Citizen Hughes - Michael Drosnin [59]
“Anyway, it is not the actual purity of the water that counts. In this case, where we are considering a resort, the question is how many tourists will be dissuaded from coming to Las Vegas by the word-of-mouth campaigns of Hawaii, Florida, and all the other U.S. resorts sneering at the spectacle of people swimming, bathing, and drinking water which is nothing more or less than diluted piss and shit.”
Hughes had gone on at some length and with considerable passion about the purity of fluids, and Laxalt had been quick to agree with him.
“The Gov. said he was aware of this situation and was ‘sick about it,’ ” the billionaire continued, recalling their conversation. “Those were his words. I said I felt no matter how far the present program had progressed, it had to be changed. I urged him to see what could be done to hold it up temporarily while he and I try to find some solution.
“I have not heard a word in reply, and it appears everything is going right ahead,” complained Hughes, for the moment more puzzled than angered by Laxalt’s inexplicable failure to scuttle the multimillion-dollar water project. “Why haven’t I heard from him?”
Not only was the governor strangely silent about the water but he also remained reluctant to ram through two more casino licenses for Hughes. Obviously it was going to take more than a phone call to get Laxalt fully motivated. In order to expand his domain and make his new kingdom a fit place to dwell—to protect himself by becoming absolute sovereign and banishing all contamination—Hughes would have to make at least one additional purchase. He would have to buy Laxalt.
“Now, to make the Laxalt deal work, we have to find a means of motivation,” he wrote.
“When I have a real tough assignment like this, I search about for two ingredients: 1. A man who can do the job if he truly wants to. And, 2. A means of furnishing a consideration to this man which will be of such a nature and such an amount as to be well nigh overpowering in its effect upon the man.
“Now, Bob, I think Laxalt can be brought to a point where he will just about entrust his entire political future to his relationship with us. I think that is the way it should be and the way it can be.
“I think we must convince him beyond a shadow of a doubt that I intend to back him with unlimited support right into the White-House in 1972. I think I must even set up some legal entity charged with doing this job, and said intity must be self perpetuating, so that, in [the] event of my death, or change of political objectives, the financial support for Laxalt will continue uninterrupted.
“Anyway, to return to my original thought, if we can truly convince the Governor that his future destiny lies with me, then I am positive that, with a little coaching from me at the time, he will have no difficulty in accomplishing our objective.”
An eternal “Laxalt-for-President” slush fund. That should motivate the governor, indeed have an overpowering effect upon him. Hughes, however, was not content to let it go at that. As in all his acquisitions he needed one-hundred-percent control, and he was worried that others might get their hooks into the man he was grooming to be Leader of the Free World.
“I am fearful that somebody or some company may be getting to Gov. Laxalt on a sub-rosa basis,” wrote Hughes.
“[W]e must show enough interest to keep the Gov. solely and exclusively devoted to our interests. The first time he ties up with somebody like K[erkorian] or Crosby of Mary Carter Paint or any other source of financing, I think we will be forced to pull out of here lock stock and barrell. I am ready to ride with this man to the end of the line, which I am targeting as the White House in 1972,” he reiterated, “but there is no room in our program for a second angel.”
No, Hughes could not share his governor. And it would be four years before he could promote Laxalt from the statehouse to the White House. In the interim he had to find some means of keeping Laxalt devoted.