"It is widely accepted," Mr. Buckley begins, "that the formal opposition to a role for the Federal Government in medicine has pretty well ended-that it is as remote from the public memory as the Tenth Amendment-so that the argument becomes, 'What shall be the Federal Government's role?' " In fact, as Mr. Richardson recounts, the Nixon Administration was pressing for four health-care bills in Congress, at least partly in response to bills proposing something more like the British or Canadian system. WFB: "Inasmuch as you are very anxious to pass your bill, do you feel a certain constraint not to criticize authors of different bills because they might get sore at you?" ER: "... No; we figure-" WFB: "You can't refer to Senator Kennedy's 'damn fool bill' or things like that, can you?" ER: "I wouldn't, of course, use language like that in any case. I am at all times circumspect and tactful." WFB: "Hmm. I see ..." ER: "But I have characterized the bill rather sharply." WFB: "How sharply?" ER: "Well, I pointed out that it would create a monolithic bureaucracy, having the consequence of centralizing total control of the health-care system of the United States in the Federal Government."