○  spiro theodore agnew: television news coverage  ○

ose who recall the fumbling and groping that followed president johnson’s dramatic disclosure of his intention not to seek another term have seen these men in a genuine state of nonpreparedness. this was not it.

one commentator twice contradicted the president’s statement about the exchange of correspondence with ho chi minh. another challenged the president’s abilities as a politician. a third asserted that the president was following a pentagon line. others, by the expressions on their faces, the tone of their questions, and the sarcasm of their responses, made clear their sharp disapproval.

to guarantee in advance that the president’s plea for national unity would be challenged, one network trotted out averell harriman for the occasion. throughout the president's address, he waited in the wings. when the president concluded, mr. harriman recited perfectly. he attacked the thieu government as unrepresentative; he criticized the president’s speech for various deficiencies; he twice issued a call to the senate foreign relations committee to debate vietnam once again; he stated his belief that the vietcong or north vietnamese did not really want military take-over of south vietnam; and he told a little anecdote about a “very, very responsible” fellow he had met in the north vietnamese delegation.

all in all, mr. harrison offered a broad range of gratuitous advice challenging and contradicting the policies outlined by the president of the united states. where the president had issued a call for unity, mr. harriman was encouraging the country not to listen to him.

a word about mr. harriman. for 10 months he was america’s chief negotiator at the paris peace talks -- a period in which the united states

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