Nothing that has happened since has changed that picture. And hes a very interesting character. Interesting isnt the right word. I did my best to undermine him. What did you do other than find john oneil . Probably called veterans organization. It was no black operation. I passed on information to reporters and others information that wasnt complimentary. Hes got this idea that i ran this big campaign. He said this in the 2004 electi election, he said the bush people are pulling all the stops out against me, now i have chuck dolson working against me. Bush had some long conversations with him. I wasnt involved in the campaign. Do not believe as a religious leader i should be involved in the campaign. Tell you what kind of a guy kerry is. This is interesting. May not be interesting. I went to the National Prayer breakfast in the early 90s. The speaker is never announced until the last moment. The speaker was announced john kerry. Kerry came in the mid 90s, and i was sitting two tables f
He could have a drink or two before dinner and always a bottle of wine, vintage wine, very good wine that he would save for himself and the other people at the table would be left with the drinks. I thought he went too far. There was never a time when i was with him was he not in complete control of his faculties. He was never dangerous. There were two or three phone calls, i suspect have been listened to when i thought he was over the edge. April 30th when he fired haldeman. He sure sounded it. One night he called me. I was up sitting with my dad, he was sick and he had just come back from russia. My dad had had a heart attack, i was in massachusetts, i get a call from the president at 2 00 in the morning. And he is incoherent. I couldnt make head nor tail out of what he was saying. He would Say Something and then slur off. I went to a neighbors house, and i said, i have to make a phone call and dont ask any questions. Its 2 00 in the morning. But i need to get a telephone, so i could
National committee, i would love to do. Or the labor department. I think those were the things, theyre in the file somewhere. I was the first one of the senior staff to be invited up to camp david for dinner with the president. So i come in, and its just very cheerful evening, the wine is flowing, and the steaks are great. Nixons talking about the great future. He says, chuck, if you want to stay, there will be the right position for you, but i think youd be wonderful in the cabinet, maybe General Council of Republican National committee and you could be my outside adviser, help me from the outside so i was beginning to get a sense of things. Paul was sitting there nodding and so when we left that evening and went back to our lodge, i said, what does this mean . I said, does he want me to stay or not . Bob says, i think you should go. You can do better on the outside. So they poisoned him against you . Well, ive always thought so, you read more of the tapes than i have. Not everything
From a compelling tale of a town split by missing children to a delightful historic debut about the daughters of an artist, check out our critics picks of the best new books to read this weekend.