Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-046
Nixon phone call with Goldwater on Lockheed Corporation and Unemployment
Monday, August 2, 1971 · 12:04 PM–12:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Senator Barry Goldwater discuss the political stakes of an upcoming Lockheed loan guarantee amendment, with Nixon highlighting the potential economic fallout for Southern California's unemployment rate. Despite acknowledging Goldwater's principled opposition to the government intervention, Nixon emphasizes the necessity of the legislation to avoid further economic and political distress. The conversation concludes with a discussion regarding U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, with Goldwater expressing support for the administration's strategy to maintain Taiwan's status in the United Nations.
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Hello?
Senator Goldwater, sir.
Hello, Mr. President.
Hi, Barry, how are you?
Hi, thank you.
Do things, one on the more pleasant side and not the other's unpleasant.
Well, I have to leave to come to do the milk producers in Chicago on September 2nd.
But I'll be there.
And you will be at the usual place?
Yeah, the Valbo Bay Club.
Valbo Bay.
Well, we try to get together.
I'm not doing any business, though.
We're not going to talk any business.
That's fine.
Yeah, okay.
Fine, fine.
The second thing is this, which I know you're aware of.
I have talked to Ron Reagan, you know, about this.
lucky thing, and I know how you feel about that.
Here's basically the political problem.
The political problem is that having gotten sunk on SST, to lose this one would have a very depressing effect.
You see, as you know, Southern California's unemployment, even in Orange County, is 9%.
And it's a real hell of a problem for us.
I know it.
Barry's district has Lockheed in it.
You think this isn't a tough position for me to take.
It sure is.
With some of my dearest, closest friends working in Lockheed.
Right.
I mean, Mr. President, it's just a matter of principle that I just... You feel you... We're going to have to do it for everybody.
Yeah.
Well, the thing is, you know, this bill now is limited to Lockheed.
I know it.
and uh you can't justify that i have a little ed you up here with fairchild he said you okay that and by god i read the 30 million dollar when i lost last year i want some money back yeah yeah and i hear there's over 400 such cases in the pentagon that's besides the point well let me say that i wouldn't uh don't want to arm twist you i'm just just calling to let you know the problem that isn't the question of the set of our friends or anything but it's really more
You know, Ron is awful close to that political situation.
He's crying all over my shoulder.
Oh, well, your son's going to win, come what may.
Anyway, could we get, is there any way maybe you and you might drop down and have a chat with me about 3 o'clock?
I mean, or do you feel you have to be at a vote?
You're too committed.
You're too committed?
Yeah.
How about Paul Fannin?
Could he do this?
I don't know.
I haven't heard.
I know that he, I think he feels that way because you are.
I haven't even talked with him about it.
When I get in these things, I just keep my mouth shut.
That's right.
That's right.
You know, the main thing that you can reassure them on, and which I'm sure you're aware, after all, the man that went into Cambodia and to Laos and has fought for ABM is not going to get taken in by anybody on the other side.
I'm not worried about it.
That's what it is.
And we're playing for very high stakes, and it involves... As I told Bill Rogers this morning, I think it would help you and help the country if you could explain the whole developing situation over there, as you've done with me, to the American people.
I know when I talk with them...
The developing situation in...
The Japanese resurgence in Soviet...
Right, right.
Well, we will at a certain time.
I think I'll do that.
You have to because... Yeah, I want to... People I run into, when I explain this to them, they go, oh, God, we didn't know those things.
What they don't understand, basically, is you've got the Japanese on the one side, you've got the Soviet Union on the other side, and the point is we're bringing another player into the game.
That's what it really is about.
I have a hunch it's the smartest thing you've ever done.
Yeah.
Now, on Taiwan, Bill called you.
I asked him to.
And I think it's the best move to do, Barry, because we're fighting to keep Taiwan in.
We're going to get rolled on the other one because we're going to lose.
But we can keep Taiwan in.
Peking isn't going to like it.
They'll squeal at this.
But we expect that.
You know, I haven't had one single call from one Chinese friend
Well, they're great people.
Well, I know the Chiang Kai-shek family in this country.
Well, I'm for them.
I'm for the whole bunch.
But I think it's going to work.
Well, we're doing our best for them, and I appreciate your support.
But anyway, on this, I just want to let you know, and if you see Paul, I don't want to give him any heat on it.
Okay.
Please.
Yeah.
NARA Description
On August 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Barry M. Goldwater talked on the telephone from 12:04 pm to 12:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-046 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 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
31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 Conv. No. 7-46 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
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
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 13s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
People's Republic of China (PRC)
-Goldwater's talk with William P. Rogers
-Japanese
-Soviets
-Taiwan
-Peking
-Chiang Kai Shek
Conv. No. 7-46 (cont.)
FanninAlso recorded on August 2, 1971
- 007-045 12:00 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Carl T. Curtis talked on the telephone from 12:00 pm to 12:03 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.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 007-046, 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/007-046 (accessed October 22, 2026).