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It can be argued that some Presidents and Vice Presidents do not agree on things, but I think most of the antagonism that has developed arises because the Vice President has not been in the flow of the decision-making process. He has been sitting over in the Executive Office Building across the street, and his staff is jealous of the staff in the West Wing. It is a bad situation. But if you put the Vice President in the flow of things as the Chief of Staff, he would be a part of every decision, not just an adjunct over there waiting for the President to die.
This may seem mainly a technical point, but a presidency really is a combination of the individual President and his staff. I also think that the Congress would respond better if it knew that the Chief of Staff was an elected official rather than just an appointee trying to husband all of the power in the West Wing. That is really resented by members of the Congress.
I want to emphasize the importance of these personal relationships between the White House and the Congress. I think the President has to accept the fact that he must spend more time personally with members of Congress, and he must work with the leaders of both parties to enhance their strength and influence. Members of Congress are important. The President cannot spend too much time with them. (I mean on matters of policy, not just a Congressman bringing in ten of his constituents — you can get overwhelmed with that.) I think a President has to give the leaders in the Congress and influential members of both parties an open door to come and take part in policy decisions. He doesn't have to guarantee that he will do what they say, but at least they have to have the feeling that their views are considered before the fact, and not after. I think that the President just cannot make a decision and then call up the Congress and say, "Give me help." That is unfair. He has got to ask their advice. Even if he does not agree with it, he can then go back and ask for their help, and he would be in a much better position to get results. By strengthening the leadership the President would make the Congress more responsive.
Another important way for the President to exert leadership is through the Cabinet. I am a strong believer in an effective Cabinet. That means that you cannot rely on political flunkies. But if a President has good Cabinet heads, he can delegate a lot of authority. He does not have to get into the minutiae of running the Government. The Cabinet members, on the other hand, ought to have full access to the President. That kind of access can be very important, for example, when a budget is being put together, and decisions are made. There is a tendency on the part of the President to listen mainly to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. After all, he is there a lot in the Oval Office. But the Cabinet officer must also have access, so he can make his appeal. If you do not must also have access, so he can make his appeal. If you do not give them that kind of personal relationship, then they cannot really do the job on behalf of their departments.