Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-045

Nixon phone call with Curtis on Lockheed Corporation and H.R. 1

Monday, August 2, 1971 · 12:00 PM–12:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Curtis, Carl T.Conversation007-045 on Tape 7 (tape position 02:05:55–02:08:53)StartMonday, August 2, 1971 at 12:00 PMEndMonday, August 2, 1971 at 12:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-045 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this call to Senator Carl T. Curtis to lobby for support on the proposed Lockheed loan guarantee amendment, emphasizing the severe political and economic risks to the 1972 election in California. Drawing on conversations with Governor Ronald Reagan, Nixon highlighted how further distress in the aerospace and defense sectors would exacerbate regional unemployment. Beyond the immediate legislative push, Nixon requested a private future meeting with Curtis to discuss the administration's welfare reform bill, H.R. 1, seeking to align Republican support while minimizing public friction within the party.

Lockheed Corporation
H.R. 1
California unemployment
Ronald Reagan
1972 election
legislative lobbying

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Senator Goldwater, please.

Thank you.

And Senator Curtis is returning your call.

All right.

Bye.

Thank you.

Hi, Carl?

Yes.

Hi, how are you?

Well, I'm okay.

Good to see you.

I hate to take you out of a meeting, but...

It's all right.

And I don't want to...

I never want to put any pressure on a good friend.

But I just want you to know one thing on the Lockheed thing.

It isn't one that I would normally...

I'm just talking to Reagan...

and his people over the weekend.

And they really feel that after SST being knocked out, and if they lose this one, that this could just about be critical in terms of the situation in 72.

You know, California, as you know, next to the state of Washington, has the highest unemployment.

And it's mainly due to airframes and that sort of thing, and defense.

Now, some of it is turning around, and they feel good on a lot of things, but without getting into the technical, the financial, and the rest where you're really very expert, I just wanted you to know that the political consequences here are really very, very serious, and I wish you would consider that as you make up your mind.

Let me say, I'm more interested, actually, in keeping Curtis in the Senate than anything like that, but I don't believe that that's good.

that's going to be a problem.

But I did feel that this California thing is really a very difficult one for us, and Reagan just feels...

I mean, he's really uptight about the thing, and I wanted you to know about that.

Well, I thank you for calling.

You know, this is the first time you've ever had to call me on a boat.

Well, I wouldn't.

You know, as a matter of fact, sometimes our people don't have you on the list because you're always with us.

And understand, I want you to feel free to call me any time.

Sure, sure.

I want to help if I can, and I'll see what I can do.

I appreciate it.

Now, one other thing, let me tell you something.

Not at this point, but in about a month or so, and this is just between the two of us, I'd like for you to come down and we'll have a little talk about HR-1.

All right.

I'd like to see what kind of thinking, I mean, I know you've got John over there, and just because let's handle it.

I want to get your thinking on it because...

I just don't like to be, I don't want you to pass this on to any of the others, but I don't want to be in a position of having to fight our Republicans, you know what I mean?

Yeah.

And I know you've done a lot of thinking about the darn thing, and so we'll have a chat about that.

Okay.

And then you can pass it on to the others later, but I think if the two of us talk, then it doesn't leak out.

Yeah, all right.

All right, Carl.

Okay.

Bye.

NARA Description

On August 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Carl T. Curtis talked on the telephone from 12:00 pm to 12:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-045 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-45

Date: August 2, 1971
Time: 12:00 pm - 12:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 553-6C]

     Requested a call to Barry M. Goldwater

     Carl T. Curtis’ return call

The President talked with Curtis.

[See Conversation No. 553-6D]

     Lockheed amendment
         -The President's talk with Ronald W. Reagan
               -Supersonic transport [SST]
         -Impact on 1972 election
               -California unemployment rate
                     -Aircraft industry
                     -Defense
         -Political consequences
         -California

                  -Reagan

     Meeting with Curtis
          -H.R. 1 [welfare reform and social security bill]

                                                                    Conv.
                                                                     Conversation
                                                                          No. 7-161
                                                                                  No.
                                                                                    (cont.)
                                                                                      7-46

Date: August 2, 1971
Time: 12:04 pm - 12:09 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Barry M. Goldwater.

[See Conversation No. 553-6E]

     Salutation

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/08/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-046-w001]
[Duration: 37s]

     The President’s schedule
          -California
                -Tentatively between August 15–27, 1971
                -Invitation to Barry M. Goldwater, Sr.
                      -Golf
                      -Boating

**********************************************************************

     The President's schedule
          -Milk producers
               -Chicago

     Lockheed amendment
         -The President's talk with Ronald W. Reagan
         -Supersonic transport [SST]
         -California unemployment rate
               -Goldwater’s district
         -Effect
         -Edward G. Uhl of Fairchild
         -Political impact
               -Reagan
               -Goldwater
         -Goldwater
               -Meeting with the President
         -Paul J. Fannin

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/08/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-046-w002]
[Duration: 13s]

     Republican Committee
         -Robert J. Dole
               -Barry M. Goldwater, Sr.’s reception

**********************************************************************

     People's Republic of China (PRC)
          -Goldwater's talk with William P. Rogers
          -Japanese
          -Soviets
          -Taiwan
                -Peking
          -Chiang Kai Shek

     Fannin

Also recorded on August 2, 1971

007-046 12:04 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Barry M. Goldwater talked on the telephone from 12:04 pm to 12:09 pm.
007-047 12:09 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:18 pm.
007-048 12:18 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 12:18 pm to 12:21 pm.
007-049 12:21 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:56 pm.
007-050 12:56 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George D. Aiken talked on the telephone from 12:56 pm to 1:00 pm.
007-051 1:00 PM · 3 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and John B. Connally talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:08 pm.
007-052 1:08 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:08 pm.
007-053 1:08 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:08 pm.

All 34 conversations from August 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-045, August 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-045 (accessed October 9, 2026).