▁thought ▁was ▁a ▁" bud get ary ▁matter ". ▁N ixon ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁H . R . ▁Hal de man ▁also ▁attended . ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁informed ▁by ▁N ixon ▁that ▁his ▁services ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁administration ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁required . ▁On ▁Hel ms ' ▁dismiss al ▁William ▁Col by ▁( D CI ▁Sept . ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁Jan . ▁ 1 9 7 6 ) ▁later ▁commented ▁that ▁" D ick ▁Hel ms ▁paid ▁the ▁price ▁for ▁that ▁' No ' ▁[ to ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁over ▁Water gate ] ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁this ▁discussion , ▁N ixon ▁learned ▁or ▁was ▁rem ind ed ▁that ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁a ▁career ▁civil ▁servant , ▁not ▁a ▁political ▁app o inte e . ▁Appar ently ▁sp ont ane ously , ▁N ixon ▁then ▁offered ▁him ▁the ▁amb assador ship ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁After ▁shortly ▁considering ▁it , ▁Hel ms ▁decl ined , ▁w ary ▁of ▁the ▁potential ▁consequences ▁of ▁the ▁offer , ▁considering ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁intelligence . ▁" I ' m ▁not ▁sure ▁how ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁might ▁interpret ▁my ▁being ▁sent ▁across ▁the ▁lines ▁as ▁an ▁amb assador ," ▁Hel ms ▁rem embers ▁telling ▁N ixon . ▁Instead ▁Hel ms ▁proposed ▁being ▁sent ▁to ▁Iran . ▁N ixon ▁ass ented . ▁Among ▁other ▁things ▁N ixon ▁perhaps ▁figured ▁Hel ms , ▁after ▁man aging ▁C IA ' s ▁long ▁invol vement ▁in ▁Iran ian ▁affairs , ▁would ▁be ▁capable