Nation: Advice and Dissent

Carter wants a tighter ship

For more than two years, Jimmy Carter has tolerated his Cabinet members' shortcomings, forgiven their mistakes and ignored the advice of outsiders that he shake up the top level of his Administration or even fire some people. But now Carter is beginning to have second thoughts. Reports TIME Washington Bureau Chief Robert Ajemian: "According to close aides, Carter is dissatisfied with the quality of certain advice and with some of the decision making beneath him. Mindful of his wobbly standing in the polls, he is determined to improve the Cabinet's performance."

One result is that, to assure loyalty, the President has taken more control over agency appointments. For example, Commerce Secretary Juanita Kreps wanted to promote Frank Weil to be her under secretary, but was told to find someone who was a stronger supporter of Carter. Weil lined up endorsements from several Senators and Cabinet members, but the President held firm.

In addition, Carter is showing increasing irritation with aides who seem unprepared or uncertain. After hearing several high-level staffers in the Oval Office de bate how he should announce his energy policy, Carter angrily shut off the discus sion and bluntly ordered, "Get your act to gether." Now, say aides, he intends to put similar pressure on top-level officials out side the White House. Among them:

> James Schlesinger. "He feels shafted by Schlesinger," says a top presidential aide. The President believes that the Energy Secretary has shown insensitivity toward Iran and bollixed negotiations for Mexican gas by insulting Mexico's envoys. Carter no longer relies on Schlesinger alone for advice on energy policy. In preparing for his energy speech earlier this month, the President reached around the Energy Secretary and invited all Cabinet members to chip in with ideas. Last week. Carter named Domestic Adviser Stuart Eizenstat to head the Administration team that will lobby for the windfall profits tax-in Congress, and deliberately left out Schlesinger.

> Ray Marshall. Administration officials complain that the Labor Secretary has been a dead loss at negotiating with the Teamsters Union. As a result, Carter has had to deal directly with Union President Frank Fitzsimmons. Carter made some headway with Fitzsimmons but was unable to head off the Teamsters strike.

> Stansfield Turner. The CIA director looked better to Carter in Navy whites than he does in charge of U.S. intelligence. Carter is now said to agree with critics that his Annapolis classmate is too much of a lightweight and military bureaucrat for the job. Carter gives higher marks to Turner's deputy, Frank Carlucci. But because of the frequent turnover of CIA directors-five in six years -the President is reluctant to make a change.