Now, I’ve had two calls this morning from the Vice President [Spiro T. Agnew], who’s—he wants to have a few minutes with you today, [unclear], if you could possibly do it.[note 1] Spiro T. Agnew was vice president of the United States, January 1969 to October 1973. And I tried to ferret out what his problem is. He doesn’t have any problem. I think he’s very pleased with the speech he gave yesterday. And he—

Probably wants a new role.

Well, I think [unclear]—

I’m telling you, he wants a new role, or he wants [unclear].

No, no.

We’re reorganizing things, and he wants to be—

He may want to take energy or something. He’d be a disaster there.

He can’t take energy. He can’t take a substantive role now.

Well, I’ve told his—

Tell me—listen. Ask him if he could [unclear] Thursday morning. Just say that I, that—look, that I am working on this very intensely, on this thing, and I’ll have him—I don’t want to rush him. I’d like to have a talk with him. I greatly appreciated his speech. Could we meet Thursday morning? Fair enough?

Right. And I’ll tell him that you were really up against it.

Tell him, you know, that I’ve been meeting today with—I’ve been meeting individual after individual, with all the members of the economic team. I’ve been up since 8:00 this morning on it. That I have not been seen today. I—

We shouldn’t have to add problems to what we’re working on—

We’re not going to do it [unclear]. [Unclear exchange.] We’re not going to do it—

That’s what I pointed out, what the problems are.

Yeah. Just say, look, he’s just delighted to see you, and that’s that.

Well, we got Bryce [N. Harlow] solidly, now that’s all set.[note 2] Bryce N. Harlow was special assistant to the president for congressional affairs, 1969–1970; and counselor to the president, 1970–1971 and June 1973–August 1974.

That’s fine. [Unclear.]

That’s great.

An outsider [unclear].

And we’re in good shape there.

You might tell the Vice President that Bryce is coming. The Vice President will [unclear]. I don’t know what he thinks of Bryce at the moment.

He is [unclear].

He used to—he is so parochial and selfish, basically, you know, and this and that, that . . . he just wants to come in and whine. And darn it, I’m just not going to have any darn whining right now.

You know, you’ve got enough on your mind that this [unclear]—

I had his views on the economy. [Haig acknowledges.] And goddamn it, I’m not going to follow him. And . . .

That’s probably what he’s really after.

He wants to sit in on the economic meetings, huh? [Pause.] Well, shall we have him? No. Damn it, no. He’s not supposed to—I never sat in economic meetings.

Maybe he can have the Cabinet tomorrow?

Huh? That’s right.

And we can give him a little—

We’ll give him a private briefing tomorrow. Go ahead.

That’s the way we do that. Because he [unclear]—

But I should see him Thursday morning. That I—that he did a great job on the speech. The President was tremendously [unclear] news summaries all mentioned. That I’ve just got to spend all day to get—just unless something has to occur [unclear] the day kind of meeting individually. Put it that way—when meetings take place, meeting individually with the members of the, you know, the economic community that I’m trying to—I think we should say, you know, I had his views. [Unclear.] [Haig acknowledges.] Now, it comes down to the [unclear]. God, what a whiner [unclear]. He knows what I’m dealing with now. He knows how tough this is.

Well, he surely better. ‘Cause if he doesn’t, there’s something awfully wrong.

Well, look. Let’s face it. He needs us more than we need him. And that’s true today, even though we’re having a little bit of a tough time. Agnew without us can’t fly at all.

That’s right. That’s right.

Can’t fly at all.

And he’s come after it wrong. He maybe wants just to recite to you what he’s done. There’s probably no more.

Well, if you—can you make him [unclear] that way?[note 3] President Nixon appears to say “wheel.”

Yes, sir.

“You’ve done a terrific job. I’ll see you Thursday. We’re going to see the Cabinet.” Well, tell him I’m still working on this economic thing. I’ve got his views on it. We’re sorting them out, as you know, day to day. I’m just creating a [unclear]. You know, [unclear].

[Unclear.]

[Unclear] this together. So we get it done.