush worked for on inflation! The deficit will balloon again the way it was in the other Kennedy Presidency! That's what helped to create the recession in the first place!
George: I've been assured that the problems with the Great Society and welfare in general will be wrapped up by 1979.
Jerry: W-Well that's all fine and dandy! How's he going to do that? What's Kennedy going to pull out of his sleeve?
George: Jerry, it's been talked about since January. It's called welfare reform. We'll finally be able to put those people on the streets and back into jobs.
Jerry: Look, George. I have to go. We'll talk some other time.
George: Well, I'll be seeing you then.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Excerpt from the Lyrics to "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones (1968)

I shouted out,
"Who killed Integrity?"
When after all
It was you and me
(who who, who who)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Couldn't find any other songs that I know mentioning the Kennedys, so that's all for now. Any suggestions to songs that would change because of the political changes are welcome.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'm having a bit of a writer's block right now.

Is anyone still reading?

[Niemeyerite]

I'm having a bit of a writer's block right now.

Is anyone still reading?

ME

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

March 22nd, 1977
President Kennedy sits at the head of the table of a cabinet meeting. Assembled are Defense Secretary Jimmy Carter, Treasury Secretary George Romney, Labor Secretary Joe Biden, Agriculture Secretary Bill Clinton, and National Security Adviser Cyrus Vance.
    Kennedy: Obviously our "first one hundred days" haven't been up to snuff. We need to quickly and decisively say what we'll do with Palestine.
    Vance: Well, we can't just up and leave. We need to restore stability to the region or leave it in capable hands.
    Carter: What about the United Nations? Handing off responsibility for reconstruction and setting up an interim government to them would be ideal if we want to get out.
    Romney: **Sigh** It's not like Vietnam where if we needed to we could've left. We're basically supporting a government and we need to find a Palestinian leader who doesn't want to destroy us.
    Vance: As for the insurgency, I think we'd be able to destroy their support. Not popularly. They'd still have support from the radicals. I mean monetarily. Using the United Nations, we find out where the money's caiming from, because obviously the money needs to come from somewhere, and we freeze that person or that group's assets.
    Carter: Sounds like a good plan. We definitely need to get our boys out of that horrible place and do it as good as possible.
    Clinton: I know it's not my position to say as an Agriculture Secretary, but what about a grain embargo on countries supporting them? Places like, uh, well the places that support them.
    Carter: I really don't think we should use food as a weapon, personally.
    Kennedy: For the sake of the people of Palestine and Israel, and for our own troops, I think it'd be for the best that we issue a grain embargo.
    Vance: Regardless, we have to either beat the insurgents or merely get oru boys out. How are we going to do that? One option is a time-table for a withdrawal, possibly by June of next year.
    Kennedy: That's good. Jimmy, I want your staff to draw up prospective timetables, factoring in for each with a grain embargo, with a freeze of assets, with both, and without any of them. Get the figures and tracking on the assets from DCI Richard Bissell.

The discussion continues for quite some time. Later...

    Kennedy: Okay, I think we've talked about what we need. Now for the economy.
    Romney: I've been able to get some very weak moderate support for the package in the last two days. It mainly comes from people like Hatfield, Matthias, Percy, and Javitts. However, I might be able to get the two Bakers-Jim Baker from Texas and Howard Baker from Tennessee-to sign on. Even without those two the bill should be up for discussion within two weeks.
    Kennedy: Good. According to the morning paper, the market's rallied since the announcement. That's as good of news as any that we've been having.
    Biden: Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin is against it. I've talked to him repeatedly, but he's against the tax cuts which he's calling a drain on government funds.
    Kennedy: You're sure he won't budge?
    Biden: I don't think there's any sense trying to change his mind.
    Kennedy: How's Labor supporting this? They oughtta be damn happy about the money that's going to their members.
    Biden: Well, there's a difference between "oughtta" and "is". They haven't like you since you jailed Hoffa in 1969, and I don't think money in the pockets of any worker's going to make them happy. However, I've been able to build some bridges with smaller unions.
    Clinton: There are several farm groups and Senators from Western and Southern areas that aren't happy. My predecessor, Mr. Dole, though a Republican, was able to keep them happy with farm subsidies. They claim they aren't finding anything like that in the current version of the plan we're putting forth in Congress.
    Kennedy: I suppose something could be written in.

As the meeting draws to a close, some things have been accomplished in that meeting while other issues are left either un-addressed or still unsolved. Such is the nature of Washington cabinet meetings.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

April 4th, 1977
Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield (R-OR) has the floor in the Senate and begins speaking.
    Hatfield: ...[A]nd while I do applaud the President's economic stimulus package, he has shown no effort to end the current conflict in Palestine! I have frequently called the Pentagon and the State Department asking to see a time-table or a set of goals and nothing has come forth from either source! Other Senators have done the same! Kennedy came in with a promise to end this conflict, and nothing so far has come forth except for a brief statement (the Senator holds up a piece of paper with a couple of lines printed on it)!

Senator Hatfield today, protesting the President's inaction on the war in Palestine. the Oregon Senator is a rumored candidate for President in 1980 and has been a fiery critic of the last three Presidents-Bush, Agnew, and JFK. We asked him about a possible bid three years from now.

The camera switches to footage of Hatfield leaving the Senate followed by a reporter.
    Reporter: Senator Hatfield! Does today's criticism of the President foreshadow any possible Presidential bid?
    Hatfield: Of course there's always the possibility of a Presidential bid. However, right now I'm concentrating on doing what's right for the country, and that's getting our troops out of this disastrous war. Yes the death of Henry Jackson was a horrible thing. However, had President Bush looked at the data, I believe that he would have sided against this costly and bloody invasion.
    Reporter: How do you feel about other possible contenders, such as former Senator Reagan, former Attorney General John Ashbrook, and Senator Bob Dole?
    Hatfield: I believe they are all good men and I worked with both Reagan and Dole in the Senate. However, I don't believe that they are the right men at this time to represent the American People.
    Reporter: Then who would be?
    Hatfield: Eh...I'm not sure about that.


In the Oval Office, President Kennedy turns off the television after wathing the interview with Senator Hatfield. In the Oval Office are Secretary of Defense Jimmy Carter, Senator John Connally, and former President John F Kennedy.
    Bobby: What do you think?
    Jack: Oh, he's running, no doubt about it.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

June 18th, 1977
The office of Director of Central Intellgience Richard Bissell. The Directors sits and talks of Navy Secretary Stansfield Turner.
    Bissell: Listen, the President, right now, is handling a lot of things. The economy, the war in Palestine, and foreign affiars. For the past few months he's had my team working not only on our usual functions, but on finding out as much as possible about a tiny island ninety miles off Florida.
    Turner: I thought that issue was settled after Nixon's failure.
    Bissell: Some things never die.
    Turner: Well, I haven't been in contact with the President. What does he plan to do? I haven't heard everything through Carter either.
    Bissell: That's the thing. This is supposed to be a CIA operation, but-
    Turner: What's supposed to be a CIA operation? You haven't mentioned any proposed operation yet.
    Bissell: The President and I both feel that it's time to...take out this possible threat. You know, after Nixon's failure at ousting Castro, they're not really afraid of us down there and the Soviets don't really have anything stopping them from trying to put missiles there again. After all, Cuba pretty much dropped off the radar in 1963 after the last incident. We were just too afraid of another humiliation after that.
    Turner: Why didn't JFK do anything? He wanted Castro gone.
    Bissell: JFK was a dying man while in the Presidency and still is. Have you seen footage of him from June of 1965 onward? He's got Addison's disease. That rumor proved true. Vietnam was enough of a drain on him, let alone dealing with a Republican controlled Congress and a small recession in his last two years.
    Turner: Was it just that much of a non-issue by 1973, or were we still afraid? Agnew and Bush did nothing.
    Bissell: Agnew was concentrated on power, wealth, and the economy. Bush was happy to play detente with the Soviets and China and get us into a war in Palestine. Now we have a chance.
    Turner: I'll have to talk to Carter about this.
    Bissell: That's exactly the opposite of why you were asked here. This is to be a CIA operation in conjunction with the Navy and the Marines. We'll be using CIA intelligence and agents, but Naval technology and assistance from the marines.
    Turner: Okay. Is there any concrete plan set in place?
    Bissell: Not yet. We're still reviewing intelligence and working on building a spy network inside Cuba.
    Turner: Well, contact me whenever you need Navy planning and tech on board.
    Bissell: Good. And remember, this is not to go anywhere above the Navy. Carter and Brzezinski aren't supposed to know about this, and I'm not sure on whether Vance will be included. No leaks!
    Turner: Got it.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Well, I finally got to page 32. Any comments?

[Niemeyerite]

Well, I finally got to page 32. Any comments?

congratulations!!! But I think you'll get to page 100 soon haha...
about the TL.. I really like those conversations between politicians (specially if they are democrats and their surname is kennedy hahaha).

[Person Man]

Bump. 17 years of a timeline. Not bad.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Bump. 17 years of a timeline. Not bad.

Well, I finally got to page 32. Any comments?

congratulations!!! But I think you'll get to page 100 soon haha...
about the TL.. I really like those conversations between politicians (specially if they are democrats and their surname is kennedy hahaha).

Thanks. Hopefully I'll update this soon. Maybe even today. I'm trying to figure out how to move it along to 1980 and the things I want to happen in between.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

July 13th, 1977
In the Oval Office, President Kennedy sits across from a man he thought that he would never find himself in any alliance with. However, politics and the Presidency can lead to several strange alliances.
    Goldwater: Mr. President. Why did you call me here?
    Kennedy: I know you had somewhat of a friendship with Jack despite political differences, and I need a favor to be carried out and you, with your knowledge of the Pentagon and of the Senate, can help me.
    Goldwater: **Sigh** A lot of time has passed since Jack left office. How's he doing?
    Kennedy: (eyes turn downward) Not good. Addison's is eating him away. The Presidency did irreparable harm there.
    Goldwater: Well, I'm sorry to here that. I remember watching that happen to him as well...  Anyway, what favor do you need?
    Kennedy: 1960's and 1970's spending left our economy in horrible shape in 1974 through 1975. And- and I'm not going to just say it was Agnew and Nixon, it was Jack too. I- I'll admit that. However, the fact is that we need to, in Agnew's words "Whip Inflation Now". I know you voted against the stimulus that's been pushed. However, I think you'll find this much more enticing.
    Goldwater: What? My interest is growing.
    Kennedy: The military. Yes, I know we need our nation's defenses. However, I view this as a reasonable thing that just about every person can sign on to. We need to reform the military, get rid of the billion dollar wastes that keep coming up. We also need to re-organize the chain of command.
    Goldwater: These are reforms I've always supported.
    Kennedy: Good. Hopefully this will help to save money in the future and dig us out of this horrible hole that we've been digging. I believe you know Congressman Rumsfeld of Illinois?
    Goldwater: Heh. Yes. He endorsed me in 1964 and 1968. I specifically remember accidentally pronouncing his name "Rumsfield" when I visited his district. He later told me he was glad in 1964 because his seat was in danger, and he didn't want to be too identified with the right-wing nutcase people saw me as. Yes, yes I know him. He was instrumental in getting rid of the draft in 1974.
    Kennedy: Good. I've been talking with him and he's very interested in this. He's also interested in working with the defense department to craft a "winning strategy" for Palestine. He's noted some of the mistakes in Vietnam. Despite winning, there were ways we could've wrapped it up sooner, I admit.
    Goldwater: I'm wondering why you asked me to work on this. Why not Hatfield or Percy, good moderate Republicans?
    Kennedy: Let me tell you. Hatfield's impossible to work with because he's too damned concentrated on winning a Presidential election in 1980. Percy, well, he doesn't carry the same weight as you. You've been the Conservative poster boy since 1960 at least, you've been Secretary of Defense, and you'd bring in Conservative support. Can you imagine Conservatives saying "Well, I'll sign on because Hatfield's signing on"? However, I believe you can bring them in. Besides, I think that there are already people willing to vote for this including Hatfield and your son, Barry Jr. from California.
    Goldwater: Well, I guess now you have two Goldwaters to give you hell.
    Kennedy: (smiles) Well, I think I can handle both of you. Be seeing you.
    
Goldwater and Kennedy exchange farewell greetings and Goldwater departs.

It was in that meeting, on a cloudy, gray June day, that the Goldwater-Rumsfeld act was born. It would accomplish more in the way of military reforms and budget control since Eisenhower and possibly every, and more than the following two Presidents were able to accomplish. However, within two years, accomplishments like that would soon be overshadowed.

-In My Defense, Robert F Kennedy, (c) 1984

Senator Goldwater and President Robert F Kennedy discussing the Goldwater-Rumsfeld Act

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

August 2nd, 1977
At a press conference in Washington DC, Congressman Donald Rumsfeld addresses a crowd of reporters.
    Rumsfeld: Ladies and gentlemen. It is my proud duty to be the one to announce that a  bill calling for reform of the military entailing re-organization of the chain of command, review of spending projects, and cutting of wasteful spending will be taking place. Therefore, wihtin two weeks, the Goldwater-Rumsfeld Act will be introduced to the House of Representatives. Thank you.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Given that I'm not too sure on what to do to advance the timeline, I'll go into rankings and lists for a little bit:

Presidents from "A Second Chance" ranked best to worst

John F Kennedy (D-MA) 1965-1973; Ranked Average, Above Average
George HW Bush (R-TX) 1974-1977; Ranked Average
Richard M Nixon (R-CA) 1961-1965; Ranked Below Average
Spiro T Agnew (R-CA) 1973-1974; Ranked Below Average, Bad

As you can see, there hasn't really been a "great" President so far, at least since Eisenhower or FDR, but the way both JFK and Bush are viewed historically will change over time. nixon and Agnew I'm not so sure about.

As for ranking the Presidents Conservative to Liberal, that migth not be so easy as the Presidents have strayed close to the center on certain issues, and JFK might be more Conservative on foreign policy than say Bush, but more fiscally Liberal than him. Therefore, I'll try to withold ranking until there's more contrast (around the eighties or nineties) between leaders.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

List of United States Senators from Massachusetts (as of 1977)

Class 1, starting 1947

Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R) 1947-1953
John F Kennedy (D) 1953-1964
Edward M Kennedy (D) 1964-Present

Class 2, starting 1945

Leverett Saltonstall (R) 1945-1967
Edward Brooke (R) 1967-1973
Robert F Kennedy (D) 1973-1976
vacant 1976-1977
Elliot Richardson (R) 1977-Present

Notes
John F Kennedy: Resigned in late 1964 to take the Presidency, Edward M Kennedy (brother to John F Kennedy) was appointed to his position by the Governor
Robert F Kennedy: Resigned in late 1976 to take the Presidency, Elliot Richardson [former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1967-1973) and United States Transportation Secretary (1973-1977) was appointed by the Governor]


List of United States Senators from California (as of 1977)

Class 1, starting in 1959

Clair Engle (D) 1959-1964
Glenn M Anderson (D) 1964-1965
Ronald W Reagan (R) 1965-1976
Barry Goldwater Jr. (R) 1976-Present

Class 3, starting 1953

Thomas Kuchel (R) 1953-1969
Edmund G "Pat" Brown Sr. 1969-1974
Edmund G "Jerry" Brown Jr. 1974-Present

Notes
Claire Engle: Died in office, Glen M Anderson (at that time the California Lieutenant Governor) was appointed by Governor Pat Brown to the position
Barry Goldwater Jr.: After Reagan was nominated for Vice-President at the 1976 Republican National Convention, he dropped his re-election bid. The Republicans in turn nominated Congressman and Reagan family friend Barry Goldwater Jr. to the position, which he won in 1977. Before taking Goldawter's taking office, Reagan resigned so as to give Goldwater seniority in the new Senate.
Edmund G "Pat" Brown Sr.: After losing re-election to a third term to Robert Finch (formerly United States Secretary of Health, Welfare, & Education 1961-1965), Brown went on to win against incumbent Republican Senator Thomas Kuchel in 1968. In 1974, he announced his retirement and his son, the California Secretary of State Edmund G "Jerry" Brown Jr. would be elected to the office. Upon his son's election, Pat Brown would resign so as to give his son seniority in Congress.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

List of Governors of California as of 1977

32. Edmund G "Pat" Brown Sr. (D) 1959-1967
33. Robert Finch (R) 1967-1971
34. Charlton Heston (D) 1971-Present

List of Governors of Texas as of 1977

38. Price Daniel (D) 1957-1963
39. John B Connally (D) 1963-1967
40. John G Tower (R) 1967-1973
41. Henry Grover (R) 1973-1975
42. Lloyd Bentsen (D) 1975-Present

List of United States Senators from Texas as of 1977

Class 1 (starting 1957)

Ralph Yarborough (D) 1957-1971
George HW Bush (R) 1971-1973
vacant 1973
James Baker (R) 1973-Present

Notes
James Baker: After Bush's ascension to the Vice-Presidency, the seat remained vacant until after a special election in March in which James Baker was elected and immediately sworn in.

Class 2 (starting 1949)

Lyndon B Johnson (D) 1949-1973
John B Connally (D) 1973-Present

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

August 17th, 1977
Rancho del Cielo, "the Reagan Ranch", in California
Senator Barry Goldwater of the neighboring state of Arizona arrives at the Reagan Ranch just as former Senator Reagan returns from a horseride.
    Goldawter: Hello!
    Reagan: (climbing off horse) Hey, Barry! (walks over to Goldwater) I heard you and Rummy caused quite a stir on capital hill.
    Goldawter: Yeah, a bunch of the Senators on both sides, to my surprise, aren't taking to it. It'll need work.
    Reagan: Well, you can count on my support. From what I know, you'll have the votes of the two Senators from this state.
    Goldwater: Jerry Brown seems on board to the idea, and we all know how the 'other Barry' will vote.
    Reagan: Now, don't tell me you came all the way up here so you could say hi.
    Goldwater: In fact, I'm here because I was wondering what you think the next step will be, politically. I think Kennedy can finally get us away from the 'era of big government', but it'll require a solid Conservative to finally blow it into oblivion.
    Reagan: I've been considering a run since last year when Bush lost. People have said that I'm the 'heir apparent' to the nomination.
    Goldwater: Anything going on in the meantime? What about Governor of California?
    Reagan: I've been thinking about that too. But only if Heston doesn't run.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

After the defeat in 1976, George really didn't know what to do. He'd been in politics so long he wasn't sure what to do with his time. Mostly, he tried to  concentrate on getting back into business, calling up old clients, buying into the boards of several large corporations, and talking with Texas businessmen. However, politics would come calling back to him when his son, George W Bush, who by then we all called "W" (pronounced by many in the media as "Dubya"), told him he was planning on running for the House of Representatives, from Texas' 19th Congressional District.

Also, through business deals in Texas, George had met a businessman named Henry Ross Perot. Ross, as everyone called him, possessed a vague interest in politics, and even offered George a job, which was politely declined. It turned out that Ross was interested in possibly running for office at some point in the seventies or maybe the eighties. Though he had gained a reputation as the "biggest single loser in the stock market" in 1970, Perot had a good mind for business and he qas filled with quirky political ideas. Though Bush and I never really had huge agreements with his ideas, his striaght-forwardness was an interesting aspect of him. Perot would be-friend Bush and later be elected Congressman from Texas' 4th Congressional District and later US Senator.

Politics in the late seventies was a weird time to be in. At the same time, it seemed that the economy was sliding deepere into its recession, but slowly being rescued by the Kennedy administration policies. It was as if there were two seperate worlds-one where the economy was recovering and one where it seemed doomed. The monetary policies of Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker didn't seem to be helping, though he would later be vindicated.

As for the state of the Republican Party, no-one knew where it was headed. It seemed both the Rockefeller-esque Liberals in the party were unable to clinch the nomination, and the Goldwater/Reagan-led Conservatives couldn't do it either. At the same time it seemed that the moderates, led by George himself, had failed with the Agnew Administration and the loss in 1976. That left the party in a disarray and it seemed as if we all needed a leader to finally say "This is the way the party's going to go, and if you don't follow, you can leave". However, the Republican electorate itself seemed undecided as to who should be its 1980 nominee. Polling in mid-1977 showed three leading potential candidates: Former California Senator Ronald Reagan, Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, and former President Bush himself. People had continually asked George if he planned on running a second time. After all, he'd lost by a narrow margin and had been President less than three years. Everybody, including me, had said to the press that they were getting ahead of themselves, that the 1978 mid-terms hadn't even occured yet and they were talking about something three and a half years away. However, those would be a very long, arduous, three and a half years.

-What the Man was Made of, James Baker, (c) 1999

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

List of Governors of New York as of 1977

49. Nelson Rockefeller (R) 1959-1973
50. Malcolm Wilson (R) 1973-1974
51. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D) 1975-Present

Notes
Nelson Rockefeller: Rockefeller resigned in January of 1973 to become Secretary of State for hte Agnew Administration, a position he held until 1977 when Agnew's successor, George Bush, left office. After Rockefeller's resignation, his Lieutenant Governor Malcolm Wilson took office, losing his re-election bid to Daniel Patrick Moynihan,
Daniel Patrick Moynihan: Moynihan served as a sociologist to Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. In 1965 he became Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and left that position in 1973 when President John F Kennedy left office. From 1973 to 1974, he served as Ambassador to India, until resigning to run for Governor of New York.

List of United States Senators from New York as of 1977

Class I from 1959

Kenneth Keating (R) 1959-1968
Charles Goodell (R) 1968-1971
James L Buckley (C) 1971-Present

Notes
Kenneth Keating: Keating resigned from office in 1968 to become Ambassador to the Soviet Union for the Kennedy Administration.
Charles Goodell: Goodell was appointed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller after Keating's resignation.
James L Buckley: Buckley was elected in a tight three-way race in 1970, beating Goodell and the Democratic opponent. In 1976, Buckley was re-elected with the Republican endorsement, defeating Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D) in a very tight race.

Class 3 from 1957

Jacob K Javits (R) 1957-1975
Ramsey Clark (D) 1975-Present

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

September 3rd, 1977

"...And, come next year, I shall not be a candidate for re-election. I feel I have had a good two terms as Governor of this great state, and I hope that the people of this great state feel the same way. I have other interests, and I will be glad to move onto them, though I may return to politics in the future. Thank you." Thus were the words of California Governor Charlton Heston, leaving us all to wonder: who will be succeeding him? In fact, the names that have been traded around Sacramento earlier today are bigger than you might think. For the Republicans, such names include former Interior Secretary and Heston's predecessor to the Governorship, Robert Finch, as well as former Senator and Nixon Commerce Secretary Ronald Reagan. For the Democrats, one of the names to surprisingly come up was that of Senator Jerry Brown, who will not be up for re-election in 1978 and has served thus far less than three years. Other, smaller names include California Attorney General Evell J Younger and San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson-both Republicans. For the Democrats we may be seeing Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley run.

Over the last seven years, Heston has been a primarily moderate Governor. In the late 1970's, he was praised by Conservatives for his "law & order" stance against rioters. However, he has also worked a lot for urban development in Los Angeles and other cities. On social issue, Heston has a pro-life record on both abortion and capital punishment, saying "Every human life, no matter how small, how unseen, or how soiled, how dirtied, is still human". He has also worked to address the issues of abortion related to poverty and has made himself the enemy of Liberals for doing so. However, Conservatives haven't been that happy about his stance against capital punishment, claiming that he is spending tax payer money on paying for the food and shelter of murderers. Throughout his Governorship, he has made many political friends, including Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon, Congressman Jack Kemp of New York, and President Robert F Kennedy himself while Kennedy was in the Senate. He has also presided over two Presidential campaigns, in 1972 and 1976. Beloved by the people of California, it will take a good politician to fill his shoes.

Governor Charlton Heston will not be running for re-election come next year; Who will succeed him?