54. Editorial Note
During a meeting with his Assistant H.R. Haldeman on June 26, 1969, President Nixon made the following comments in connection with the “K[issinger] plan,” according to Haldeman’s notes: “re staff talking—in dom. policy wld hope use good jdgmt. Absolute rule—eff. today[:] nobody to talk or say anything re foreign policy—on or off record—w/o K. approval esp. Safire, Klein. don’t interpret, defend, attack, explain—involved in very sophisticated business. certain developments—next 3 mos. absolute curtain. includes everybody—just refer to what P. has said. don’t re-state, define, etc. still get K. in to explain to them re analysis. P. staff relation w/press[:] staffer has no views of his own. have to have central control. whole & only job here is to build up presidency & that’s not hard to do. can’t build up self—all goodies are the P’s. hold to absolute rule on Times–Post. Kilpatrick OK to except on routine.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Haldeman Notes, Box 40)