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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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not running out to say that we should draft Bob Wagner. But if he becomes a candidate...” At that time he was going through gyrations of thinking about it. It was all over the press at the time, and Alex Rose was imploring him and Rockefeller. I think it would have to be ‘73, I said, “I'm not taking a position supporting him in advance of his saying he's a candidate.” I said, “When he does that, then I will come out.”

And then Rockefeller, who's been involved in all these convoluted meetings with Wagner and Alex Rose and the highest level -- I hadn't been involved in it at all --, says to me, “Do you think he'll run?” I said, “How the hell do I know?” But in my head I was saying to myself, “Jesus Christ, here's the guy who's the governor of the state. He's going through all the convolutions, and he's got all the power, and he's doing all the operations, and he's asking me whether Wagner's going to run? We are in a hell of a state.” So that's really the Nelson Rockefeller story.

Also, I must say that I told Nelson Rockefeller the story involving his brother that I related to you a few moments ago about Israel after I'd been in Congress one or two years -- maybe it was a year or two after it had taken place -- and Rockefeller had come down to Washington to address the delegation. When he did that, he would always have a party at one of the nice hotels in Washington, a dinner, a nice party. And that particular night he was flying back to New York, and I had to get back to New York, so I said to him: “Governor, can I go back on the plane with you?” He had brought down the Albany legislative leaders and he





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