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In Plains they went directly to Carter's familiar den and sat for four hours. Carter again pulled out his red logbook, and Mondale and Jordan were both pleased when they realized Carter's information was beginning to match their own. Carter dragged out a memo that listed all his campaign pledges. That made them all somewhat anxious again about the final number of women, blacks and Hispanics they would choose. As Carter opened two cans of crab soup and put together some meat and tomato sandwiches for lunch, the three continued talking in the kitchen. Should James Schlesinger be returned to Government? Carter was extremely high on him but was also aware of interview reports that Schlesinger was too impatient and not a team player. Should the outspoken but gifted George Ball be made an ambassador-at-large to the European countries? Carter often challenged Mondale and Jordan, playing the lawyer, testing their biases.
Flying home to Washington that night, with new Secretary of State-designate Cyrus Vance sitting beside him as a passenger, Mondale talked about the selection process—and his own eventual job as Vice President. He was worried about the need for new young blood in Government, for more women and minorities. "We've got to take some educated chances in these top jobs," he said. "A lot of the women candidates we have, for example, have no management track records to be judged on. So they keep being passed over." Mondale observed that it was often more difficult to find top women managers than black ones. He turned to foreign affairs. "There's a whole generation gap between this man," he said, pointing to Vance, "and the younger fellows like Tony Lake and Dick Holbrooke. We've got to open up these big jobs. The symbolism is important."
One job the new Vice President hopes will open up and not keep its empty symbolism is his own. Because there are Congressmen on the Hill who are still uneasy about Carter, Mondale expects that he will receive many of the inevitable complaints about the new President. "I intend to speak up," he said. "If I start telling the President only what he wants to hear, I'll be all through. I'd rather have him shut the door on me than change myself. I've told Jimmy that."
Meanwhile the names kept coming, many from office seekers themselves. Carter himself sent a daily stream of manila envelopes to Jordan. Carter asked Democratic National Chairman Robert Strauss to seek nominations from Governors and party people around the country. One day Strauss told Jordan, "Ham, I've got an important Senator who wants to be interviewed for Interior—but he doesn't want the job." Jordan roared. He said, "A lot of other people want a job—but don't want the interview."