ROCKEFELLER HEADQUARTERS 713

A. Well, I don't think he has finished talking with the people he
wants to consult with at this point. He made clear Sunday that he
wasn't going to make an immediate announcement until he had made
these investigations into the sentiment of some other people who
weren't able to be at the meeting. I think that it's reasonable to be-
lieve that he will make a decision in the very near future.

Q. How near Governor?

A. My guess was, several days ago, that it would be within two
weeks, and I still think that is a pretty good estimate.

Q. Governor, how do you think sentiment is in the Republican Party
if Rockefeller gets the nomination?

A. I think he can get the nomination. I find there's a complete lack
of any effort to destroy the party on a partisan basis between people
who have different ideological beliefs, and I think that the party is
going to be very practical about selecting a nominee. As long as the
various — or what have been branded as — establishments of one
philosophy or another are cognizant of the need to cooperate and the
need to form a ticket that will create an umbrella for the party, I
think that we'll get along all right and I think that he has an ex-
cellent chance of getting the nomination.

Q. When you say that the party is going to be practical, do you mean
that they recognize that Rockefeller has a lot of appeal generally?

A. The most conservative people recognize that Governor Rocke-
feller has a tremendous amount of appeal to the independent voter,
to the Democratic voter who crosses party lines, because he's not
welded into the party.

Q. Governor, I assume you have kept Governor Rockefeller informed
of your plans here? Have you gotten any comments since the forming
of the plan?

A. I haven't talked with Governor Rockefeller since Sunday, and I

don't keep him informed of everything we are doing. I think that
most of us who consider ourselves to be reasonably expert in what
should be done politically, sometimes believe he should not be kept
too well informed of what we are doing.

Q. Governor, what will your duties be as temporary chairman?

A. The purpose of this particular self-inflicted office that I have as-
sumed — and I want to emphasize that this is on a very temporary
basis — will be to stimulate the various pro-Rockefeller groups around
the country, those already formed and those that are springing into