no circumstances be a candidate to continue in that office. Nelson's negatives were simply too high,
owing in part to a vigorous campaign directed against him by LaRouche. James "RodneRobot" Schlesinger was summarily ousted as the Secretary of Defense; Schlesinger's "Dr.y the
Strangelove" overtones were judged not presentable during an election year. To replace
Schlesinger, Ford's White House chief of staff, Donald Rumsfeld was given the Pentagon. Henry
Kissinger, who up to this moment had been running the administration from two posts, NSC
director and Secretary of State, had to give up his White House office and was obliged to direct thebusiness of the government from Foggy Bottom. In consolation to him, the NSC job was assigned
to his devoted clone and later business associate, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Brent
Scowcroft, a Mormon who would later play the role of exterminating demon during Bush's Gulf
war adventure. At the Department of Commerce, the secretary's post that had been so highly touted
to Bush was being vacated by Rogethoroughly delapidated as a result of the revelations made during the Church Committee and Pikers Morton. Finally, William Colby, his public reputation (^)
Committee investigations of the abuses and crimes of the CIA, especially within the US domestic
sphere, was canned as Director of Central Intelligence.
Could this elaborate reshuffle be made to yield a job for Buspost of CIA director was offerred to Washington lawyer and influence broker Edward Bennetth? It was anything but guaranteed. The
Williams. But he turned it down.
Then there was the post at Commerce. This was one that Bush came very close to getting. In the
Jack Marsh files at the Gerald Ford Library there is a draft marked "Suggested cable to GeorgeBush," but which is undated. The telegram begins: "Congratulations on your selection by the
President as Secretary of Commerce." The job title is crossed out, and "Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency" is pencilled in.
So Bush almost went to Commerce, but then was proposed for Langley instead. Bush in hiscampaign autobiography suggests that the CIA appointment was a tactical defeat, the one new job (^)
that was more or less guaranteed to keep him off the GOP ticket in 1976. As CIA Director, if he got
that far, he would have to spend "the next six months serving as point man for a controversial
agency being investigated by two major Congressional committees. The scars left by that
experience would put me out of contention, leaving the spot open for others." [fn 20] Busthat "the Langley thing" was the handiwork of Donald Rumsfeld, who had a leading role inh suggests
designing the reshuffle. (Some time later William Simon confided privately that he himself had
been targetted for proscription by "Rummy," who was more interested in the Treasury than he was
in the Pentagon.)
On All Saints' Day, November 1, 1975, Bush received a telegram from Kissinger informing him
that "the President is planning to announce some major personnel shifts on Monday, November 3, at
7:30 PM, Washington time. Among those shifts will be the transfer of Bill Colby from CIA. The
President asks that you consent to his nominating you as the new director of the Central Intelligence
Agency." [fn 21]
Bush promptly accepted.
Return to the Table of Contents
NOTES:
- Al Reinert, "Bob and George Go To Washington or The Post-Watergate Scramble" in Texas
Monthly, April 1974.