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Conversation 012-013

TapeTape 12StartWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 4:44 PMEndWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 4:49 PMTape start time00:23:29Tape end time00:27:41ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Mitchell, John N.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On October 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 4:44 pm to 4:49 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 12-13

Date: October 20, 1971
Time: 4:44 pm- 4:49 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 282-26B]

     Supreme Court anointments
                                              9

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



          -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
          -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
          -Richard A. Moore
               -William H. Rehnquist
                     -Qualifications
                          -Stanford
                          -Robert H. Jackson
                     -Mitchell’s view
                     -Lawrence E. Walsh
          -Powell
               -William H. Mulligan
               -Baker
               -Public announcement
               -Walsh
                     -American Bar Association [ABA] Committee
          -Rehnquist
               -Smith
               -Mitchell’s view
                     -Mulligan
               -Baker
               -Powell
               -Walsh
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yeah.
Yeah.
Mr. President.
Yeah.
I was on the phone with Lou Powell when you called, and he is available.
He said we were starting to talk about some things he wanted to check with me, but I'm sure they're of no serious consequence.
But he's going to go then?
Yes, sir.
I have not been able to get a hold of our little senator friend.
Let me ask you this.
I just got Dick in here, Dick Moore, a minute ago.
And I may reevaluate.
He comes down very hard on your man, Rehnquist.
He just thinks that, you know,
second in his class at Stanford as clerk to Robert Jackson, and from your account, apparently conservative.
Absolutely.
And would make a brilliant justice.
Would you agree?
Yes, sir.
What would the country say about him?
He sure is qualified, isn't he?
I would believe so.
I don't think there's any question about it.
It's an opinion expressed by Ed Walsh when we were talking about this.
From his point of view, he certainly would.
What is the political mileage out of it?
The political mileage basically is this, that here's where we come down with.
If we get Powell, then I think we buy the opportunity to consider Mulligan.
On the other hand,
And frankly, if we get Baker, Powell and Baker is a hell of a good combination.
Baker's young.
Yes, sir.
There you are.
So if we got Baker, we got it made.
We've got Powell now.
Powell has said yes.
Yes, sir.
He was trying to talk about some things he wanted to talk to me about, but I can imagine that there's nothing of consequence.
Now on Powell, I want to go forward and announce that before it starts leaking.
Well, there isn't anybody going to leak it that I know of.
Well, I don't want you to tell Walsh.
Oh, I will not, of course.
And, of course, what we want to do is to program this Walsh committee business so we can use them.
Well, how about announcing Powell this afternoon?
I wouldn't do that until we've... Yeah, we want to program that committee so we can blame the woman on them.
I see.
But, I mean, Powell is not getting the woman's seat.
Well, I get your point.
all right you'll hear from the walsh committee when this afternoon yes sir yeah ed walsh has got a call into me now yeah all right call me back when you get it but remember let's figure on the rehnquist thing the the political mileage basically is the same kind of mileage if we were go with smith the idea being that uh that uh we are appointing a highly qualified man that's really what it gets down to i believe that that will and also he doesn't quite have the
smack of the corporate lawyer as much as Smith.
No, he's more of a general practitioner.
But your judgment on it is worth thinking.
You raised it, and I've just been thinking about it.
People all think so highly of the guy.
He must have a hell of a lot on the ball.
Oh, he's got a tremendous legal mind, Mr. President.
There's no question about it.
And just as solid as can be.
He's made a tremendous impression upon the
judiciary around here and people on the hill and the ones in the bar he's dealt with.
Well, you really have some doubts on the Mulligan thing, haven't you, John?
I have some doubts as to how it's going to fly.
Incidentally, what is Rehnquist?
I suppose he's a damn Protestant.
I'm sure of that.
He's as washbush as washbush can be.
That's too damn bad.
Tell him to change his religion.
or get them baptized this afternoon.
Well, baptized and castrated.
No, they don't do that.
I mean, they circumcise.
No, that's the Jews.
Well, anyway, whatever he is, get him changed.
Let me pursue this further with Lou Powell, and I'll see if I can run down Baker, and then I'll talk to Walsh and get back to you.
All right.
All right, sir.
All right.
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