JACK PAAR. Good evening; I'm speaking to you from Washington. I'm neither Huntley nor Brinkley, but I was telling this audience a moment ago that it is a great honor for me to be here in Washington. It was rumored that I would be here on many other occasions, but not under such friendly circumstances. [Laughter and applause.]
     My office called me an hour ago and this is absolutely true - "I kid you not" - as our glorious leader says. I have a telegram in my office in New York that will be framed. This is what it says: "To Richard Nixon, the Vice President of the United States, in care of Jack Paar." [Laughter.] The stock market may fall tomorrow, but nevertheless it is quite a thrill to me.
     It is a thrill to have the Vice President on this show as it was to have Senator Kennedy on the show some months ago - an added pleasure for me now because I have just learned that he belongs on the "Tonight" show; his father was born in Ohio.
     Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States, Mr. Richard Nixon. [Applause.]
     This is a great pleasure, Mr. Nixon, for you to appear on this show, on this very informal "catch-as-catch-can" show. We are really honored. Now, there'll be no commercials, incidentally - that might get you the popular vote alone. [Laughter.] You've cut the commercials on the "Tonight" show away down and I will say nothing commercial unless it comes up in normal conversation.
     Let me ask you a question that I think - I wasn't going to ask it really because I thought it was kind of a rough question and someone said, "No, ask it," so all right. Yesterday in a press conference the President, Mr. Eisenhower, said that you had not actually made decisions, that he made the decisions and there could be an inference that the advantage you have in experience would not be so. Forgive me for asking that, but they want to make me real powerful - and I don't really want to be. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. Well, Jack, actually the President stated the case exactly and correctly from the standpoint of both his administration and I would hope any administration, Democratic or Republican, because only the President of the United States can make the great decisions affecting the country. He consults with the Vice President, with the Cabinet, and with others of his official family as well as others whose views he respects. But when it comes actually to deciding something, he must do it. And, as far as my experience is concerned, it has been in sitting in the councils of the administration, in the Cabinet and Security Council, being asked - and that, incidentally, is a very great privilege - being asked my opinion on matters where I had experience, and then participating in the discussions which lead to a decision by the President.
     JACK PAAR. I think you, sir, with great wisdom have said that there would be no discussion of religion in this campaign by you or the people who work under you and with you. Does that mean you would not refer to your opponent's age [laughter], you would not ring that issue up, I assume.
     Vice President NIXON. Well, as a matter of fact, I don't think age is an issue, Jack. As a matter of fact, your name is "Jack" - that's a little embarrassing to me at the moment. [Laughter.] That wasn't in the script, was it?
     JACK PAAR. No. [Laughter.] Oh, that'll be good - that'd be fine. This is - I want you to know this is as informal as the "Tonight" show is, which is quite informal.
     Vice President NIXON. No, as far as age is concerned, both Senator Kennedy and I are in our forties---
     JACK PAAR. So am I. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. Yes; that's right. [More laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. Look how well I've done. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. And I think the question before the people is not the difference in our ages (3 or 4 years) but the differences in our attitude toward the issues and in our experience, for that matter.
     JACK PAAR. Can I say what people say that I - you know, in the nutty circles that I move. Well, those who are not committed, Mr. Vice President, who are not Republicans or who are not Democrats, and in the theater I'm under the influence, if I may say, it's a Democratic influence in that particular field, I would say it's a stronger one - but then there are the Independents, which are the important ones I believe, and they say: "Well, what's the difference between Richard Nixon and Jack Kennedy?" And many say: "Both able and fine men * * * " as I believe. You are the authority now. How are you different than Jack Kennedy? Where are you different than Jack Kennedy? [Laughter.] Is that a good one? I don't know. I'm not Larry Spivak, you know, I'm just---
     Vice President NIXON. How much time do I have? [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. You must never top a civilian - now you know that you don't do that. I know it's oversimplified. How would you say that? I mean, what am I to say to these friends of mine when they say - what's the difference? How do you feel you're different than Senator Kennedy?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, that, of course, will be developed during the course of the campaign. I think those who saw the two conventions and listened to the acceptance speeches could see we had some very definite differences on the issues.
     There is, first, the difference in our experiences. Senator Kennedy has had some very valuable experience and I have had some experience which others can appraise other than myself. In addition to that, there is the difference on the attitude toward the great issues confronting the Nation. He supports his platform, the platform of his party, a platform, incidentally, which I think many members of his party will not support, because they think it departs from their basic principles.
     JACK PAAR. Is that that the Southern issue of the segregation?
     Vice President NIXON. It's not so much segregation as it is the tendency in the platform to promise everything to everybody and, in effect, using the people's money to pay the bill. Because actually in this whole business of promising, as we must constantly remember, when a public official gets up or somebody running for election and says: I promise that I'm going to do this and that and the other thing for you - remember, it isn't his money that's going to pay the bill, it's yours.
     Now, that's an oversimplification of a lot of complex issues, but basically I think what the American people must decide in this campaign is which of the two men running for President is best qualified by temperament, by experience, and by background to lead the United States and the free world in these critical years of the sixties. And to lead this country and the free world in a way that we can win victory in the great struggle in which we're engaged and win that victory without war.
     Now, Senator Kennedy's adherents will believe that he can best do that. Some of my supporters, I would hope, would think that I would be best. This program, I don't think, is an adequate place to discuss it in detail, and I would urge that all of your millions of listeners would listen to what we have to say during the campaign - whether they're Democrats or Republicans. I would just urge this: that in this election, first, that everybody listening vote; but second, that he not vote party labels and not vote personality and not vote age and not vote religion, but that he should vote on the issues; he should vote on the basis of leadership. If we do that the decision that's made will be best for America, and best for the world. [Applause.]
     JACK PAAR. Mr. Vice President, I watched both conventions, every moment. I'm very interested in that kind of carrying on [laughter]  - no, it gives me a big laugh, you know, it's great, I loved it because - oh, it's just wonderful. But I saw you. Oh, I saw the night of the nomination, I saw you in the car. Incidentally, when you got in the car and drove away at the hotel, I was watching on television and a friend of mine, Joey Bishop, called and he said: "I watched Senator Kennedy, he came out of his hotel, jumped into the car, big black car, and they drove off; Nixon just came out - jumped into the car." He said: "We're voting for two men who can't drive." [Laughter.] But - you can drive now - right? Let's clear that up for Joey Bishop; it's a very important issue with Joey.
     Vice President NIXON. I drive a 1955 Oldsmobile and quite well, too, incidentally.
     JACK PAAR. Well, now, Joey - you heard - you heard the Vice President tell you. That's democracy in action. Now, next. I heard you that night and then the next morning particularly. Oh, I felt so sorry for you. You know what? You went to that silly - that luncheon, breakfast
     Vice President NIXON. That's all right ---
     JACK PAAR (continuing). You know, and you went in there and they were singing something, a nice song for your wife, Pat, it was a lovely song, but they were all women. It was like - you know - group, and they all had corsages on. Right away you're in trouble. Never go to a group where they have corsages on - right away you're in trouble. And it looked like "Queen for a Day" for a moment. [Laughter.] I said, "Oh, that poor fellow."
     But you said and inferred that you were starting this campaign from behind, it was not going to be easy, it would be an uphill fight for you to attain the Presidency. Now, we use the word "level" with me - haven't you got information that tells you that situation has changed?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, let me say that I have a little different view of public opinion polls than some of the people from the city from which you come, New York, where they place a great reliance upon such polls. As a matter of fact, in Washington the same is true of many political figures. This is one place where I agree with Mr. Truman: I think the only poll that counts is the one on election day.
     Now, it's true that the public opinion polls do show that we are running better now than we did before the convention. I do sense that our convention (and I'm a little prejudiced in this respect) may have left a better impression on the people than did the Democratic convention. I do sense from the receptions that we've had and the States I have visited that we're running pretty well.
     But I would say this: this is a very close contest. That's the way we consider it. We think we're going to win, but we're only going to win by never believing that it's "in the bag."
     JACK PAAR. M-m-m. Polls have shown a bit of a change, have they not?
     Vice President NIXON. There's been a definite shift since before the convention to the time after the convention.
     JACK PAAR. Even information that surprisingly enough that you did very well in the South.
     Vice President NIXON. Yes; we've had some polls---
     JACK PAAR (interrupting). You count on taking the South, a part of it?
     Vice President NIXON. Let me say this. We certainly can't concede any part of the country at all and we can't take any part of it for granted. I think this election is a healthy one in that respect - that the whole Nation will be a battleground. I don't believe that we ought to divide this country into North and South and to have one party assume that it has it "in the bag" in the North - and for us, for example, to assume that we've got the Midwest or the Northeast. I think that all the people of the country ought to make the decision and ought to have a chance to hear the candidates. That's why I'm going to all of the 50 States.
     As far as the South is concerned, we think we have a chance in some Southern States. At least, we're going to give the people down there a choice, something that they sometimes have not had in previous times.
     JACK PAAR. Do you look forward to this series called "The Great Debate" on television? Do you look forward to this new, whole new concept of campaigning? Two men in the same room at the same time?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, Jack, I have in previous campaigns participated in some debates, or shall we say, joint appearances, with my opponents. I can say when you ask: Do you look forward to it?  I can say that it's a very rugged experience. It will be for Senator Kennedy; it will be for me. And I would only hope that the two of us will be able to present our differences of views, in fact, answer the question that you asked a moment ago at the beginning of this show, in a way that the people can make up their minds on issues above everything else, rather than on personalities.
     So, I can say I look forward to these debates as a great challenge, and I'm sure Senator Kennedy does, and I trust that we can make them interesting. I might say the most important thing about our business, if I may call it that (other people call it something worse)---
     JACK PAAR. Our business - yours and mine?
     Vice President NIXON. Both. [Laughter.] I should say the most important thing about the business of government and politics is not to bore the people. And I would trust that these debates may create a lot of interest, get more people to the polls than otherwise would be the case, get more of them listening and thinking about issues and not just voting a party line. If they do that, it'll be good.
     JACK PAAR. The registration this year is dreadfully lacking, isn't it? The information is very bad.
     Vice President NIXON. It is, and I trust that we can steam that up. I notice that Senator Kennedy's aids are conducting a registration drive and I've instructed all of our people to do likewise. We want everybody to vote.
     JACK PAAR. You're well aware, sir, that you're running against little beavers, aren't you? They are really around - they're everywhere - I'm telling you. [Laughter.] Boy, they're - little Bobby Kennedy is in New York and he was in the Puerto Rican section yesterday eating tamales, you know. How are you on Mexican food or Spanish food? [Laughter.] It may be an issue of how many foreign foods you can eat, you know, because this thing is getting down. I think Rockefeller beat Harriman on a couple of blintzes. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. All that I can say is that I can eat anything. [Applause.]
     JACK PAAR. Well, you'd better watch out, Jack. [More applause.] Are you in good shape?
     Vice President NIXON. I'm in fair shape - not as good a shape as you are. But I was going to say as far as food is concerned, I actually happen to like Mexican food---
     JACK PAAR. Texas'll be OK. How about Puerto Rican?
     Vice President NIXON. The Spanish food generally - Puerto Rican, of course, doesn't have the highly seasoned food that we have in Mexican food. But, you see, I have a sentimental reason. My wife and I took our honeymoon in Mexico City, so - and this was our 20th anniversary, so we like Mexican food.
     JACK PAAR. I wanted to ask you - it's hard, because I don't want to use notes. I just want to talk to you - like the people would like to if they had this opportunity. Are you friendly with Jack Kennedy ? [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. Yes, I would say so. [More laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. That's the best I could do.
     Vice President NIXON. Well, let me tell you something.
     JACK PAAR. You two have offices near each other?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, we certainly do.
     JACK PAAR. Do you get around - you know, like fellows do?
     Vice President NixoN. Oh, yes.
     JACK PAAR. Not so much any more. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. We're members of what we call "The Club." Anybody who has ever been a Member of the Senate is a member of a club, and while we have very definite differences on great issues and we have very different views on how this election should come out [laughter] - I would say that our relations on a personal basis are friendly. That means that we couldn't disagree more on some great issues, but I don't believe that this campaign will be a personal campaign from the standpoint of personal animosity. I would hope not.
     JACK PAAR. Have you met him recently?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, I saw him on the floor yesterday, of course---
     JACK PAAR. You don't meet at the water cooler or anything [laughter] - I guess it's a problem.
     Vice President NIXON. Yes.
     JACK PAAR. Do your children mind? The one - well, they're bath old enough because my daughter understands, and the Lord knows I am attacked frequently, you know, and I'm not running far anything - I'm trying to retire. [Laughter.] But she's hurt by things written about her father. What is the reaction of your children when they hear someone "zing" it into you?
     Vice President NIXON. Well, it's a little difficult. I'm sure this is true of all people in public life. Our two girls are both sensitive, perhaps our older girl is a little more sensitive than the younger one, but I would say that they take it pretty well. We, of course, do not discuss the political situation at home. We try to have them grow up in a normal way and, believe me, politics is not a very normal way to live. [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. No, it isn't.
     Vice President NIXON. They react differently.
     JACK PAAR. I have the feeling the Kennedys may discuss it at home. [Laughter and applause.]
     Vice President NIXON. There's a difference. I think their child is a little young for discussion of politics.
     JACK PAAR. No, I meant the whole clan, you know---
     Vice President NIXON. Oh, we discuss it that way. Yes. For example, I was going to say - well, the other day Julie our younger daughter, came rushing in and said, "Come quick daddy, they're saying terrible things about you on television." And I said, "You've got to get used to that."
     JACK PAAR. Oh, that's hard to do for a child. You know, you hinted in your acceptance speech, which was I think the best speech you ever made, Mr. Nixon - can I say that? I guess so - it's a democracy - who's going to stop me, you know. [Laughter.] I think it was a splendid speech and you said - well, you correct me if I'm wrong - but you intimated that in the survival issue, national survival, defense and all, that the people were going to have to make sacrifices. You said that. Is that more or less what you said?
     Vice President NIXON. Yes.
     JACK PAAR. All right. It was kind of frightening to hear. This is not the program for it - all right - but is there something you're not telling us? I mean [laughter] are things - just leave it - I won't prod you - are things pretty serious in that area?
     Vice President NIXON. Things are going to be serious for a long time in the world in which we live. And what I meant by sacrifices is that the American people, enjoying the best life that people have over enjoyed in the history of civilization, must be prepared to sacrifice if necessary to make sure that we retain our way of life, and also extend the whole concept of freedom to the whole world.
     May I say in that connection that as far as sacrifices are concerned this means that rather than getting increased, shall we say, return from our own efforts (as we increase the productivity, of our economy) we may find - I don't anticipate anything specifically that I can suggest now - we may find in the years ahead that we're going to have to put more in the defense, more into the nonmilitary struggle that is going on throughout the world in Asia and Africa and Latin America..
     And if I could just say finally this thing. We must never forget that no longer is it possible for us - even if we wanted to - to draw within ourselves and say: Well, let the rest of the world go hang. What happens any place in the world affects our freedom, and it might affect the peace of the world. I think that we can have peace. I think that we can keep our own freedom, and I think that we can win the struggle against slavery and for freedom throughout the world, but it's going to mean leadership on the part of America, and if that leadership requires sacrifice we'd better be prepared to sacrifice.
     JACK PAAR. You don't in the foreseeable future see taxes reduced? [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. I don't. [Laughter.] We're still going to get the main part of your income, I can assure you. [Laughter]
     JACK PAAR. Well, I'm pretty sneaky, I'm telling you that.
     Vice President NIXON. They'll have you down in Washington if you---
     JACK PAAR. No, sir, they're never going to get me down here unless I want to come. [Laughter.] 'Cause I've got my own little group going too, sir.
     Do you think our children - your two little daughters and my daughter and their kids - do you think that they'll ever be able to pick up a newspaper some day and not find threats and wars and impending disasters and threats from our friends, former friends? Do you think in our time we'll see that? Or, at least, you and I probably will not see it. But our children, will they see it?
     Vice President NIXON. I think that it is possible that our children could see it - or even that we could see it. But I don't think that we can assume that it is going to be easy, and I don't think we can ever underestimate the great challenge that is presented to us. We mustn't try to seek an easy way out because there is none. If we do seek an easy way out that means surrender, and this we cannot do.
     But I can only say it is the function of those of us in Government and of all the people of this country to make this dream come true. Now, you - may I say this - the way you cast this worries me a bit because it says our children hear of wars and rumors of wars, the problems in Iran and the Congo and Cuba and the like - are we ever going to have a better time? Let me say that I believe this is the best time we could ever live in, and I want to tell you why. The challenge is great, but for the first time in the history of the world, the history of civilization, the opportunities are higher than they've ever been. For the first time in the history of the world, if we can avoid war, we can wage a winning struggle against poverty, misery, and disease. People have dreamed of this for centuries. The people who engaged in the American Revolution talked about this ideal for the whole world, but it wouldn't have been possible then. But because of the tremendous advances of science, because of the productivity of our factories, of our farms and the like, men today all over the world, men and women, can have enough to eat, enough to wear, and lead a good life if the political leaders and the statesmen can solve the problems that we have.
     So I wouldn't underrate the difficulty of the problem. I say the challenge is great, but it's an exciting time and your children and mine can live to see the realization of the best times that civilization has ever seen on this earth.
     JACK PAAR. Sir, we said there'd be no commercials, but they have to break for one. Would you stay - like a good sport? [Laughter.] We must cut away - it's a Federal law, incidentally [laughter] and we'll be back!
     (Note: pause for commercial.)
     JACK PAAR. I never like to throw curves to anyone and I wouldn't do anything that would embarrass anyone, but would you get a shot of my daughter, please, it means a great deal to her, would you, please. And there's a very lovely lady sitting next to her, and this will mean a great deal to her mother watching at home and it will mean a great deal to my mother - to let my mother know the kind of people I'm movin' around with now. [Laughter and applause.] Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. Pat Nixon, will you come up? [Applause.]
     It is rumored that at one time you were introduced - you dear person - as - and someone, the announcer, said: "And I'd like you to meet the next wife of the Vice President." Is that right?
     Mrs. NIXON. That's right. In Utah, where it counts.
     JACK PAAR. Won't you sit down a moment?
     Mrs. NIXON. Thank you.
     JACK PAAR (to his daughter). They'll think you're pushy, honey. [Laughter.] My wife said to me - you know, the Vice President and this campaign coming up and you'll be gone for weeks at a time, and she asked, my wife is a very lovely woman, but she doesn't get herself involved with big things but simple things that make the world go, you know, like - she says: "How do they do their laundry?" [Laughter.] So, how does he get his shirts - if you're in Utah one day and Oklahoma the next. How do you do that?
     Mrs. NIXON. Well, we take enough along or else we come home for a new supply. We do real well---
     JACK PAAR (interrupting). Well, don't say you take enough along because that's very bad for the Republicans; it looks like you have too many, you know. [Laughter.] You say you take enough---
     Mrs. NIXON. That's right.
     JACK PAAR. And where were you when he had the tuxedo in England?
     Mrs. NIXON. Oh, I was behind the blush. [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. What happened with that - you didn't have a tuxedo? You didn't have it?
     Vice President NIXON. I certainly didn't. I never had such a moment. Here was the Queen - we were giving the dinner for the Queen at the Embassy and, you know, entertaining anybody is always a problem, but the Queen is really something. And so, I - everything was all set, we'd been down to look over the flowers and all that sort of thing, we came up, and I began to look for my black tie and it wasn't there. So we looked all over the place and we couldn't believe it but it wasn't there. What finally happened, we started to borrow. They found a man in Scotland Yard [laughter] his was a little small, and finally we had a Los Angeles newspaperman, Jim Bassett at the Mirror News, he happened to be close to my size, so I wore his and then he borrowed the Scotland Yard man and he wore his, so that there was a Scotland Yard fellow that didn't have a tuxedo that night. [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. I trust the fairness of Jack Kennedy and that it will not become a major issue in the campaign. [Laughter.] I'm sure he wouldn't do a thing like that. Would you like to answer two questions from the audience in New York and two questions from here? And then I'm sure you'd like to go. I can't tell you how much this means to our show. It gives us "class." [Laughter.] The announcer here in Washington, Stuart Finley, whom I only met a moment ago - Mr. Finley, a question, please, and then Mr. Nixon will answer it.
     QUESTION. I would like to ask Mr. Vice President whether he thinks the Washington Senators will stay in the first division. [Laughter and applause.]
     Vice President NIXON. Well, I would say they will if I can go to enough games. [Laughter.] Because generally, it's a funny thing - I see to - you know, there's always little jinxes, and in this case whenever I go to see the Washington Senators play, they win. I've been there - the last seven times I've been there, they've won. They beat the Yankees, incidentally, Friday. You know I learned later - it was on television in New York and all those New York fans saw me standing up and cheering for the home runs (we won 4 to 2), and nobody votes in Washington and everybody votes in New York. [Laughter.] That shows you my baseball's nonpolitical.
     JACK PAAR. Do you like sports? You read the sports page every morning, I read.
     Vice President NIXON. Oh, I like sports
     JACK PARR. Why do you look at that knee? Something wrong with your leg?
     Vice President NIXON. No, nothing wrong---
     JACK PAAR. I mean, I'm not trying to make an issue out of it. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. Well, let's not have a health issue in the campaign.
     JACK PAAR. Oh, no. You have a sore knee or something, I know.
     Vice President NIXON. Well, I did - I banged it on the car door. Not the Oldsmobile, but another one that I was getting into---
     JACK PAAR. You have two cars, Mr. Nixon? [Laughter.] Well, Hoover promised it, didn't he? Or was it the chicken in the pot? He promised us something.
     Vice President NIXON. My second one is a big, black, Government Cadillac, you know---
     JACK PAAR. Oh, that's the best kind.
     Vice President NIXON. And whoever's elected Vice President gets it, too.
     JACK PAAR. Do they?
     Vice President NIXON. That's right.
     JACK PARR. Oh - let's see - that may be either Lyndon or Mr. Lodge, Henry Cabot Lodge. Well, that's nice to look forward to. One more question from here and then we'll go to New York.
     QUESTION. Well, Mr. Vice President, I was wondering if the Congolese Premier sends his troops in Katanga - and the United Nations has to defend the border between these two independent states - would the United States back up the United Nations in this by sending troops, or would we just keep up with our support that we've been giving so far ? Or would we go more than this?
     Vice President NIXON. The United States does support the United Nations and must support the United Nations in the Congo and in other areas of the world where a U.N. decision is made. As far as, the contingency which you have suggested, we, of course, are very hopeful that the negotiations which are going forward at the present time will avoid that possibility. But if the United Nations is to be an instrument for peace, the United States must back it - as we backed it in Korea and as we are in the Congo. And I think the very fact that the United States is backing the U.N. has meant that up to this time the Congo situation has been handled as well as we have. It's a complex situation. We hope that it can be worked out without this terrible contingency which you've suggested.
     JACK PAAR. Hugh, take it in New York now for two questions and then we'll return it to you.
     QUESTION. Mr. Vice President, you were probably the most active Vice President in our history. The question I would like to ask is: Do you feel in your experiences - both good and sometimes dangerous - do you feel if you are elected President the responsibilities of the Vice President should be increased even more than you have had?
     Vice President NIXON. Yes; I believe so. I believe that one of the major contributions - among many contributions the President has made - has been in upgrading the office of the Vice Presidency. So that instead of just being a gavel pounder over the Senate, he actually is used in foreign policy, in domestic policy, and in a lot of other important matters. I believe that it is simply a waste to have the second elected official, the only other person other than the President elected by all the people, not to be used to the utmost of his capabilities. And speaking, for example, of my own running mate, I happen to believe that Henry Cabot Lodge is a man who has as much experience and as much ability in handling the negotiations with the Communists, with the Russians, as any man in the world. And I expect - if I have the opportunity as President - I expect to upgrade his responsibility, because he should be used in this field, used in this field in the interests of the country.
     QUESTION. Mr. Vice President, I'm sure that Mrs. Nixon will be very much in the limelight in the next few months. Have you briefed her on what to say and do - and what not to say and do? [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. Holy Cow! What a - get that Democrat out of there, will you? [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. No; I think it's a very fair question, Jack. And I will say this: that I have found in our travels around the world that, while at times - and also my travels in this country - while at times I may be a subject of controversy because I'm representing the country's views as vigorously as possible, that Pat, my wife, has been an ambassadress of good will without any controversy whatever. And one of the reasons she's been able to do as good a job as she is is that she doesn't need any backseat driving from her husband. She knows what to say and I trust her completely - in press conferences or anyplace else - and that means in all the 55 countries we visited and in all the 50 States of the United States. [Applause.]
     JACK PAAR. Mrs. Nixon, I read an article on the plane coming up tonight, an excellent article, saying that you were a tremendous asset - not only as a wife and mother and to your husband, the Vice President - but to the Republican Party. And I brought it and I wanted to give it to you - I hope you'll be very proud of it.
     I cannot tell you - I don't want to sound - O.K., this meant a great deal to our show and you were very brave and courageous and a good sport to come on in this kind of madness. What do I say now?
     Mrs. NIXON. I certainly appreciated being here with you. You know, I'll be a popular person when I get home. My youngsters, of course, know all the stars of the shows and we hear a great deal about you. Of course, you know bedtime is a certain hour at our house, but when they have slumber parties - that's when they get you on the show. [Laughter.]
     Vice President NIXON. Could I ask you one favor, Jack?
     JACK PAAR. Yes, Sir; you can ask any favor you'd like.
     Vice President NIXON. Could we have your autograph for our girls? [Laughter.]
     JACK PAAR. Well, you give my regards to the President and tell him he's doing a fine job. [Laughter.]
     Good night, good night, good night - good night, Hugh. [Applause.]