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Charles Warren: Should American Viet Cong sympathizers be given a one-way ticket to Hanoi? Is the American public tiring of student unrest and revolt? How does the Nixon administration look to a freshman Republican senator? Mutual's Capitol Assignment presents an exclusive interview with the new freshman Senator from Kansas, Republican Robert Dole and Mutual reporter Dorice Bell. This is Charles Warren making the assignments from Mutual News, Washington. 

From Washington, D.C., news capital of the world, the News and Special Events Division of the Mutual Broadcasting System, presents today's edition of the award-winning program, Capitol Assignment. Important news activities analyzed and discussed with the people who make the news, facts and opinions behind today's top stories. 

Mutual correspondent Dorice Bell with Senator Dole in one minute.

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Dorice Bell: Senator Dole, new members should be seen, more or less, and not heard. Do you think that the new members of Congress are going to stick with this old adage?

Senator Bob Dole: Well, I would hope not. In fact, some of the senior members indicate that this is probably history now and that we are free to pursue anything we want to do. I've already spoken out in our Republican conference about the seniority system, which I think needs some revision. I've never been known as a revolutionary in politics, but I do believe there are changes should be made. I do believe that freshman members of the Senate are entitled to every consideration. They shouldn't have to wait two years, four years, six years or eight years for good committee assignments. And I believe we're going to make gains in 1970 in my party, the Republican Party, and we must recognize the very fine crop of freshmen Senators we have now because we have 10 new senators on the Republican side.

Dorice Bell: Just what kind of a President do you think that Richard Nixon wants to be and will be?

Senator Bob Dole: Well, I think he wants to be, of course a very successful and I would say a progressive President. And I mean this in the proper sense. I believe he will have great difficulty as far as launching any new programs, because let's face it, we have a Democrat House and a Democrat Senate. But Mr. Nixon's been around a long time. He knows the ins and outs of the House and the Senate and the Executive Branch, and I believe that for a period of maybe six months to a year, he'll have a very cordial relationship with the Congress and it could even extend beyond that point. I believe he wants to be an outstanding President, and I don't believe he's bound by anything that's happened in the past; he's sort of free from the shackles of the Eisenhower Administration and has now an opportunity to chart his own course and I hope he does. 

Dorice Bell: Well, Senator Mike Mansfield, the Majority Leader of the Senate, has said that so much legislation has gone through in the past few years that perhaps it's a very good time to stand back and take a look and reassess the programs that are already on the books. How do you feel about this, Senator Dole?

Senator Bob Dole: I think it's an accurate appraisal and I don't mean by this we stand pat or go backwards. I think by reviewing many of the programs, by making them function and making necessary changes, we're really making progress, and I really believe that Mr. Nixon, along with Dirksen and Mansfield and others, have a real opportunity in this area.

Dorice Bell: I'd like to ask you, sir, what do you think will be the overall goals of Richard Nixon in the next four years?

Senator Bob Dole: Well, I assume that the same lofty goals that everyone has, of course, number one must be peace in the world, and secondly, stability and prosperity. And I would think- I would hope some restraint and a tone of responsibility on the federal level. Appointing outstanding man to positions in the cabinet and other high positions in government. And I mean men of all colors and all races, and I- I really believe that Nixon has a great opportunity in this field to make great advances.

Dorice Bell: This country has a number of major problems which we all know about. What philosophically do you think that our nation needs more than anything else?
Senator Bob Dole: Well, I think we talk about philosophy, I would guess probably we need a middle-of-the-road approach to urban problems and rural problems and this in a very broad brush. I don't believe the country, and I think the vote indicates, they're not ready for more Great Society type programs, and neither are they ready to regress and go backwards and say ‘we shouldn't advance in civil rights, and we shouldn't do anything for the cities, We shouldn't do anything for the farm people of America.’ So, I would guess that here again, then, I think Mr. Nixon won because he more or less represented the broad and middle of America. The middle road philosophy. And I believe this is a pattern and the trend that will be followed.

Dorice Bell: Now the motto that Mr. Nixon has put for the Republican Party is “forward together.” How is he going to bring the different factions together in a more unified form, such as the young people, such as the Negroes, the minority people, the dissenters on the ward. Do you have any idea of what his goals are and how he's going to accomplish it?

Senator Bob Dole: I know what his goals are. I'm not certain how he can accomplish this because I'm not- haven’t been a party to discussion of these specific problems. But he did say in his campaign many, many times, in fact, almost every time, that he wanted young people, he wanted to enlist the aid of minority groups regardless of race, color, or creed. He wanted to bring Democrats into the administration, and really go forward together. Now I recognize that the Negro community didn't support Mr. Nixon. I think he received maybe eight to ten percent of the vote nationwide. But I do believe that he has an opportunity now that’s perhaps unparalleled. He has no real obligation to these people except as Americans. There's no political obligation; there's no payoff to be had. And I believe that if Mr. Nixon does what he should do and what he can do, that he's going to gain great respect among Negroes, and this will be determined by what he does- the performance. And I happen to believe and have enough confidence in him, that he is concerned about all Americans and will stop talking about Mexican-Americans and Negro-Americans and start talking as Americans- united Americans. And I believe when this happens, we'll see a change in the attitude of Negroes and other minority groups toward Mr. Nixon.

Dorice Bell: Senator Dole, I'll have more questions for you on my Capitol Assignment in one minute.

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Dorice Bell: Senator Dole in numerous messages, President Johnson- former President Johnson- that he sent to Congress, he almost pleaded with the new Congress and the new President not to toss aside his poverty and domestic programs. Do you think that Republicans in Congress will try to do away with some of these, like the Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] and various other pet programs of the Johnson administration?

Senator Bob Dole: I don't believe there’ll be any effort to do away with them as such, you know. They may be transferred to other existing departments and this is, I understand, now in fact, in President Johnson’s State of the Union message, he indicated as much that he might accept this, that there might be a transfer of certain authority from the OEO [Office of Economic Opportunity] to some other branch, whether it be HEW [Health, Education, and Welfare] or whatever it might be. This may be done, but they're not going to be dismantled on a wholesale basis. I think where there’ve been failures then we should take a look and maybe should channel the money from the failure into some programs such as Head Start, which has been most successful and which is supported by, I would guess, 90% of the members of Congress. So, I don't see any effort just as Republicans from any partisan- for any partisan reason, to try to scuttle Mr. Johnson's programs.

Dorice Bell: Now in his State of the Union message, Lyndon Johnson called for more money for housing, more money for education, more for medical care. All of these different things that have been his pet projects. Do you think that Congress will come through with more or they will just look at what they've got and go from that?
Senator Bob Dole: I think again much depends on what happens internationally, knowing that if the war in Vietnam would end, there might be more resources available. I have great confidence in Representative George Mahon from Texas, who's Chairman of the very powerful Appropriations Committee, and a Democrat. And I'm certain that he's going to be responsive and not only to what Mr. Johnson may have said, but to the needs of the American people. But he's also concerned about stability and the American dollar. And I would guess that working together with Republicans in the House and Senate that, Mister Mahon and others who are very influential and will be in this administration, even though they're members of the other party, will try to meet the needs of what Mr. Johnson pointed out, as in the poverty areas and education. Without, of course, damaging the overall economy and if we can add more money, that's fine. And if we can't, we can't.

Dorice Bell: Speaking of needs of people, Sir, how do you feel about the new salary increase for Congressmen and Senators and other top leaders in the federal government that has been passed along to you?

Senator Bob Dole: Well as I understand, there’ll be a 30-day period in which Congress can reject it, and much of this time we may be in recess. So, I would guess that the chances are that the rate may be a matter of fact as of February 14. As a House member, I never voted for a pay raise. I always knew what the salary was when I ran for office. Though I'm one who knows, not having any other resources, that it's difficult and I know it's hard for people to understand, it's difficult to live in Washington and maintain a home in your home state and travel back and forth. I think last year I made 52 trips to Kansas, for example. You just can't do this on your regular allowances, and you reach in-

Dorice Bell: Comes out of your personal income, is that correct?

Senator Bob Dole: Right. If you don't have any personal income other than your salary, it's difficult. So, I think on balance we must look at the needs of the Members to perform effectively, and again the economic picture. But I would guess the increase will pass and there'll be a lot of hand wringing by some who will want to “vote no and take the dough” as they tell us on the House side. But when it's all over, I would guess there will be raises for Members of Congress, and not just Members, I think we get all the criticism because we're sort of the lid on the pot. And really, before they can raise any other career people and get good people in the government, they must raise Members of Congress’ salaries because we're not going to have anybody paid more than we are. And so we may take the heat, but the benefits really go to many other people than there are in the Congress of the United States.

Dorice Bell: Actually, some top government officials have to borrow money in order to serve their country and get by on expenses. Isn't that true?

Senator Bob Dole: Right. And I think Dean Rusk is a fine example, a good example, of a man who's dedicated himself, at great sacrifice, when he didn't have the resources to sacrifice. And there are others. Now, Mr. Packard, the incoming Assistant Secretary of Defense, apparently doesn't have this problem, and I sympathize with him. But there are those who must make personal sacrifice. And if they have the resources, that's fine. But if we ever get to the point where they say that the average young man in America cannot run for the Congress or the Senate because he has no resources, then we've reached a sad day as far as I'm concerned.

Dorice Bell: Senator Dole, I'll have more questions for you on my Capitol Assignment in one minute.

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Dorice Bell: Senator Dole, Mr. Nixon has promised to do something about the war in Vietnam, and that does seem to be uppermost in his mind. What do you think that Richard Nixon's approach will be, and will it be different from what the Johnson administration has been doing? 

Senator Bob Dole: Well I would guess for a period of 30 to 60 days, you'll probably not see any perceptible change. I mean, right now there's been a break in the deadlocks and- insofar as the table is concerned, we're going to have new negotiators, going to take a time for them to adjust themselves. And so I would say for 30 or 60 days, there'll be no real change, and this is all based on speculation, of course. After that time, I happen to believe that Mr. Nixon and Mr. Laird and Mr. Lodge and Mr. Rogers and other new advisors to this new administration may want to take a hard look at it and may at that time, in effect, serve an ultimatum on South Vietnam and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. Because I think Mr. Nixon's convinced, as I’m certain outgoing President Johnson was convinced, that this must be the number one area that must be solved by any administration, Nixon or Johnson, or the next administration and the American people aren't going to stand for any long delay from this point on, and they expect great things from Mr. Nixon. So, he must find a way to end it honorably, and if he does, then he has to make the hard choice whether to end it militarily.

Dorice Bell: I understand that Ambassador [Ellsworth] Bunker has met with President Thieu in South Vietnam in reference to withdrawing American troops this year. How do you feel about that, Senator Dole?

Senator Bob Dole: Well, in fact, we in our campaign discussed de-Americanizing the war, and this is what this amounts to, and there's been speculation maybe bringing home as many as 60,000 troops this year, sometime in 1969. And I think it's great and I think it should be done if it can be done without lessening the possibilities of an honorable settlement in Vietnam.

Dorice Bell: Now, let's turn a moment to domestic problems. What about the spiraling inflation of the country? The Nixon administration will approach it from what angle?

Senator Bob Dole: Well I think from the angle as we've touched on briefly before, of stability and responsibility. And this is where the gnashing of the teeth will come, because we have a very tight budget presented by the outgoing President, 195.3, or 4 billion dollars. It's going to be very difficult for Mr. Nixon to walk that tight wire, and it's almost boxed him in on the 10% surtax, for example. So I think very quickly in this administration in April or May, he must start, first of all, should we continue the surtax, should it be 10% or 8% or 6%? Secondly, where can we make cuts in spending? Should it be in Vietnam? Because I think he's going to have great difficulty in this Congress getting any significant cuts in any domestic programs in the poverty area or education. Or any other program that has the LBJ brand on it because the Democrats control the Congress. And as I said earlier, some of these programs are good programs if they're properly administered.

Dorice Bell: Where do you think the cuts will come?
Senator Bob Dole: I think perhaps space is going to feel a little of the axe and of course this comes- it follows part of the most dramatic era in space history. But I still think it's going to be some in space. They're going to be cuts in our Defense Department with reference to Vietnam. In fact, these have been projected by the outgoing President. And perhaps some cuts in the poverty program and even more cuts in foreign aid, if that's possible.

Dorice Bell: And finally, sir, what is your prediction for the American economy in the first year of the Nixon administration, 1969?

Senator Bob Dole: Well, I think in a word, I think it's going to be a healthy economy. Nixon and the administration, I would say, for the first one year of the new administration, will be getting along, as I said earlier, with the Congress and not have much difficulty. And I happen to believe that Mr. Kennedy, David Kennedy and others, Maurice Stans in Commerce and Governor [George W.] Romney in HUD [Housing and Urban Development] are outstanding men. They have their finger on the economy of America. And I believe without any extra effort to manage the economy, by government or by an administration, it will be a healthy economy.

Dorice Bell: Thank you very much, Senator Dole, for being our guest. We'll have Capitol Comment in one minute.

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Charles Warren: Now that Mr. Nixon has been officially installed as the President of the United States, one wonders if things might have been different if former President Johnson had decided he would run for reelection. The spectacular announcement came directly from the President himself, April 1st, 1968, when LBJ disclosed in a broadcast he would withdraw as a candidate for another term as the nation's Chief Executive. The President's decision was a well-guarded secret, came as a complete surprise to this reporter and many reporters covering the White House. Lady Bird Johnson may have been the deciding factor- may have been- urging the president to escape from the demanding job which has aged LBJ since he first took office. While the Presidency is the most powerful position in the world and the ultimate of political aspiration, it's also the most arduous and demanding. President Johnson endured five years of service to the United States as the President, which many feel is a sufficient sacrifice for any one man. It is true that many who are elected to office rarely choose to retire, and there was obvious relief expressed in the reactions of the Johnson family, after the President's decision. Mrs. Johnson and the President's children wholly supported the move, you'll remember, they themselves experiencing the ordeal that goes with the office of President. And now the eyes of the nation are turned on President Nixon and the new First Family. Challenge and responsibility have shifted to fresh new authority. But 91st Congress is destined to provide advice and consultation, and the Chief Executive is destined to have some advice and requests for the Congress. Big problems facing the President and the nation include the Vietnam War, social unrest at home, foreign aid, tax reform, and many others. The 91st Congress will be similar to the 90th Congress, with one big difference. The Democrats are in control, a member of the other party is in the White House. 

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On today's Capitol Assignment, mutual correspondent Dorice Bell discussed world and national problems with freshman Senator Robert Dole, Republican from Kansas. Tomorrow, Mutual reporter Ted Reuter will discuss Inside Russia, the eyewitness account of Senator Alan Ellender, Democrat from Louisiana. Until then, this is Charles Warren, Mutual News.

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