Vice President Ford: "Why I Will Not Run in '76": An Exclusive Interview

A  So far, I've had all the access to the President that I thought was necessary.

After my nomination, I was at the White House to see him in my capacity as Minority Leader about four times with Republican leaders, and probably two or three times in bipartisan meetings. I met with the President personally four or five times, alone. And I talked to him on the phone—I can't count how many times. I would hope that this access to the President will continue. I'm positive there won't be any problem in that regard.

Q  As Vice President do you expect to have a personal staff of your own, or do you plan to use the White House staff?

A  We are in the process of finding out what the staff arrangements were for previous Vice Presidents. We find it has varied, in size and in the kinds of people. It appears that we will have a different type of staff than the most recent Vice President, Mr. Agnew—probably not as large. In some areas, rather than setting up a duplicate staff, we expect to rely on the White House.

TAKING PART IN DEFENSE POLICY

Q  As a member of the National Security Council, do you see yourself becoming involved in the formulation of national-security policy?

A  Since I am the vice chairman of the NSC, and also of the Domestic Council, I do definitely plan to participate. Fortunately, in the case of the National Security Council, much of my background in Congress before I became Minority Leader was in the area of military policy because of my 12 years on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the Central Intelligence Agency Subcommittee and the Foreign Aid Subcommittee. So I have a lot of background in that area.

I don't mean to say that I will be active in the formulation of foreign policy. But I will be in on some decision making on military programs and policies, and that does get indirectly into the foreign-policy field.

Q  Your predecessor, Spiro Agnew, was described as "the cutting edge" of the Administration. Do you envision your role as different from that of Mr. Agnew?

A  I do, because our style is different, for one thing. I don't think I could have as many friends on Capitol Hill as I do—on both sides of the aisle—if I had been contentious or abrasive. So, although I can be very firm and can make a strong partisan speech—and have done so many times on the floor of the House—I don't end up in a confrontation with people or cause them to take offense at the approach I have taken.

Q  You mentioned you difference in style, which brings us back to a previous question: If you became President, would you organize an Administration differently from the current one—a White House to fit your own style?

A  Of course we all have different ways of running our offices or our business. But again, I don't want to speculate on that.

Q  Would your philosophy indicate shifts from policy directions as we've known them in the Administration?

A  I don't think it's healthy for me to say what I would do as a President that would be different from what the present President is trying to do. You see, that could, right at the outset, bring a division between him and me. I just don't think I ought to be entering my new office with that problem.

"I'M A REFORMED ISOLATIONIST"

Q  Mr. Vice President, how would you describe you political philosophy?

A  In foreign policy I have said—and I really say it emphatically—I consider myself an internationalist. I'm a reformed isolationist who, before World War II, was mistaken like a lot of people. Through a series of events—military service and otherwise—I have become, I think, a very ardent internationalist.