MEMORANDUM TO: WPC FROM: Hilary Doran Karl Rove DATE: July 14, 1981 SUBJECT: Attorney General's Call for Severance Tax Increase We like to fight and go on the attack as much as anybody else, BUT... (A) Why give White another chance to get on the front page? This story will die unless you revive it. (B) Texans don't like their state officials to fight. If you attack White on this issue, it will look like YOU are picking the fight. (C) You aren't running for Attorney General. Let someone who is make the case that White is a lousy attorney. (D) If you are going to get in a public scrape, do it over something that is central to you administration's goals and not over something (increasing the oil and gas severance tax) you might advocate yourself next session. As Governor, you have a tremendous ability to shape the climate of opinion for 1982. What you say now, and how you say it now will deeply influence how Texans view you as Governor and how they react to the idea of re- electing you. No major opposition has yet announced against you. You have the opportunity to continue the role you have taken since the first of this year -- that of a statesman. To do so will further discourage serious opposition. There is time for hard-hitting attacks, but that time is the fall of 1982. It is hard to ignore an attack or not take advantage of an opportunity to get in a dig. But if the Democrats come to feel that if they hit you, you'll hit back, then they will hit as often and as hard as they can, knowing some of their blows will land and hurt. Then it will be harder to adopt a policy of ignoring their attacks. KR/cp