Hello?

General [Alexander M.] Haig [Jr.].[note 1] Alexander M. Haig Jr. was military assistant to the president, January 1969 to June 1970; deputy national security adviser, June 1970 to January 1973; Army vice chief of staff, January to May 1973; and White House chief of staff, May 1973 to August 1974. There you are.

Hello?

Yes, Mr. President?

Hi, Al.

I know you must be bushed at this point.

No. No. I’m fine.

But it’s really—

Just finished my dinner.

Just had a great, great speech tonight. And I tell you, the reaction has been overwhelming. It really has.

Good. Good. Glad to hear that.

And that’s just damn fine. And it was not only the right substantive thing to do, but it was a political—absolute political success of great proportions.

Well, the important thing is, you know—you and I know why we did it.

Exactly.

I mean, it was—perhaps we could’ve toughed it through as [Spiro T. “Ted”] Agnew in his stupid juvenile way indicated, and that’s what he’s going to probably whine about tomorrow.[note 2] Spiro T. Agnew was vice president of the United States, January 1969 to October 1973. He’s going to—probably going to whine about being in charge of energy.

Let me tell you something, sir.

What?

He gave a speech tonight over at that [Samuel L.] Devine thing that was a stem-winder[note 3] Samuel L. Devine was a Republican congressman from Ohio, 1959–1981.—

Good!

—for you that had these guys absolutely tearing the place apart—

Well, good.

—about Richard Nixon.

Well, good. I’m glad to hear that because I—you know, he’s coming in tomorrow and you coming with him, but I don’t want him to whine about the energy and the rest.

No. No. No. I—

The thing to do is to tell him, “Look, you’re in on everything, Ted, but, goddamn it, you’re not to run anything.”

That’s right.

The Vice President can’t run anything.

No. That’s—and it would be the wrong thing.