Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 001-006 Date: Tuesday, April 6, 1971 at 12:14 PM Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Hardin, Clifford M.; Gifford, Claude W. Recording device: White House Telephone Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-006 This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative. [0:00] Hello? [0:00] Yes. [0:01] Terry Hardin. [0:02] Hi, Glenn? [0:02] Yes, Mr. President. [0:03] I, uh, just made a decision that I think will, uh, please you. [0:08] Good. [0:09] And, uh, I, uh, and as a result of it, I, uh, uh, know that you can now go out and, uh, and have a chance to sell our, uh, rural, uh, the extension service. [0:23] We, uh, we, uh, I made the decision that, uh, [0:27] We will follow your recommendation. [0:31] The maintenance of effort, you know, sort of whatever it is that is required. [0:35] I think you know what the... [0:36] The three senses that need to go in. [0:39] Yeah. [0:40] Well, I'm sorry I had to push the harvest. [0:41] Well, I understand. [0:43] I understand. [0:43] Well, as a matter of fact, John Connolly and I talked a little about it in California, because you know how strong he was about this and that. [0:49] And I just told him, I said, no, the Department of Agriculture will be tough enough, but the Extension Service, we just cannot... [0:57] cannot uh you know that damn thing is uh it's so part of the american uh ethic that we just can't uh screw it up so uh so we but i just want you to know that i uh i just told her like min schultz that's the way it's to be so it's not well thank you and when you hear it from them i just hope you carry it out but uh i i appreciate it i know you had to argue for it and [1:18] And you were right, and we pushed it out. [1:22] And you get the word to the people in the department that you and I chatted about the thing, and that I, frankly, this is a good idea to the farmers, that I overruled the OBM staff, and I stood for the Secretary of Agriculture. [1:36] Fair enough. [1:37] Yes, sir. [1:37] Say, Mr. President, there's a man I think you know in here with me now, Claude Gifford of the Farm Journal. [1:43] Oh, yeah, yeah. [1:45] Well, if we don't one or the other of us stutter in the next 10 minutes, he's going to come to work with us. [1:51] Oh, that's wonderful. [1:52] Wonderful. [1:52] Listen, you don't stutter ever. [1:54] Uh-huh. [1:55] I try not to. [1:55] That's right. [1:56] That's right. [1:57] You're always fast with the words. [1:59] Well, he's a great, great guy. [2:01] Just don't mind. [2:01] Just delight it. [2:04] We'll be delighted to have him. [2:05] Would you say a word to him? [2:06] Sure I would. [2:07] Sure I would. [2:08] Put him right on. [2:12] I didn't raise this either, Claude. [2:13] That's right. [2:15] Hello. [2:16] Hello. [2:17] I just wanted you to know that Cliff had told me that he's trying to use his wiles to get you to come help us, and I couldn't endorse it more. [2:25] It would be a wonderful asset to the administration to have you with us. [2:29] We need not only your support, but more your know-how, you know your way around, you know the farm community, and it would just be a great help to us. [2:40] Well, I appreciate that very much. [2:42] And we look forward to working with you. [2:45] I just gave Cliff some good news he'll tell you about about the extension service, so that'll make your job a little easier. [2:50] All right. [2:52] Okay. [2:53] All right. [2:54] Tell the farmers not to give up on us. [2:56] It's going to come out all right. [2:57] I'm sure it will. [2:58] Yeah. [2:59] I'm sure it will. [2:59] All right. [3:00] Bye. [3:00] All right. [3:00] Bye. [3:01] Thank you. [3:01] Okay. [3:02] Bye. [3:02] Thank you, Mr. President. [3:03] You betcha. [3:04] You betcha. [3:05] Bye. [3:30] Well, this is a great day, Mr. President. [3:33] You go ahead now. [3:35] You work out the words, but I've made the general ruling. [3:39] I didn't read it. [3:40] I don't know how to adopt it. [3:42] I just said, all right, folks, look, we're going to do what you want on this thing, so let's work it out. [3:46] Well, the words are all prepared. [3:48] All right. [3:49] Bye. [3:49] Bye. [3:50] Bye.