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Conversation 739-003

TapeTape 739StartWednesday, June 21, 1972 at 9:23 AMEndWednesday, June 21, 1972 at 9:25 AMTape start time00:17:59Tape end time00:26:05ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Welch, LouieRecording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Houston Mayor Louie Welch to congratulate him on his appointment as head of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and to solicit continued support for administration policies. The discussion focused on securing political backing for the war in Southeast Asia and navigating the legislative hurdles facing revenue sharing initiatives in the Senate. Nixon further emphasized the necessity of his foreign policy stance and engaged in a brief, informal exchange regarding the performance of the Houston Astros.

U.S. Conference of MayorsVietnam WarRevenue sharingLegislative strategyHouston Astros
AudioNARA Description

On June 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Louie Welch met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:23 am to 9:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 739-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 739-3

Date: June 21, 1972
Time: 9:23 - 9:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Louie Welch.

[See Conversation No. 25-97]

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/18/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[739-003-w002]
[Duration: 31s]

                                       (rev. Feb-02)

[See Conversation No. 25-97]

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Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello?
Yeah, hello?
Hello?
Mr. Mayor?
I just wanted to congratulate you on your, uh, your, uh, assignment as, uh, head of the Council of Mayors.
Well, I think this is one I can predict.
Yeah, I hear from all, everything I hear, and I just wish you the very best.
And also, I want to tell you that I'm very appreciative of the way that, uh,
You and, uh, you, technically, and many of your colleagues have supported our policy in Southeast Asia, and I can assure you it's going to come out all right.
Right?
Yeah.
Right.
And you can be sure we're, uh, the best, uh, the worst thing we could do, of course, is to, is to basically, uh, do what some well-intentioned people say, is that, uh, just to, uh, to, to, well, abandon our boys, abandon our POWs, and, uh,
and give this enormous encouragement to the communists to take over any place else.
So this is the only way to have peace, is to stop aggression when it rears its head.
Well, I appreciate it very much, and we're still working, as you know, Mr. Mayor, on revenue sharing, and they're doing some
and a lot of gobbledygook on it, you know?
But if we can get it through the House, and then the Senate is responsible.
Yeah, well, I've been sure to under Russell, and I will be talking to him after we get through with the House, and the difficulty that he has is that once he gets to the floor, you see, the House, you know, the Wilburn Houses and others have given him a closed rule, which makes it work, but they go over to the Senate,
They have that open room.
They can put on non-geranium stuff.
They can hang all sorts of silly amendments on.
That's the problem they've got there.
Yeah.
Right.
Well, he's a very shrewd and able leader, I'm sure.
And he's got a lot of help on the other side, too.
Well, we wish you the very best.
And I see the Astros are doing pretty well on that nationally race, aren't they?
That's it.
Yeah.
They're a young team.
They're moving along.
They've got a lot of, I don't call this much, but David, like Dave Eisenhower, someone who's trying to do it.
He's a great baseball fan, and he thinks the Astros, if they can, you know, stand up in the heat of the summer, might take it all.
Be something for them.
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