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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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Session:         Page of 617

So my office is instructed since they call up regularly and tie up our phone (one of my receptionists is a young woman who is Puerto-Rican with a very nice sweet voice and couldn't hang up on anyone). In the beginning they were getting these calls, and they were just on there for a long time taking information and giving it to me. So I said to them, “Please, don't waste your time with them. When they call up, after you've given them maybe 30 seconds to identify themselves and they say National Labor Caucus, then you just say to them, ‘The Congressman suggests that you send him a memorandum. He will read it. He will not meet with you. I'm sorry, I have to take another call,” and hang up. That's it -- that's the only way to get rid of them.” So they were doing that. And I took some of the calls. If I'm in the office and not doing anything at the moment or dictating a letter, someone will say, “There's someone on for you,” and maybe they don't know who it is, I'll say, “I'll sake it anyway.” And I'll get on, and it'll be a couple of these people. They'll start immediately; you cantell who they are: this very intense voice: “Congressman, do you know about the plot to blow up LaGuardia?” And they're referring to Kissinger having initiated that plot. It will be something like that. And I will say, “Now, look, I think, and I know you won't agree with me, you're nuts.” And then I'll say, “I really have no time for you. If you want to send me a memo, I read everything that comes into this office. Goodbye.” And then I hang up.





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