Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 009-097
Date: Monday, September 20, 1971 at 2:09 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Walk, William E., Jr.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-097

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I have Judge Walk on the line.
[0:02] Hello.
[0:03] Hello.
[0:04] How are you out there?
[0:05] Fine.
[0:06] How are you, Mr. President?
[0:07] Fine.
[0:07] I just called to tell you that I've greatly appreciated your support on this economic initiative we've taken.
[0:12] You're very kind.
[0:13] As an old Rotarian occurs, you follow through.
[0:15] You bet I will.
[0:16] Right.
[0:17] And I know you do.
[0:18] That's what I meant.
[0:19] And you have.
[0:20] And I...
[0:20] I've really, really appreciated your personal support on the thing.
[0:24] I'm getting some feedback on it now.
[0:26] Yeah?
[0:26] Good.
[0:27] And when we accumulate it and I tally it and have some information, I will send it right on to George Bell and let him coordinate it and get it into you.
[0:35] Great, great.
[0:36] Fine, fine, fine.
[0:37] How is everything going?
[0:38] Just fine.
[0:39] Going extremely well.
[0:39] I just had a long meeting with Connolly and Arthur Burns, and we're moving along in good shape, we think.
[0:45] We're going to have the Phase II ready in another...
[0:47] a couple of weeks or so.
[0:49] May I give you some completely unsolicited advice?
[0:52] Sure.
[0:53] As an attorney and I, we say that's worth just exactly what you pay for.
[0:56] That's right, right.
[0:57] Worth a great deal.
[0:59] You have at your...
[1:01] so close to you that I just don't want you to overlook him.
[1:04] One of the finest men that it's been my pleasure to work with, and that's Charles Ryan.
[1:09] He went down to Australia with me, as you'll recall.
[1:12] He was a chairman for a forum which he moderated with three chief justices from all over the world.
[1:19] I got to know Charlie even better than I've known him over the last three or four years.
[1:24] And he is a gentleman.
[1:26] He is competent.
[1:28] He is everything I can think of.
[1:30] He's qualified.
[1:31] I'll say no more, except don't overlook him just because he's so close to you and his stones drove in the White House.
[1:38] Yeah, yeah.
[1:39] Well, I appreciate that very much.
[1:41] That's all I want to say.
[1:42] That way, I'm not trying to be presumptuous.
[1:45] I know.
[1:46] It's all right.
[1:47] It's perfectly right to do that.
[1:48] The latter, too.
[1:49] He's just a wonderful individual.
[1:51] He really is.
[1:53] There is one problem that, as we look at this present situation, I think you're quite aware of, and that's the age factor.
[2:03] Yeah, I know.
[2:04] Both men I have appointed are 61.
[2:06] Yeah.
[2:09] he charlie will be 59 or 60. i mean it's it's it's the i would say within one year of your age yes i think he's a year older than i am actually the problem is that uh is that you know when you think of how long these guys are going to be on i
[2:25] That was the only feedback I got on the appointments of Berger and Blackman from my friends, at least.
[2:30] They thought they were fine appointments, but they said they were about five years too old.
[2:35] Everywhere that I traveled in the United States, I heard nothing but praise for these two appointments.
[2:40] Let me say that I don't mean that I'm not considering the other thing, but that's the only factor that weighs the other way, as you can see.
[2:49] Well, I didn't mean the evening flyer.
[2:51] Right.
[2:51] But I threw it in because I just have great respect for it.
[2:55] He's a great fellow.
[2:56] He was just in to see me reporting on his trip to Yugoslavia.
[2:59] Uh-huh.
[2:59] And he's, of course, a superb fellow.
[3:01] Yes.
[3:01] Superb.
[3:03] Well, anything I can do to help you, I have only to ask.
[3:06] Fine.
[3:06] Thank you very much.
[3:07] All right.
[3:07] Thanks, Chuck.
[3:08] Thank you.
[3:08] Goodbye.
[3:08] Give this to me.
[3:09] Bye.