The Honorable Henry A. Kissinger

September 19, 1978

You should make no public announcement, but
should allow trusted and discreet friends
like Pete Flanigan to begin contacting
party leaders with the objective of obtaining
private commitments and keeping others from
getting them.

You should ask Herb Brownell to be your
primary adviser. He is by all odds the best
and most influential politician in New York
state.

If he deems it advisable, Brownell should
privately contact Javits. If Javits is
determined to go, you of course must not
take him on. If he indicates he wants to
delay his decision he should be made to
realize that if you do not get into the race
early, someone else will do so and the chance
to keep an eminently qualified foreign policy
spokesman in the Senate (conceding that Javits
is one) could be seriously jeopardized.

Jack Kemp presents a difficult problem. If he
goes all out you might defeat him in a primary,
but there would be so much blood-letting that
any middle road Democrat would win. Kemp is
a decent man who is particularly well quali-
fied on domestic issues. But he has to realize
that he has become a national figure as a
member of the House and does not need the
Senate forum to remain one. If he runs and
loses, he would probably be finished as a
national political figure. Brownell is the only
one who could possibly handle the contact with
Kemp. To keep your options open, Kemp must
understand that you probably will become a
candidate. Without indicating in any way
that there would be a deal, Brownell could
discreetly let Kemp know that because of the
accident of birth you cannot seek national
office and that you would look sympathetically
on his efforts to do so in 1980 or 1984.

September 19, 1978

You should have no problem in getting money.
Brownell will be able to advise you as to how
the Flanigan or some other group could, with-
out your public approval, go forward in raising
necessary funds for staff, polling, travel,
etc., during the period when you are not an
announced candidate.

I think any public announcement should be
delayed until after your book comes out next
summer or early fall. The best way to build
yourself is through non-political public
appearances and private meetings with in-
fluential party leaders.

You need no advice on foreign policy issues,
but you should develop a small, top-flight
staff on domestic issues. In the Spring, a
couple of major speeches or articles on the
economy will be helpful in establishing your
credentials in that area. I would urge you to
be conservative on economic issues, liberal
on civil rights, and hard-line on foreign
policy and national defense. You thereby
can get the support of Republicans who are
disenchanted with Javits' ultra-liberal views
on all issues.

A final note of advice. Two of the most able poli-
tical leaders of our time, Dewey and Taft, were im-
placable foes but were alike in one respect -- they
could not tolerate fools. You must learn not to
make that mistake. People you might justifiably
consider to be stupid may be the ones you will
need to get the nomination and win the election.

As I told you on the phone, I would appreciate your