I’m delighted you’re involved in politics again, but don’t let it interfere with your fishing.
You and I keep talking about getting in a little hunting or fishing out there in West Texas. I have it very much on my mind, but I have never been so swamped in my life as I am in this job. I like it though—there’s plenty to do and the work is fundamental to the security of our country, something that gives me great reassurance, even when I’m dog tired.
Love to all Blakes,
Sincerely,
George Bush
TO:
xxxxxxxxx
REF:
xxxxxxxxx
FROM:
DCI
I wish to express my appreciation to you and your colleagues for the excellent intelligence you provided giving forewarning of the potentially very dangerous demonstration planned against the Embassy on 12 April. Through your efforts Ambassador Crawford23 and the Department of State (as well as other members of the Intelligence Community) were alerted to the threat in time for them to be able to make representations to the Cypriot and Greek Governments to control the demonstration. The success of these efforts was a graphic illustration of the use to which good intelligence can be put. Good work.
Director
May 4, 1976
Mr. Jack Mohler24
Denver, Colorado 80202
Dear Jack,
. . . I’ve never worked so hard in my life, and after three months here I conclude this is the most interesting job I’ve ever had. That includes [Congress], the UN, Peking, and the RNC. There are great people, fascinating subjects to get into, but just not enough time. Glad things are going well—stay in touch.
Hastily, but with warmest regards,
Sincerely,
George Bush
I wrote this letter to my friend Tom Devine after my disastrous appearance before the Overseas Press Club. They literally heckled me about the CIA, including reports that some overseas journalists had been used as spies (which was true).
May 12, 1976
Mr. Thomas Devine
New York, New York 10036
Dear T.,
You’re too kind. I really bombed at the Overseas Press Club. My excuse—it’s tough to talk to a group of press people after two hours of cocktails. The only consolation was that they told me I did better than Schlesinger, who talked 45 minutes the year before, and [Senator Henry] Jackson, who monotoned on for about 30 minutes the year before that. I still felt the evening was a failure, and the only bright spot was getting an all too short glimpse of you and Alex. Anyway, thanks for your kindness. Live and learn.
We miss you, darn it!
Sincerely,
George Bush
TO:
xxxxxx
FROM:
George Bush
I had an inquiry from Dillon Ripley of the Smithsonian Institution saying he had heard that Matilda the Musk Ox had joined Milton in heaven. Could this possibly be true?
Warm regards to all at USLO.
Ethel Kennedy had kindly asked me several times to play in the Robert F. Kennedy Pro-Celebrity Tennis Tournament at Forest Hills. “Rummy” is Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
June 21, 1976
Mrs. Ethel Kennedy
Hickory Hill
McLean, Virginia 22101
Dear Ethel,
It’s not that I hoped I’d never hear from you again—not at all! In fact, riding a fairly impressive victory streak on the courts, I was hoping, for ego purposes, that I would hear from you again about the big Forest Hills event.
But, here’s the dilemma. Each year you ask me and I end up saying “no” only because the date conflicts with the major event of the Tennis Year—the five-team Kennebunkport Open. Last year, two of my kids reached the finals. The “arrogance factor” subsequently has been so high that I must get in there and bring reason to those proceedings.
Besides, this event is the forerunner of the Father-Daughter event at Doro’s school next fall and our team must hone its doubles play to a fine edge.
I’d love to be at Forest Hills—I am confident we could crush Rummy and partner; but, Ethel, I just can’t do it.
All of our kids hope to be there in Maine that weekend and in these funny times we’ve got to hold it all together—real close.
Love and thanks.
Sincerely,
George Bush
June 28, 1976
The Honorable W. Averell Harriman25
Washington, DC 20007
Dear Governor Harriman,
I just want to thank you for taking the time to come out here and have lunch. . . .
I know I speak for the entire Intelligence Community when I express my appreciation for your support for the mission of the CIA. I am totally dedicated to the concept that we must have a strong intelligence community—second to none in the world. I am equally dedicated to the fact that it must be run with total objectivity and with sensitivity to the changed times in which we are living. By the latter, I don’t mean that we should be weak or afraid to move, but we must rethink carefully all facets of our operations.
Lastly, it was mighty magnanimous of you to mention the conversation you had with my Mother. I do have a “darling Mother.” There has never been any doubt in the minds of the Bushes that the Harrimans are our close, warm friends. It meant a lot to my Dad and it means an awful lot to me.
Warmest Personal regards,
Sincerely,
George Bush
August 3, 1976
The President
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I have been in my job as DCI exactly six months. Herewith a brief report on certain highlights, which is short enough to read but not long enough to be all inclusive.
A. CONGRESSIONAL APPEARANCES
I have made 30 official appearances before Committees on the Hill. This does not include 33 other meetings with Members of Congress or Congressional Staff.
The appearances before Congressional Committees require a good deal of pre-briefing time. We are trying to cooperate fully with Congress but I now report to seven Congressional committees. This is too much. I am pressing to implement your stated objective of more consolidated oversight, but neither House nor Senate is really striving to achieve this goal.
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR EXECUTIVE ORDER
We have implemented the Order. The Committee on Foreign Intelligence (CFI) has met 16 times. It is doing what you intended it do; namely, making budget decisions and setting priorities. . . . The system is working. . . .
C. AREAS OF PROGRESS
1. I believe CIA’s relationship with the State Department is improving. At some echelons in State there is a lot of foot dragging, but thanks to great cooperation from Dr. Kissinger and Larry Eagleburger,26 we are getting better access to State xxxxxx and I am less concerned about our diminishing State xxxxxxxx than I was—though overall xxxxxx still plague us. I have had individual meetings with xxxxxx.
2. Morale at CIA is improving. As the excesses of the past investigations fade, things on the morale front improve. Our recruitment is up. Our people are willing to serve abroad and take the risks involved. The CIA is a disciplined organization—trained to support the director. During this 6 month period, I have made 12 changes in our top 16 slots at CIA. These personnel changes have helped revitalize our various Directorates. They have, I believe, been accomplished with a minimum of personal and institutional heartburn.
3. I feel I am getting first-class support at CIA and, for that matter, from the Intelligence Community.
4. We have an excellent relationship with the NSC staff. On the personnel side, I get total cooperation from Brent Scowcroft, for whom I have the highest personal regard.
5. To help morale as well as my own education, I try to meet with as many of our Station Chiefs as possible on an individual basis (33 such meetings to date); to appear before CIA groups at Langley (16 such me
etings); and to visit Intelligence Community installations and contractor sites (21).
D. AREAS OF MAJOR CONCERN
1. There is too much disclosure. We are continually pressed by Congress, by the courts, by the Freedom of Information Act, to give up sensitive material. We are trying to hold the line but there is a continuous erosion which gives away classified information at home and complicates our liaison relationships abroad. I am frustrated by our inability to deal with the leaking of classified information.
2. The press continues to berate us, though I sense a slight improvement. xxxxxxxx said, “George, your problem is that our profession thinks you are all lying bastards.” As long as this attitude prevails, there will be frivolous stories in print about CIA. I have made 21 public appearances but have turned down many more. I want to get the CIA off the front pages and at some point out of the papers altogether; thus, I have turned down many national media opportunities while accepting only a few. It is still almost impossible to have a speech containing positive things about CIA given prominent coverage.
3. The Congressional mood towards CIA is improving, but there is still a staff-driven desire to “expose” and to “micro-manage.” Staffers demand more and more. Our relationship with the new Senate Intelligence Committee is promising, though their many subcommittees give the appearance of many more investigations. The Staff of the House Appropriations Committee, on the other hand, gives appearances of wanting to run CIA.
E. SUMMARY
Things are moving in the right direction. There are an infinite number of problems stemming, some from the excesses of the investigations and some from the abuses of the past—real and alleged. Somehow the problems, however, seem more manageable. Our organization is good, our product is sound though it can always be improved. Some of our assets have been diminished, but the CIA is intact, and functioning pretty darn well.
Respectfully,
George Bush
Director
August 4, 1976
Mr. J. C. Mohler
Denver, Colorado 80202
Dear Jack,
I don’t want you to think I was dead, but things have been hectic and I have been bad about personal correspondence.
That outrageous joke you sent me was opened by somebody else, much to my embarrassment. I have been bawled out by everyone and am just now getting over it. Plus Mohler, it wasn’t that funny!
Here’s one for you:
The answer is, “Eddy Nelson.”
OK. What is the question?
The question is, “How does Nelson Eddy
list his name in the phone book?”
See, it’s clean. (It occurs to me you might not get it!) But in any event, it won’t get me in trouble with your secretary if she reads it.
Things are rocking along. I am staying the hell out of politics, but it isn’t easy. . . .
Sincerely,
George Bush
As his party’s candidate for President, Jimmy Carter was given the courtesy of national security briefings. The day of my second briefing with him, a newspaper article came out that said Carter had sort of a “hit list” of Ford appointees, accusing the President of using federal agencies as a “dumping ground” for washed-up Republicans. Yes, I was on the list. Carter was furious and publicly said there was no such list (apparently a member of his staff had drawn up and leaked such a list), and he especially went out of his way to say nice things about the job I was doing at the CIA. I wrote him this note:
8-16-76
Dear Governor,
I appreciate the way you handled the little incident regarding me and the “list”.
I just want you to know that as far as I’m concerned, you walked the ‘extra mile’, and in this screwy climate we’re living in, that meant a lot to me—Everyone’s got a certain pride factor and you helped keep mine intact—
These things do happen—
Thanks—
George
Thanks, too, for the hospitality at Plains—lunch etc. GB
August 16, 1976
Dear Neil [Mallon],
. . . I dictate this as the Republican Convention gets under way. I must confess to a certain nostalgia. When I see all my political friends charging around Kansas City, I have a twinge of regret—but only a twinge, for this work is fundamentally important and I comfort myself with the fact that I am very lucky to be here and to be surrounded by so much excellence.
Our briefings with Jimmy Carter have gone pretty well. The Agency intelligence officers that I had with me have done a first-class job. The briefings have been in his living room. Miss Lillian sticks her weathered face in (well preserved) and Rosalynn, the Governor’s wife, fixes sandwiches for us. Amy runs around playing with the cat. It’s all very homey, but there is no nonsense about the Governor. I am having some difficulty trying to figure out what the heartbeat really is there.
The family is in Maine; Mother never looked better, nor has she ever been more full of life. Neil is there for another week before going back to Tulane. He keeps singing your praise, and Ann’s also. You have been so nice to him. Marvin goes to the University of Virginia the 28th, but those two will be replaced by Jebby and family and also George. Doro will stay there through Labor Day.
Hope all goes well.
Sincerely,
George
August 17, 1976
Mr. John Fonteno27
Houston, Texas 77004
Dear John,
I got your letter. I’m sorry people don’t understand my going to brief Jimmy Carter. The President has instructed me to do this so that Governor Carter will be as well informed as possible on all the happenings around the world. I am strongly in favor of this Presidential decision.
We are living in tough times and any candidate for President must be up to speed on where things actually stand in the world. If we don’t have these kinds of briefings, Governor Carter would have to rely on the papers and other sources and he simply wouldn’t be getting the most factual and up to date information on the terrible problems he would have to face should he become President.
. . . You are a good friend, John, and I am sorry our paths haven’t crossed lately. I am glad you do understand the rigors of this job.
Love to your family.
Warm personal regards,
Sincerely,
George Bush
August 19, 1976
Mr. Hugh Sidey
Time
Washington, D. C. 20006
Dear Hugh,
Maybe it is of little consequence, but I read your piece in the August 23rd edition of Time and I wanted to make a quick comment.
My position on Nixon was not that I “had to support” Nixon’s contention of innocence, but rather that the system was working, and under the system a man was innocent until proven guilty.
I continued on through those two ghastly years of being chairman to try to separate the Party from Watergate. I am confident the record will reveal I spoke out over and over again against Watergate. I did, however, stop short of condemning the President until the final tape proved to me that he had been lying. At that point I urged him to resign.
I guess at this late date all of this matters little to anyone else, but the distinction is quite important to me.
I am writing this letter, not for publication, but rather as a personal letter from a friend who wants a guy he respects to know his feelings.
I hope our paths cross soon,
Sincerely,
George Bush
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT:
Meeting with the President 8:00 a.m., 10 September 1976
ATTENDING:
The President General Scowcroft George Bush
The following subjects were discussed:
a. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
b. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
c. Warsaw Pact Intelligence. I briefed him on
the xxxxxxxxxx item, showed him the plan and explained to him the intelligence benefits that could come from that. He thumbed through the plan and showed interest.
d. We discussed the BACKFIRE Bomber. I told him exactly what we planned to do and told him that there would not be a full community position soon. Briefed on Sandy McDonnell’s visit to General Jones. Told him that, in my opinion, we would not get Community agreement. Went over the figures with him on BACKFIRE—differences between Air Force and CIA. He asked exactly what figures Brezhnev was using.28
e. China, the death of Mao. I showed the President the last page of the CIA June report on Mao’s health. He read the paragraph about Mao’s health and I made the point that CIA was on record predicting that he would not live through the year. . . .
f. Egypt/Libya. I went through the briefing paper on Egypt/Libya, explaining that there was less buildup and explaining Sadat’s problems of having to do something. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
g. Discussed the fact that Carlos29 appeared to be in Yugoslavia.
h. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
i. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
George Bush
This letter appeared in the “Letters to the Editor” column of the September 27 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology. The topic again was the Backfire bomber, and whether the CIA had misrepresented its capabilities:
The Aviation Week & Space Technology for Sept. 13th in the Washington Roundup section made reference to alleged manipulation of intelligence produced by the Central Intelligence Agency. It is regrettable that you had made no attempt to give us an opportunity to comment on the relevant portion of your report which impugns the integrity of the national foreign intelligence production process, of Secretary Kissinger, of myself as the President’s chief intelligence adviser, and most important, of all the intelligence professionals who serve this country.
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings Page 29