Seated in the comfortable parlor of his home in Plains, President-elect Jimmy Carter was interviewed last week by TIME Chief of Correspondents Murray Gart, Washington Bureau Chief Hugh Sidey and Correspondents Stanley Cloud and Bonnie Angela. Speaking at length of his plans for the presidency and his progress thus far, Carter disclosed that he:
> Expects to meet with Soviet Party Chief Leonid Brezhnev some time before September;
>Has already had exchanges with him over Strategic Arms Limitation;
> Hopes to maintain a personal relationship with the Chinese leadership;
> Plans to reorganize the leadership of the FBI;
> Will consider a federal job freeze;
> Will make extensive use of Wife Rosalynn as a sort of roving ambassador, and may open some Cabinet meetings to the press.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Has your view of the presidency changed from the view you had as a candidate?
A. I think the overall thing is that I've learned a lot about the Government and seen the need to address myself to broad policy issues and foreign affairs and defense matters, and the coordination among Cabinet officers, rather than the details that have sometimes preoccupied previous Presidents.
Q. How about the presidency itself? The pressures of the job?
A. As far as the prospect of actually being President, I look forward to that with anticipation, with a growing sense of confidence, because I know I have a good team to work with me and the good will of the American people. I think almost all of them want me to succeed.
Q. Have you had any second thoughts about your desire to conduct an "open" presidency?
A. No, I've not changed my mind about that. In whatever way I can be open, I'll do it—with frequent press conferences, fireside chats to explain complicated issues, perhaps with town-hall-type forums around the country, where I answer questions from the public. I think, on occasion, I might very well have Cabinet meetings open for a limited number of news people to come in. I would have a fairly steady stream of visitors—just average Americans whom we've met during the campaign from around the country—to come in and spend a night with us at the White House and eat supper with us, so that we could have that interrelationship.
Q. In your dealings with Congress, might you establish a procedure somewhat similar to the question period in the British Parliament, in which a Cabinet officer—or even you yourself—would go before Congess to answer questions?
A. Yes, I would like to see this done—to have Cabinet officers go there. I would reserve judgment on whether I should go myself. But it's a possibility.
Q. What about a role for your wife Rosalynn in the Administration?
A. She's already announced that she's going to help organize a commission on mental health. She would certainly be interested in the comprehensive health care program. I'll let her decide what sort of projects she wants to become involved in. But she and other members of my family will probably travel a good bit, both within this country and in foreign countries. I'll use her as an extension of myself.
Q. How large a role will your Vice President play?