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TIME has also learned that Senator Ervin had a point in asking Ehrlichman whether the White House had turned to the plumbers because Hoover would not approve a burglary—although Ervin misjudged Hoover's motives. In his earlier years as FBI director, Hoover allowed his agents to conduct such "bag jobs." But in his later years, the savvy bureaucrat was increasingly defensive about his image and considered such illegal acts too risky. If discovered, they would ruin his reputation.
Embattled but giving no ground, Ehrlichman ran into new hostile questions when he defended his two talks with Judge William Matthew Byrne, when the latter was presiding over the Ellsberg trial, about a possible appointment as FBI director. Ehrlichman said that he had done so at Nixon's direction: he had told the judge the matter was not "urgent" and could be discussed later, but Byrne had not objected to talking about it then. They had met once at San Clemente and later in a Santa Monica park. On both occasions, Ehrlichman said, the judge had expressed "a strong interest" in the job (a contention Byrne flatly denied last week), but both had agreed it could not be offered then. Although newspapers carried almost daily stories about the progress of the trial, Ehrlichman said that he had not been aware what stage the trial was in at the time. Actually, it was just before Byrne would consider defense motions to dismiss the case.
The Ehrlichman testimony wound up in a fascinating clash between Weicker and the witness over Ehrlichman's contention that the political investigations conducted by Anthony Ulasewicz, a former New York City cop who had been given secret assignments for a time by Ehrlichman, were proper. Ulasewicz has testified that his gumshoe chores amounted to "dealing in allegations of dirt"—the sexual activities, drinking habits and domestic problems of candidates. Ehrlichman, a teetotaling Christian Scientist, launched into an animated defense of the relevance of such personal habits to politics.
Nodding toward the Capitol chambers, Ehrlichman declared: "You can go over here in the gallery and watch a member totter onto the floor in a condition of at least partial inebriation. I think that is important for the American people to know. And if the only way it can be brought out is through his opponents in a political campaign, then I think that opponent has an affirmative obligation to bring that forward."
Weicker shook his head and leaned forward, his voice rising. "Do you really want to bring the political system of the United States, of our campaigns, down to the level of what you are talking about right now?" Ehrlichman dodged that, suggesting to Weicker: "I know that in your situation your lifestyle is undoubtedly impeccable and there wouldn't be anything of issue like that." Replied Weicker: "I'm no angel."
Talking Paper. Attention will undoubtedly shift this week to Nixon's other former close aide, Bob Haldeman, who is scheduled to follow Ehrlichman before the Ervin committee. Haldeman was directly implicated last week by his assistant, Gordon Strachan, a precise, apparently candid witness, who served as Haldeman's liaison with the Nixon re-election committee.