■ The appointment of Melvin Laird to the White House staff, with Cabinet rank et al., is acknowledged as a major victory for conservative congressional leaders who have been urging White House for months to take step of this sort. And Laird, whose differences with Kissinger when he was in Defense caused tension, is now out of the way of foreign policy. . . . Chalk up another win for political strategist F. Clifton White in last week’s victory by conservative Rep. Charles Sandman in New Jersey gubernatorial primary against incumbent Gov. William Cahill. White, chief consultant in Sandman’s uphill race, also masterminded Gold- water nomination in 1964 and James Buckley’s winning senatorial campaign in ’70. . . . John Schmitz, presidential candidate of the American Party in 1972, has been bitterly attacked by Tom Anderson, National Chairman of that party, for rejoining the GOP. He did it, says Anderson, “because he doesn’t like being unemployed.” I did it, says Schmitz, because “I see a golden opportunity now for conservatives in the GOP.” . . . Maryland State Senator Robert Bauman, a former national chairman of YAF, is being pressed to announce for the congressional seat of Rep. William Mills who committed suicide a fortnight ago. . . . YAF, incidentally, is flourishing, now lists 98 congressmen on its board of advisers, the largest ever.
■ On Watergate: Sen. Edmund Muskie, asked in Japan about Clark Clifford’s suggestion that Nixon and Agnew resign in favor of a “government of national unity,” took statesmanlike position. “There has been no rush in congressional circles to the idea of impeachment or resignation. . . . The political stability of the country and its leadership are important and not to be lightly disrupted.” . . . Sam Yorty is blaming his defeat in Los Angeles mayoralty race in part on Watergate: “I think Watergate has permeated the whole political structure. It’s making it harder for incumbents.” . . . According to liberal columnist Joseph Kraft the only institution emerging from it smelling like a rose is J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. “Despite the powerful pull of presidential loyalty, the Bureau went out and won one for J. Edgar Hoover.” . . . Communist Party solid in get-rid- of-Nixon movement: Its people have been gathering signatures on petitions calling for new elections, also passing out Impeach Nixon stickers.
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