Mondale Carter’s chief of staff

Press, 30 December 1976, Page 5

Mondale Carter’s chief of staff

NZPA St Simon. Georgia The American President- | elect. Mr .Jimmy Carter, has announced that the Vice-President-elect. Senator Walter (“Fritz”) Mondale, will be his chief of staff, and has told his White House team that Senator Mondale is now their "boss." Mr Carter disclosed this unprecedented role for an American Vice-President when he assembled his entire Cabinet for a preinaugural meeting on the resort island of St Simon |o a gathering in sporty attire — Mr Mondale himself was wearing blue jeans — Mr Carter said that he had formed a very dose personal friendship with the' Minnesota senator. “I don’t feel threatened by him. and he doesn’t feel threatened by me,” he said "We are very compatible with one another. He shores j up" some of the weaknesses f hat e. and some of the absences in my background i

and my experience . . . He is my chief of staff person. He will be in the White House with me, and while we recognise that there is no direct'authority over Cabinet members by the VicePresident, he, along with

other people who speak for me. will be very careful.” Senator Mondale is expected to be given the office near the Oval Office that is now occupied by the White House chief of staff, Mt Richard Cheney, and was formerly occupied by Mr Nixon’s strongman, Mr H. R. Haldeman.

“We’re going to have an unprecedented relationship between my staff and Senator Mondale.” Mr Carter said. “In the past, Vice-Presidents have not been given very much of the responsibility, or authority, or involvement, that their abilities warranted, but that has been changed between Fritz and me.”

Traditionally, Presidents j have given a wide berth to, I and shared very little power ; with Vice-Presidents, who are the proverbial “one heart beat away.” Vice-Presidents have moaned over the lack of power - ; and John Nance Garner (No.' 2 to Franklin D. I Roosevelt) likened the job to I “a pitcher of warm spit.”