Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 009-103
Date: Monday, September 20, 1971 at 7:51 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-103

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] uh mainly because uh we think he would be pretty easy to confirm in terms of you go to the south it's very difficult
[0:30] Both of them are too old.
[0:41] Pop is only 43 or 45 or something like that.
[0:49] And he's been apparently a very outstanding actor.
[0:50] John McClough, very strong.
[0:51] He does.
[0:51] You know, I spent the weekend with him.
[0:52] He does the wedding.
[0:53] And I talked to him about Bob sometime before you mentioned it.
[0:55] Yeah, I know.
[0:56] And he seemed to be quite receptive to that.
[0:58] And I think he's fine, as far as I know.
[1:05] Now, the American Bar, Ed Walsh has been down talking to Mitch today, and the American Bar has decided he has to be a judge or have years of practice, which he has not had.
[1:20] But after all, he's been on the Judiciary Committee for 12, 14 years, which is bad.
[1:22] That's a hell of a lot of experience, you know.
[1:23] Well, if I can make it, they can't say he's got to be a judge.
[1:24] I don't think.
[1:24] Well, either a judge or a practice at the bar, which you know what practice at the bar is, what the heck that is.
[1:37] What did he practice?
[1:38] I really don't know.
[1:39] He practiced a while and then ran for Congress.
[1:43] He did some, but no big practice.
[1:49] Well, anyway, they're looking him over.
[1:52] Now, let me ask you one other thing.
[1:54] Can I help any with Ed Walsh?
[1:55] Well, I think you could.
[1:57] I think Walsh is with us on this.
[2:03] He's got a cello.
[2:07] Now, let me ask you one other thing.
[2:08] This is a long shot.
[2:12] Tell me, is Walsh a Catholic?
[2:12] No, he's not a Catholic.
[2:13] No, he's not a Catholic.
[2:13] He's married to a Catholic.
[2:17] I think it's what they call a left footer.
[2:40] I'm not sure, but I know he's a part of it.
[2:40] I do think we ought to appoint somebody that, for a parliament position, is also 50 to 55 years of age.
[2:43] I mentioned to John, I said, you're not welcome.
[2:44] He's an outstanding man.
[2:44] He is a guy.
[2:45] Should they announce the closing?
[3:07] No, no, it didn't.
[3:08] It's going to come in the next day or two.
[3:08] Get them ready for the return.
[3:11] Well, I think the most important thing is to get the next one confirmed.
[3:31] There's got to be a Southerner, and there's got to be somebody who gets it confirmed.
[3:33] Yeah.
[3:33] But then we ought to follow.
[3:36] What is Walsh's age?
[3:37] I don't know.
[3:37] I don't know.
[3:41] I, you know, I have a great respect for him.
[4:04] I know.
[4:04] He was a great supporter of yours.
[4:04] He would never complain.
[4:05] He would be greatly admired, of course.
[4:06] Yeah.
[4:06] And he's a young engineering fellow.
[4:07] He's a good doctor.
[4:07] Well, yeah.
[4:07] Yeah.
[4:08] You know, another fellow that you might think about is Jack Irwin.
[4:32] How old is he?
[4:33] Probably a little bit younger.
[4:33] I think that both of them are good.
[4:34] I think I'd probably prefer Ed Walsh.
[4:35] Yeah, Walsh is a better idea.
[4:35] But they're both good.
[4:36] Well, Ed is also a good and lost one.
[4:37] He didn't get along with Warren Berger.
[4:57] And he wasn't.
[4:59] I just don't know enough about Bob to make a comment.
[5:00] I think I respect Warren Berger's judgment about it.
[5:02] Finding a southerner is damn hard.
[5:02] Because we have very few people.
[5:03] God, I wish Lewis Powell was about 10 years younger.
[5:04] He'd be great.
[5:04] But he is about 63.
[5:05] No, we can't take that.
[5:05] We can't take it from him like that.
[5:07] You really have got to think about controlling that closely.
[5:31] I think Puff is the logical one.
[5:31] I think Puff is the firm one.
[5:32] Both are birds from spawn.
[5:33] I'm not sure.
[5:33] Oh.
[5:33] Has John gone over his back?
[5:34] I'm very careful.
[5:34] You'll be sure there's nothing there.
[5:35] Okay.
[5:35] We'll check that.
[5:41] You know, my soul is a little harder, though, for the Senate to grasp.
[6:05] And he's a, he's a, you know, my fellow is me, but I can tell that.
[6:07] Yeah, he's, he's, he's frankly the best member of the House of Representatives.
[6:08] Everybody, my car, his book, McCullough's book.
[6:09] Everybody, he's a man.
[6:10] He's a man.
[6:11] I recommend it.
[6:33] Of course, if you have a good opportunity now to take somebody, the next one, pilot of the test, is someone that maybe will sort of agree with you.
[6:36] So it's not just one man, it's two, two men.
[6:37] Right.
[6:37] And if Walt fits that deal, I'm not sure if he would.
[6:39] You know, they'll consider them both together.
[6:40] They have to.
[6:41] You know, he was in Dewey's office as a prosecutor.
[7:09] And he's been very strong in law enforcement.
[7:12] Yeah, well, you're a deputy.
[7:33] Yeah, he was my deputy, and he was also the head of the crime commission in New York, law enforcement commission.
[7:35] He feels very strongly about it.
[7:36] I'll put that back.
[7:36] He's a little bit more, you know, pro-civil rights, possibly, but not, I don't think he's a... You just don't want him to be for custody.
[7:39] I don't think he is.
[7:39] I'll talk to him if you want me to.
[7:40] I know him well enough to...
[7:41] to be sure he wouldn't.
[7:52] Particularly, well, you know, he's a good personal friend of mine.
[8:02] You might say, well, things I feel, I feel strongly on two subjects.
[8:03] First, I don't want the guy to be a racist.
[8:04] But I don't want a fellow who's going to go hog wild on, you know, like we've got things like the integration of separatists and the fact of segregation.
[8:08] I mean, dynamite, not just for the country.
[8:19] I mean, I think that the law of the bush would be tough.
[8:27] I mean, I think Warren Berger is just great on that, and I think Ed would be.
[8:30] But on the civil rights, I think he's saying things, too.
[8:36] He can't go hog wild on buses.
[8:37] Would you have a
[8:38] private chat with him.
[8:47] I've got to be in New York in the next couple of days to chat with him.
[8:54] And I may chat with him.
[8:55] Right.
[8:55] And I want to indicate that we've talked a little.
[8:56] Right.
[8:56] You might say that's your idea.
[8:57] Good.
[8:57] Okay.
[8:57] Bye.
[8:57] Thank you.