The convention rules committee adopted to provision requiring that any delegate elected to the National Convention must have support from the majority of delegates to this meeting committee tide initially 0828 on the road and that tie was then broken by chairman James hetland then the committee handily defeated the proposal to allow so-called bullet balloting which would have allowed Ronald Reagan supporters to lined up behind just a few delegates as it stands any ballot with less than 18 volts will be considered invalid all this means that President Ford supporters may very well when all 18 delegates to be selected tomorrow night and the earlier rule would have provided that the top 18 volt gutters on a single ballot would have been elected National delegates by nominating additional Ford supporters be on the slight back by the Ford committee. Reagan's forces might have been able to scatter the Ford vote enough to capture a few of the top 18 slots. Since Reagan supporters are in the minority. They feel that none of their delegates are likely to Garner the majority support required under this proposed rule.However, some members of the rules committee suggested that Reagan supporters might be able to persuade and delegates to their man's cause after one or two ballots Reagan supporters in the rules committee pleated strongly that there are forces should be represented in the National delegation. They make up a sizable minority of delegates to this convention, perhaps 45 to 47% They handed a fairly serious consequences for the party if they felt they were not treated fairly by this Gathering those backing the majority position argue that since majority rule governed delegate selection at six of the seven District Conventions the same off to apply at the stake Gathering hap levander is President Ford's campaign chairman of the state and he have this assessment of the rules committee vote, but I think it means provided that we canPersuade all of our four delegates to vote for our Ford team. They will have an excellent chance. All 18 votes for the president. Are you at all worried about the possible divisions in the party that were warned about in the committee meeting know I'm not strangely enough when Senator Bob Brown decided not to seek re-election, which happens to be the district that I live in two people who strongly encouraged me to run for the Senate were strong Reagan supporters. So I don't think this issue here is going to be divisive in the Long Haul it's going to be contested and there's going to be disagreement on it. But in the long haul I don't see it as having any divisive influence on the party. Do you think it treats the Reagan supporters this convention fairly because he in the two congressional districts 4th and 7th for the Reagan people control the conventions. They proposed the majority vote requirement. If it was fair for the Reagan people controlled, I don't see how they can claim it's unfair here.Hap levander president for the campaign chairman in the state of Minnesota independent Republican party chairman Chuck Slocum have some comments today on the outcome of the rules committee vote and Dick daily has that aspect of the story. Yes, Bob Weaver. We've just returned from a press conference with a chairman Slocum. He had called it. I think that basically to just run over some procedural matters and scheduling question about the convention. But as you might expect this hole rules committee fight was a prime topic of conversation to perhaps to put this in perspective a little bit more. Are we ever release year from Minnesota citizens for Reagan a charging that the state of ir party officials and representatives of the President Ford committee are producing an irreparable split in the Party by other kind of winter will see if I can find the exact quote here Steamroller in people by Ford supporters who want every last delegate they can get all this being attributed to doctor HD Stokes is Chairman of the middle.Go to Reagan committee as we said chairman Slocum I had to deal with this issue during his press conference just a few minutes ago, and he claimed that the rules committee a matter which will now come before the fall convention in floor session. This evening will be handled in a fair manner. I want to make sure it will all make sure that both sides are fairly aired and our leadership and our party. I'm not going to try to steamroll through that report without an a long and protracted debate and every person that wants to speak to that issue consistent with a 3-minute limitation and and all the other rules will be allowed to do so, we're not going to be rapping that gavel down fast.Yeah, you'll be able to cover every word of it. I think they both sides going in recognize it to Gerald Ford has more seed of delegates assuming the delegates come and that the Slate will likely be heavily toward President Ford II think that I personally that they'll probably going to be some non for vulture some Reagan votes on that slayed in the my best judgment is that they'll be some Reagan people elected now whether it's 6:00 or whether it's too I couldn't project a lot of things will have to happen between the next few hours so it within the next few days and I think it's probably yet to be yet to be clear how it goes. That was a state Republican party chairman to Chuck's low come in a press conference less than 15 minutes ago, but he indicated that probably the written ballots would be necessary on this hole rules committee question tonight that show of hands or a Voice vote a certainly would not suffice since the matter will be very very close. It should be the first real headknocker of this and I 1876 party convention one other quick know if we've had the first problem of the convention. We just learned that to Bill Miller a former Republican Party candidate for vice president who was defeated back in 1964. You may recall along with Barry Goldwater Heasley convention keynoter was supposed to be here for a reception this evening, but has missed his plane from the Saint Paul Civic Center with the Bob Potter. This is take daily.