Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 007-019
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 1971 at 5:41 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-019
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417189327 (NAID 417189327)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Yeah.
[0:01] Secretary Connolly, Mr. President.
[0:03] Yes, sir.
[0:04] I thought you should know, as I'm sure you heard, that your little tactic you suggested got home to our friends across the street.
[0:14] Well, that's good.
[0:15] I'll tell you.
[0:16] And it's a very interesting thing.
[0:18] And we, of course, have said, oh, gee, who us?
[0:21] And no, we don't know anything about this.
[0:23] But Wright Patman stepped up to it right nice.
[0:25] He'd been for that anyway.
[0:26] That's right.
[0:28] But Arthur is called our friend in New York...
[0:35] who's very close to us, indicated his concern.
[0:42] And he's just been told that we feel that this is hurting us politically and that otherwise and so forth and so on.
[0:48] Well, he doesn't want to do that.
[0:49] He didn't dream that was the case and so forth and so on.
[0:53] But I think that we've got his attention.
[0:55] Now, we've, of course, Zig, we're all the rest of us.
[0:58] I mean, I'm not saying a word, but he's just playing the view that, well, this is something we know nothing about.
[1:04] But I thought you should know, just play it, and then you can just play it dumb as hell, too.
[1:09] Yeah, I will in the morning.
[1:10] I'm having breakfast with him, so I'll play it dumb.
[1:13] I think you could just say, well, these things have been, you know, these things are always kicking around, Arthur, but...
[1:19] You never heard me mention it.
[1:20] Yeah.
[1:23] Isn't that the best way?
[1:25] I think so.
[1:26] Whatever comes to your mind.
[1:27] No, I think that's fine.
[1:28] But in the meantime, don't let up on him.
[1:30] Oh, no.
[1:30] I don't understand.
[1:32] Yes, sir.
[1:33] Because we've got to have some way to get him to say, if he says, what can he do, you say, just make one positive statement.
[1:41] He just ought to say,
[1:42] I mean, as far as this, I mean, that there are some positive things happening, because there are some as well as some things that are not positive.
[1:48] That's right.
[1:49] Okay.
[1:50] George is on his way over there, incidentally.
[1:53] I see.
[1:53] You apparently called for him, and he was in the meeting, and I think he's headed toward your office.
[1:57] Oh, well, I didn't mean to call him out of a meeting.
[1:59] Well, we haven't started yet.
[2:00] We're meeting with all these senators over here.
[2:02] Oh, I see.
[2:04] In the library at the mansion.
[2:05] Oh, you are?
[2:06] Oh, I'll send him back.
[2:07] Fine, fine.
[2:07] No, I can't hurry.
[2:08] Fine, I'm sorry.
[2:09] I didn't know you were in a meeting.
[2:11] No, no, we weren't.
[2:11] They're just all having drinks.
[2:12] All right, fine, fine.
[2:13] Okay, great.