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Nation: Carter's Professional Politician

Tim Kraft goes all out for his boss—and wins some friends

"You could get a hearing, sure," says Minnesota Democratic Chairman Rick Scott, describing the White House during Jimmy Carter's first 15 months in office. "But the guy supposedly listening was always tapping a pencil on the table. Now it's different. They listen."

This transformation was wrought by Tim Kraft, the Hoosier with a Pancho Villa mustache who two months ago became the President's chief coordinator on political liaison and patronage. Kraft's job is to improve Carter's relations with Demo cratic Party officials and contributors, to...

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