'A REAL SHOCKER'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020054-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: February 15, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020054-0
rxrlcLl; APPx1RM
p,,cE 1q THE WASHINGTON STAR (GREEN LINE)
15 February 1980
.Letters- to .,the editor..^i
`A real shocker
the CIA .. are kept entirely free of
involvement in partisan politics.'".
To us, as.former officials of the
;CIA, this report of the use of the
CIA's director as a prop in a televi
that both' the' State Department and
- he them goes on, to state that "the
unwritten -rule-in politics has been
intended to convey difficult presi-
5dential decisions in foreign affairs
Director of Central Intelligence
Stansfield Turner and Deputy Secre-
tary of State Warren Christopher as
"props" in television ads run in sup-
port of the president's re-election
:campaign in New England (The Star,
Feb. 6).
. While Mr. Germond states that
`neither Christopher nor Turner
made any partisan statements in this
television commercial - which was
Your political editor, Jack-W. Ger--
mond, notes "a-sharp break with
traditional political practice" aris-
ing out of President- Carter's use of
,.: L'et us: take this matter one step meshedin partisan political activity.:.'
further: Commencing with the elec- It is fervently to be hoped that this
tion of 1948 (the first presidential incredible occurrence will not be re-
election after the establishment of
the CIA). it has been CIA practice LawrenceR. Houston,
;of the republic rather than members
?of a supporting: cast for political
advertising." :. -
sion political commercial is a real'. shocker - what your editorial on concept that _ the director, although
Feb. 9 rightly calls "distinctly out of. he serves at' the pleasure of the-;
b o u n d s . ' . . - . :. president,.does not occupy apolitical
Such use of the director has never position, and therefore it would be
occurred before. The CIA, since its inappropriate for him to submit
establishment in.1947, has made-.- such a resignation as is traditionally
every attempt to keep out of partisan done by members of the cabinet and
-political campaigns; other than to other senior political appointees., -
brief the presidential:?nominees on ...
world-affairs at- the, direction of the, Thus, there was an established
incumbent: president, whether a,--, tradition that the position of direc-
..Republican.or a.Democrat__.__._. __ _tor of central intelligence is non-
Now, for the-CIA-to find its direc- ,l tical'-and should not be involved in..',
for in political television commer- any way in partisan politics- Now to-
cials must be a harrowing experi. find that the present: director has
ence for all those who are laboring been a part of a partisan campaign
in the intelligence vineyards at by his. inclusion,. with or without his
Langley, thinking of themselves, as knowledge, in a political television
your,editorial suggests, as "servants commercial is,. to us- absolutely
Some,of us were involved in advis-' -
election of the president or a change,
of administration...
resignation. following either the re-
that the director not submit his
Itis demeaning to the American j
people, who have every reason to ex'{
Former General Counsel. CIA
..__;..;:; .Walter Pforzheimer.
Former Le
islati
C
l
?
g
ve
ounse
, CIA
,
;,Ing CIA directors on this matter over ` aj If Legislative Counsel, CIA'
(the-years, ,and-we emphasized the 1Washington,D.C. < I ]`
lam,.,.,. ...-..:.... t.i... ... .. ... ? ! '..~'"?,y '~.i i.,1?:' '-r' i)_ a_ .- ti.,.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020054-0