NEWS CONFERENCE 545

Many of your other Republican governors have indicated they would
like a governor from their ranks on the platform committee. Does this
indicate that there is some feeling that Senator Dirksen is not in the
mainstream of the party any longer?

A. Oh, absolutely not. I think Senator Dirksen is interested in having
the governors participate on the platform committee. I know Mr. Bliss
is, because when we went to see him the other morning, he pointed
out that there hadn't been a governor on the platform committee since,
I think he said, 1918. And the reason that there hadn't been was be-
cause the governors were not able to give the time, the extra week of
attention and work, to the committee. And he thought it was a very
salutary thing that we were now taking an interest. I think we'll have
at least four or five governors on the platform committee.

Q. On your case specifically, what is some of your background on na-
tional and international affairs that qualifies you?

A. Well, I don't intend to write the international plank. I do think
I've got some ideas about the problems of the cities. I think I've got
enough years of experience and certainly my attention to these prob-
lems has been intense enough for me to believe that I could make a
significant contribution in this area. My fellow governors seem to
agree that the ideas that we have been working on jointly can be
articulated adequately by me, so that's why I want to go.

Q. Would you nominate Nelson A. Rockefeller?
A. I hope so, but I'm not sure.

Q. Will you have another chat with Governor Rockefeller on the
possibility?

A. Oh, I'm sure that we'll have another chat in Palm Beach.

Q. Do you agree with some of the national columnists who are sug-
gesting that Rockefeller is doing just the light things to get nominated?

A. Yes, I do. I think his posture is exactly perfect. I'm not sure that
he's adopted the posture for the expedient of becoming a nominee, but
I think he's doing the right thing from an objective standpoint.

Q. Governor, the Hughes Committee is going to recommend a study
of the sales tax. In view of the fact that there would be no increase in
the personal tax, would you oppose a broadening of the sales tax cover-
age rather than an increase?

A. I would not oppose it were it geared strictly to the elimination of
inequities and not to produce a large amount of new revenue. I would