and warm, and avoided any tough questions. Stuart Symington warned Bush that he
would have to deal with the "duality of authority" between his nominal boss, Secretary of
State William Rogers, and his real boss, NSC chief Kissinger. There was only passing
reference to Bush's service of the oil cartel during his time in the House, and Bush
vehemently denied that he had ever tried to "placate" the "oil interests." Claiborne Pell
said that Bush would enhance the luster of the UN post.
On policy matters, Bush said that it would "make sense" for the UN Security Council to
conduct a debate on the wars in Laos and Cambodia, which was something that the US
had been attempting to procure for some time. Bush thought that such a debate could be
used as a forum to expose the aggressive activities of the North Vietnamese. No senator
asked Bush about China, but Bush told journalists waiting in the hall that the question of
China was now under intensive study. The Washington Post was impressed by Bush's
"lithe and youthful good looks." Bush was easily confirmed.
At Bush's swearing in later in February Nixon, probably anxious to calm Bush down after
the strains of the Connally affair, had recalled that President William McKinley had lost
an election in Ohio, but neverthless gone on to become President. "But I'm not suggesting
what office you should seek and at what time," said Nixon. The day before, Senator Adlai
Stevenson III of Illinois had told the press that Bush was "totally unqualified" and that his
appointment had been "an insult" to the UN. Bush presented his credentials on March 1.
Then Bush, "handsome and trim" at 47, moved into a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
in Manhattan, and settled into his usual hyperkinetic, thryroid-driven life style. The
Washington Post marvelled at his "whirlwind schedule" which seemed more suitable for
a "political aspirant than one usually associated with a diplomat." He rose every morning
at 7 AM, and then mounted his exercycle for a twelve minute workout while taking in a
television news program that also lasted exactly twelve minutes. He ate a small breakfast
and left the Waldorf at 8, to be driven to the US mission to the UN at Turtle Bay where
he generally arrived at 8:10. Then he would get the overnight cable traffic from his
secretary, Mrs. Aleene Smith, and then went into a conference with his executive
assistant, Tom Lais. Later there would be meetings with his two deputies, Ambassadors
Christopher Phillips and W. Tapley Bennett of the State Department. Pete Roussel was
also still with him as publicity man.
For Bush, a 16-hour work day was more the rule than the exception. His days were
packed with one appointment after another, luncheon engagements, receptions, formal
dinners-- at least one reception and one dinner per day. Sometimes there were three
receptions per day-- quite an opportunity for networking with like-minded freemasons
from all over the world. Bush also travelled to Washington for cabinet meetings, and still
did speaking engagements around the country, especially for Republican candidates. "I
try to get to bed by 11:30 if possible, " said Bush in 1971, "but often my calendar is so
filled that I fall behind in my work and have to take it home with me." Bush bragged that
he was still a "pretty tough" doubles player in tennis, good enough to team up with the
pros. But he claimed to love basbeall most. He joked about questions on his ping pong
skills, since these were the months of ping pong diplomacy, when the invitation for a US