Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 011-033
Date: Monday, October 11, 1971 at 12:31 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-033

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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] Attorney General.
[0:02] Yes, Mr. President.
[0:03] I just want you to know that John Volpe, I've been heading him in here for Columbus Day thing, and...
[0:08] He really landed on me in the Supreme Court thing again, so I told him to talk to you again.
[0:13] I guess you've talked to him in the face.
[0:14] I've been talking to him constantly, and he recognizes that... Well, it's Taro.
[0:19] He says the only man that has got it, and Taro agreed to resign and all that, but my goodness, you can't have that sort of thing.
[0:24] I mean, you can't have such an understanding in any way.
[0:27] Well, he's 65.
[0:28] He's too old.
[0:28] He's 65 years old, and I've told you on that, and he's backed off it, and
[0:32] But not with me.
[0:36] And he said that there's only two in the circuit court, and they're both Democrats, and so there's none.
[0:42] I think he has a point that we ought to be looking at some young Italian to be pushing up to the darn thing, but I don't know where the hell he is.
[0:49] Do we have any?
[0:50] Well, we have some of them.
[0:51] John has provided me with a list of five people that he wants considered for the Supreme Court, but there's no rhyme or reason for any one of them.
[0:59] Some of them are college professors, etc.
[1:01] Sure, sure.
[1:01] Sure.
[1:03] Well, what I'm doing, John, is to pass it on to you so that when you can say yes, the president will talk to you for an hour about it.
[1:10] You understand?
[1:12] I will indeed.
[1:13] Because it will save me an hour, if you don't mind.
[1:15] And do that constantly.
[1:16] And we're trying to wrangle through the thicket out in Oregon and get an Italian president.
[1:22] put up on the circuit court out there.
[1:25] Well, you can tell, John, we're doing that, too, and that I've said that we're preparing the way for an appointment as we come along.
[1:33] I mean, we intend to be around, you know, four years, tell them and all that sort of thing.
[1:36] Why don't you do that?
[1:37] I certainly will.
[1:38] Yeah.
[1:38] John is on the horn constantly, and he communicates constantly.
[1:43] Yes, that great length.
[1:44] Two or three of the letters here are from him.
[1:46] Right.
[1:47] And I went out of my way to see one of his judges out in Oregon, Salmanetti, when I was out there.
[1:52] Right.
[1:52] Old man's Tim.
[1:54] How is, did Miss Lilly come in yet?
[1:56] Yes, she's still here.
[1:58] Oh, how's she look?
[2:00] Better all the time.
[2:01] Good, good, good.
[2:02] Good luck.
[2:03] Down going through that soul searching, and we run her by.
[2:07] the people here and so forth.
[2:09] So far, it's on track.
[2:13] I'm telling you.
[2:14] You know, John, it just must really make you feel happy that you will be the attorney general that made the first recommendation woman on the court.
[2:22] That would just make you feel great, doesn't it?
[2:25] How proud you can be back in your old colleagues in New York and the rest.
[2:29] Yes, sir.
[2:29] When I get with that new woman's lib, why, I'll be their hero if I ever tell you.
[2:35] Okay, boy.
[2:35] Thanks.
[2:36] Thank you.
[2:36] All of them is laughing in the background here.
[2:39] Yes.