Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 002-060
Date: Thursday, April 29, 1971 at 10:15 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-060

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] What do you hear from Colson, sir?
[0:10] Well, got some of the reactions in.
[0:15] President Cheek of Howard says, particularly impressive composure, correct in the manner in which he's handling the Vietnam War with Donald.
[0:20] Huh?
[0:20] Carl Cheek?
[0:20] Yeah.
[0:22] Check the whole range out.
[0:37] I don't want to peer to it, but they're sucking it out.
[0:38] They're not really.
[0:38] Okay.
[0:39] He makes a point.
[0:39] He supports the concept of a neighborhood school, which is kind of interesting.
[0:41] Kenneth Brown, the president of the Lithographers and Printers Union, felt the China questions were handled very well, agreed with the president.
[0:44] Still has difficulty on the POW question.
[0:47] John Oswald, President Penn State, said handle the demonstrator questions very positively with his willingness to listen to those coming peacefully and to deal firmly with those coming with violence.
[1:00] The fires at present consistently came across as great assurance.
[1:03] John Watlington, the president of Wachovia Bank in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, says, Better than ever.
[1:25] Very forthright.
[1:25] Smiles more.
[1:26] Bussing question could not have been answered better.
[1:27] The bussing question.
[1:27] Pretty good from North Carolina.
[1:28] Gordon Edwards, the chairman of Crafts Corporation, great, tremendous, well-prepared, couldn't agree with it more.
[1:31] Answers regarding demonstrators, very solid.
[1:33] Here's an interesting, Mayor Kramer of Patterson, New Jersey, says he was through with publicity.
[1:51] Quite impressed with the effective delivery of the President, particularly on the questions of Red China.
[1:54] Blessing's question was the most difficult one asked this evening, to which the President gave an outstanding answer.
[1:56] He was delighted to see the President in a different colored suit, about life and action.
[1:58] The light suit, yeah, that was amazing.
[1:59] And he says the lectern was an asset because it gave him something to do with his hands.
[2:01] and we got the funds.
[2:19] He liked that.
[2:19] Charlie Lanigan, the state chairman of New York, said the firmness was good.
[2:22] He was too legalistic on the busing issue.
[2:23] He liked the reasonableness the president projected on the demonstrator issue.
[2:25] Mayor Tate of Philadelphia said he liked the phrase that once we break the ice, we can test the water with regard to Red China.
[2:28] He thought his answers about the Chinese situation were very good.
[2:29] The mayor is personally quite discouraged about the demonstrators in Washington and their behavior.
[2:33] And Tom Boardman, Cleveland Press, felt he defended the position of Vietnam.
[2:44] Very persuasive and logical tone.
[2:45] I believe it was the strongest point in his whole administration.
[2:46] Felt he was concluding that China was good.
[2:47] Sorry that we're not more than asking questions, particularly on Vietnam.
[2:49] They never asked him.
[2:49] No.
[2:51] Reg Murphy at the Atlanta Constitution does a very, very good show.
[3:08] I had a feeling he was being quite cautious about the communist Chinese situation, which I think is appropriate.
[3:10] The prisoner thing is a very good step.
[3:11] If we continue to take that kind of initiative, we'll change the mood and cure many of the things that are wrong.
[3:13] I agree that we should have no terminal date on the war.
[3:14] I buy that.
[3:14] I absolutely disagree with what he says on the gun count.
[3:16] All in all, a very, very effective affair.
[3:17] John Colburn is the wish of God.
[3:32] You know, we've got to expect someone.
[3:33] Sure.
[3:33] That's good.
[3:34] Gotcha.
[3:35] We're having these terribly difficult issues.
[3:36] But they still exist.
[3:36] You know, I think one of the most effective things I did, which nobody has mentioned, is that I realized that many of you in this room are grieving.
[3:40] Right.
[3:41] What did you think?
[3:41] That was great.
[3:41] I understand.
[3:42] I respect you.
[3:42] I won't tell you why I think I did.
[3:56] You know?
[4:00] That was good to get them, didn't you think?
[4:01] I sure did.
[4:02] John Coburn, Wichita Beacon, says, Good explanation of policy, especially on POWs and on China policy.
[4:04] Clarified the Cali case very well.
[4:04] Better than the April 5th case.
[4:05] Better than the April 5th case.
[4:06] Robert Collier, Houston Chronicle, says, Especially good for the Texans' viewpoint on busing and peace demonstrations.
[4:09] Martin Hayden of Detroit News says, excellent, ought to do it more often, but the press doesn't lay a hand on it.
[4:25] If only there were three more Sarah McLintons.
[4:26] Bussing comment, excellent.
[4:27] Handle Agnew's off the record thing fairly well.
[4:28] No, that didn't give it any money.
[4:29] Yeah.
[4:30] Robert Watkins, the head of the National Medical Association of the Blacks, felt those comments on the war make sense.
[4:47] He was disappointed that reporters didn't mention any domestic issues.
[4:49] But Livermore, who's now the state chairman of California, has commanded the issues 100%, felt the questions this time were unusually difficult and as well.
[4:54] and the Steadman of the Chicago Sun-Times.
[5:06] Tonight, I thought the President sounded like the President of all the people, not an echo of the Pentagon.
[5:10] He was in complete charge.
[5:11] I can't remember when he's been more effective than the Pentagon.
[5:13] But you liked him because he was returning.
[5:13] Yup.
[5:14] I thought he made very clear the U.S. position on POWs, along with the country to which the country will go to return these men.
[5:16] He really communicated with the American people.
[5:17] And as you know, I don't hesitate to criticize, which is right.
[5:21] He's a good friend because he isn't really with us.
[5:36] He's not against the person.
[5:39] Here's an interesting one.
[5:39] Mayor Allen of Columbus, Georgia.
[5:40] President Telecast was great overall.
[5:41] Really liked his answers on Vietnam, especially with regards to not getting out right now because we needed to ensure peace for our children and our children's children.
[5:45] I think the president should continue to emphasize it's not Nixon's war.
[5:58] He should carefully make it clear to the mayor that he particularly liked the gentlemanly way that he did not blame either LBJ or JFK.
[6:05] That was beautiful.
[6:05] Didn't you think that was pretty good?
[6:07] Because you clearly did blame them both by saying you didn't.
[6:09] What would I have said?
[6:10] Well, no, it's not their fault.
[6:10] I bet it was good that we did.
[6:11] Yeah, it was great.
[6:11] On Cali, you thought it was wise for the president to defend his position to review the case on the basis of the concern the American people have.
[6:14] That was a good line.
[6:31] Yeah, nobody is above the law, including the President.
[6:41] The POW is very important to continue emphasizing the President.
[6:53] We can't pull out to all of them.
[6:58] In return, this statement offers the American people real hope.
[7:00] The Mayor, like the President's firm, stand by not setting a date for withdrawal.
[7:03] Mayor Allen says the Deep South is bugging him more than ever.
[7:04] Let's go to Columbia.
[7:05] Yeah.
[7:05] Mike O'Neill, New York Daily News.
[7:05] I thought the President tonight clarified for Hanoi the conditions under which we will maintain a residual force in Vietnam.
[7:08] There should be no confusion now on the POW issue.
[7:10] I was not aware that Ambassador Bruce Fogel of the Liberation Front stayed in North Asia for the first three days of his stay in North Asia.
[7:28] I think he made some news on that.
[7:32] I didn't know that.
[7:32] News?
[7:32] Hell, we didn't know that.
[7:33] The way the President walked through the intricacies on the Supreme Court decision on busing was beautiful.
[7:36] Some thought that was too legalistic.
[7:37] But I had to go to legalistic attention.
[7:38] It was incredible that people knew what the hell it was all about.
[7:41] You would?
[7:45] Sure.
[7:46] And you're never going to give an answer that everybody likes.
[7:53] You know, if you hadn't been legalistic, the other people would have advised that.
[8:06] But we didn't.
[8:07] I could have taken 30 minutes.
[8:07] You did it.
[8:07] Well...
[8:08] I think...
[8:08] The main thing is...
[8:11] Let's say a few more.
[8:20] How much will the market spend?
[8:28] Well, if it will stand every two weeks, I'll do it every two weeks.
[8:36] I don't think it will, but I'm sure if it will, let me say, I've got a more time off to do it.
[8:38] Oh, yeah.
[8:38] What's your time off?
[8:38] Once a month.
[8:42] Not once every two weeks.
[8:59] Or every three weeks.
[8:59] No more than every three weeks.
[9:00] I don't think you can do it twice a month.
[9:02] Every two weeks.
[9:04] No, I do.
[9:04] I think you can do this and then something else.
[9:05] It's interesting that so many people favor different industries.
[9:07] Well, remember our coal?
[9:08] Many people even ask us beautiful people that prefer these types of stuff.
[9:09] It's more interesting.
[9:11] That's right.
[9:20] You don't know what's going to happen next.
[9:31] It's a speech, it's a logical building up, and you know, basically, that what contains does have and does not exist, except for the people who really care about the subject.
[9:35] Okay.
[9:35] Fine.
[9:35] Very good.