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Show Hubert pulls ace; Nixon in a bind in secretary of Defense position. Gov. George Romney R Mich., being mentioned as a possible cabinet member in secretary of Urban Affairs. Wouldn't it be nice if he got the Department ot Labor? And Sen. Strom Thurmon, R-S.C., is expected to agree to Lt. Gov. Finch, R-Calif., for the attorney general spot. But Nixon now needs a Vietnam position or some pretty good reasons for not having one. Right after Vice President Humphrey's speech, Mr. Nixon made a slight mistake by saying that Humphrey might have removed the only ace President Lyndon B. Johnson has to end the war. That's all well and good, but he should have gone on to say how he would use the option if he were president. Mr. Nixon's best argument could have been that Vice President Humphrey is prolonging the war by undermining the Paris Peace Talks, but he chose instead to talk of the tactical mistake Vice President Humphrey supposedly made. Instead of stressing Vice President Humphrey's decision could bring about more death and destruction by forcing Hanoi to wait w ii'e Vice President Humphrey beJ $H President, if elected, Mr. ' 0i made his first slight mistake. 1 Some- hecklers that jH1' followed Mr. Wallace and President Humphrey i1 undoubtedly go after Mr. NiJ He just might make anotif mistake in the future. A slip', what the news media are 11.! $ for. They remember his fl Checker's speech when S lambasted the press for ' supposedly costing him K election. And since then he hi refused invitations time after tit. f to appear on any special nfr f programs. The press has an ax- 1 grind, and a mistake would be i !L covered. L Thinking of another of L President Humphrey's aces it j might be a film of that Checked speech. In 1964 television n used so effectively to smear BarrY Goldwater that in 1968 such i tactic to smear Nixon is higrJ possible. k This election is not1 ovet yE tat Maybe Tom Watson will comet.' of the House as our Preside- f Who's Tom Watson? ,efi nun By Bill Stoddard With Hubert's first ace pulled in this election card game, old Dick is caught in quite a bind. Dick had planned on this card, but not for two more weeks. In fact, he's been playing it so cool that any position on Vietnam has not been needed until now. A political realist Richard Nixon has not wanted to pull any punch that Vice President Hubert Humphrey could counter with just such an announcement as came Monday night. Now Mr. Nixon is in a favorable position for all those swing voters who claim independence from either party. The only problem he faces is what position he should take to win those voters. Though the people generally are unhappy with the war in Vietnam, most want a solution where both sides can wave their flags in victory. Clearly Vice President Humphrey's statement can be so interpreted unless Mr. Nixon comes up with something better. Remembering the vocal minority that backed Sen. Eugene McCarthy and Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, Vice President Humphrey could not side completely with them. Yet he could not stand back and let them continue to hinder his campaign. Thus the decision was made to break with the Johnson administration but not completely separate from it. Also Sen. McCarthy was contacted to see if his support could be obtained. This is the second ace Humphrey needs to be elected. The announcement is now expected on Oct. 8, just one week from the first play. If Vice President Humphrey could then come up with three more such plays, Mr. Nixon would be buried as all old politicians might be this year. This move was expected by Nixon aides, but it came two weeks too soon. Figuring as they had, if Humphrey had waited, Mr. Nixon could have made a hay day of his switch in policy just before the election. Such a questioning of Vice President Humphrey's honesty and integrity might have easily dumped him hard. Instead, now it might be Mr. Nixon who is dumped. With ex-Gov. George Wallace looming over Mr. Nixon in just such a way as Hitler did 30 years ago in Germany, it appears this election is going to the House of Representatives for sure. A possibility that might occur is a deal with Mr. Wallace as Mr. Nixon's vice-president. But whisper is the moderates of the GOP won't permit that deal. Instead, they're working in New York, Michigan and Illinois to bring those states into the Republican camp. In all this worry Mr. Nixon still remains calm. So calm in fact, he has already started picking his cabinet. The rumor is Gov. Nelson I Rockefeller, R N.Y., was asked to serve as secretary of State, but Gov. Rockefeller wants to retire. Gov. William Scranton, R Penn., has been suggested as a second choice if Gov. Rockefeller really I can't be budged. Gov. Scranton I plans to tour Europe soon visiting I the North American Treaty Organization meetings and several other top foreign policy meetings. Gov. Scranton has declared himself out of politics, but maybe he'll take the job. On the other hand it might be possible he's merely a stand in for Gov. Rockefeller, who has New York state business to finish. Yet, even if Gov. Rockefeller won't go for secretary of State, J Mr. Nixon would like him also in |