GEORGE BUSH VINDICATED BY CIA RESIGNATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100020017-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 5, 2007
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: December 5, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/07/05: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100020017-4
ARTICLE APPEJIRF-D
ON PAGE-.2- 7 THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
5 December 1976
Nick r '1i t~tai e =; t.
-how cluttered coinmlltees and, the- buy:
reaucracy"can get.;.':....
Wt'ASIIINGTON-During, his confirma?
tion hearings, George Bush was thumbed -
-down. by some. liberal Democrats as
being too political for the CIA direc-.
tors job, and now, this able, versatile
man is high-minded enough to announce
his resignation early . sw.his successor
can he installed.that;mrch.sooner:
Bush's decision' should. make - those
worrywart senators. eat- :Crow,' humble
pie, peanuts; or wrhatever politicians are -
supposed to eat these. days to admit
they were wrong. A . year ago, Sens.
Frank Church, ? Patrick : J.- Leahy; and
Gary Hart, sitting ,in judgment, praised
Bush but didn't trust him:
The Senate finally confirmed Btisli In
January, and he has Made. a good re=
cord as CIA director. Nary a peep out of
Church & Co.
Bush kept a low profile and performed
well. Then, on Nov. 20, 'he had 'a. six
hour ? mee`ing with Jimmy Carter that
went well enough that speculators-and ,
this tow=.n is rife with them-wondered if
Carter might keep Bush on
BUSH PUT that on'eclo;vn by 'resign-
ing, effective Jan: 20, 1977. "I wanted too'
clear-the air,!"he told'me in'his office.:
"I am damned sure. that. this position.`:
must be filled soon. This.giveS 11r. Cart-
er more time to make his selection.
Access and"confiderce`in the director,
by Congress, are, more important then-
ever.". .... : ,
Bush took ' over: the . CIA! just. after
had gone through ? is .months- df lnvesfi-
'.gation . and it `was_'hardly-..a :candidate.:{
for -a - government,: Academy - .Award. '
President Ford's executive order to t*
organize ' t :is ' agenc, -making At more
responsible to Congress; was new. Agen=':
,cy' morale was' ally Taira' and some con-
gressnien still had their. knives out. The The reorganization:_is *'fully impte-
menteil, but jnorale.as better'at.tbe CIA..'
since Bush took over.. Congressional' con
.fidgnce has been 1argely, restored.'.Jh'
fact, -there 'are-?so?'riiany; congressional'
-. oversight' cotinittees iiow dealing .with'':
the CIA that - are 'as complicated as. the
celebrated agency::; ?.,1..:. ~.:..; "..
}`It. would be_ best';Bush.says,to:
have one --joint.' congressional:, oversight
committee, or- at 'the. most one for the.:
IIcuse and one *for' the Senate.": Spoken
like a man who served Iti Congress and.I
tho executive, .branch,. and ' appreciates :!
election-, Chur?eh agreed with ~Yill's COW,
elusion .that. George us - at their CI
13 h A
t t ,
wr
kind
"th
f
ld
w
-
ong
o
e.
guy a
wou
be
wrong place at the worst possitle time;
~ : : Tut;' f ut All thesegent5 w e r e se ing;
'watergate'-goblins Scn, Leabby's :site
~, could;.'not have tieeh disturbed 3y
' thoughts~of: Bush's work at'-the C14- if
the' Senate:doesn't do- its job- on ie%vrr
ing.the. CIA, Sqn' Church-should know. it
:wasn't'Bush's,' fatilt,..?but perhaps'-th'e
?cozy- . relationship .-some "old ~,oys"; in s
? Washington -hRve with ';'"'old-. boy', sena
. tors.: And George will's. 'theorizing- : ap',
?pears trivial when one looks back at,the ;
actual factors at work.irt the 1976;presi-)
Approved For Release 2007/07/05: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100020017-4
STAT
recruiting -young people for the CIA; i 'tcneest- tirade against Bush.. He found
tlvities section . The CIA . is even wel- `+
fishng, -and; implored , the : committee
The agency had- a rough time main- reform - the ;CIA " Though Bush was
taming its liaison with.securitp agencies :not,aspiring.`for ti-c vice presatt~ney,
of other 'nations'during. the ti}'atergate. Ch~1tCh and other Democrats tf' ti'~ht h +
period, but Bush says, ' They still look to
might, and Clieirch saki,;"it ra Wrecg for q
lli=
t i
t
d b
n
e
es
the CIA as the strongest an
him to --.'vane both positions -even m a'
f_._..
._`.,.
?.. th
rld Some noun: - .. `k "Z
e
ncv
e wo
tries worried 'what all.-'the. disclosures , Church loaned on' he dsof colurh
would do to our relationship with them. nlsts- to- make his stand'against Bush:-At ~;
They. are not culturally adjusted to the one point he quoted a?:George \Vill eof,4
nshine '
th
te i
t
e su
n
opera
way we mus
, umnd_laying -out a scenario.. wherb?.tlhi
"The Soviets capitalized on some. anti-. CIA would be used to'make an adrninis
CIA publicity,. and even blamed is for tratiott look good during ?a presidenfl
the Legionnaire 's disease ti
"But-. I am sure they are grateful to .
learn ',what ,their wheat- crop is going to
:James `Reston Is : on .vacation.:
be 'after our: economic tntelligerce unit )
makes -nit estimate Ear; morg -ace irate l
?than.theirs ",.` r,'; !
Bush became, chairman of.t:he GOP in
late 1971,: bad luck for-him becausethe
Watergate scandal. broke _ a few months
later, But he-had endured difficulty. be-
fore as,:ambassactor. to. the;:Unlted-.Na'
tions; U. S.?.:''representative in - Peking ff
and as =a Republican -fn: Texas: He. was:
an amiable and fair-minded roan in all:
, these roles r _l
STILL;. DURING the kconfirmation~
`.hearings;-Son: Leahy. Wondered' whether
i.Busfr~ as a-Republican ,partisan,-,'would
be strong ' enough . to'. tell the President: 1
"that, he.1s. Wrong, if that ;:b~came? nee
I essary:"? Leahy said be wad: niora tfoti
-bled by the Bush appointment 'than* Any-'--"
he had considered as ti-!'member of the _?
Senate Armed Services Committee: ,'-..;' -`'?,