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Carter is conscious of the people's continued lack of trust in government and repeated that he tries to deal with this in an open way. "There is a great deal of skepticism about the decision-making process. Everybody wants to be darned sure we never have another Watergate or Viet Nam. Even if Eisenhower were in the White House, there would be a much closer examination of what he did. I think it is healthy."
Has there been any harmful leaking of information in his Administration: "I have had a problem—and it comes up repeatedly—of the issuing of statements concerning a controversial matter that was approaching my desk for a final decision during the formative stage of that decision-making process. Quite often I will read in the news media the attitudes of some of my people that work at the sub-Cabinet level, at the Assistant Secretary level, views that are leaked to promote oneself and also one's ideas and views.
This robs the influence and the stability and the esteem and the chance for success of a policy once I decide it. This does create confusion in the public mind."
Then he paused for a moment and remarked in a way that seemed uncommonly frank: "You know, I think, to be perfectly honest about it, successes have not yet been notable. We have made some progress in the Middle East, on SALT, on energy, only relative success. But I don't have any reticence about addressing these inherently difficult issues. I don't fear a rebuff or a defeat so much that I am afraid to try. It would have been a devastating blow to me politically and to my image as a leader had the Senate rejected the Panama Canal treaties. [Now] if we fail, I will not regret having tried."
Moving to the subject of Vice President Mondale's trip this week to Israel and Egypt, the President considered whether an American peace plan might be necessary in negotiation.
"The next step would be an Egyptian proposal," the President said, deliberately keeping the U.S. presence minimal. "It will be given to us and then delivered to Israel. If it is constructive, then my guess is that a meeting between the two governments, certainly at the Foreign Minister level, will be likely. We will participate at that meeting if they both want."
Then Carter showed some caution.
"That Egyptian proposal probably will not be completely acceptable to the Israelis, but that is a prediction. If not, then we would try to bring about some inventory of the compatibility and the differences between the two countries and will reserve the right to propose a compromise solution. I doubt we would put in any new initiatives; it will be built almost entirely on their own proposals."
Carter talked about next week's economic summit and confessed that he went to Bonn feeling handicapped, with no energy legislation passed and Congress threatening to block any Administration import taxes on oil. He sounded his new tough note about such action. "For the Congress to take that kind of negative position, prohibiting me from exercising the prerogatives and authority Presidents have had in the past, would be a very unwise act. My guess is they will not do it, but even if they haven't, their intentions will be a factor."