Available Rocky

Borne by the airy hope of a draft at the Republican Convention, the hat of New York's Governor Nelson Rockefeller fluttered into the presidential ring once more. The first sign that Rocky's hopes were still astir was evident when he issued a loftily nonpartisan statement on the summit.

There is "a clear and compelling need to face the facts concerning the failure of the summit conference in Paris." he said, calling for an end to partisanship in the debate. Easily read between the lines, or even in them, was an effort to project a presidentially august image of above-the-battle statesmanship.

Then, walking briskly to the level of practical politics. Rocky faced the executive committee of his home state's Republican Committee. As down-to-earth politicians, committee members were restless about the awkward, up-in-the-air position of the state's convention delegation. Some of them wanted to pledge the delegation to Nixon, others wanted to commit it to Rockefeller as a favorite son. but all wanted a decision on the delegation's status. At an executive committee meeting in Albany. Rockefeller extracted a resolution that will send New York's 96-vote delegation to the convention uninstructed and uncommitted. In return he agreed to announce his availability for a draft. "Drafts come very seldom in this country." he duly announced, "but if a draft should come, I would be greatly honored, and I would accept." A newsman asked whether he was planning just to "sit by an open window waiting for a draft." Replied Rocky: "No. the office is air-conditioned."

Rocky's re-entry into the presidential contest came a little late. Just one day before, Richard Nixon won Tennessee's 28-vote delegation, and with it an unofficial total of 686 committed votes--enough to guarantee him the nomination.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.