In The 'Nixon Papers:' Young Karl Rove, Roger Ailes

[Hissyspit]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/07/in-the-nixon-pa.html

In the 'Nixon papers:' Young Karl Rove; Roger Ailes; Nixon's media strategy

An entry over at The Smoking Gun reminded us that we should look at what's been put online so far from the materials released yesterday by the Nixon Foundation to the National Archives. Go here to see what's been posted. Among the things that caught our eye:

• A July 30, 1972, memo from President Nixon to chief of staff H.R. "Bob" Haldeman in which the president outlines some strict guidelines for "handling the press on campaign manners."

- snip -

• A Feb. 15, 1973, letter and accompanying document from Karl Rove (now President Bush's top strategist) to Anne Armstrong, counselor to the president, thanking her for meeting with him and laying out his suggestions for a "1974 election program." That prescription focused on "new federalism," or the scaling back of the federal government and shifting of authority back to the states.

• The document that also got Smoking Gun's attention -- a May 4, 1970 memo from Roger Ailes (who at the time was a consultant and would later rise to be the force behind Fox News Channel) to Haldeman. Ailes critiques some of the president's TV appearances, the coverage they were given and the White House's work in staging them.

At one point, Ailes writes about some technical glitches during a presidential appearance and says:

I can keep this from happening in the future, however, as you know, I am walking a very fine line on how much I can actually say to the networks without creating a situation where they scream "management of news..."

MORE

[aquart]

1. Anne Armstrong? Cheney? Shotgun?

Wasn't it Armstrong's ranch where Wittington got a faceful?

[blogslut]

4. Yes indeed.

Be very afraid of old Texas ranching families.

[aquart]

5. They do think they are god's anointed, don't they?

[drm604]

2. K&R

Thanks. Fascinating stuff!

[poverlay]

3. Now that he has faux, Ailes can excitedly moan "management of news" as he... I should

stop there. I think I've said too much. You get the picture...