Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-071
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Supreme Court nominations
Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 9:21 PM–9:31 PM ET · White House Telephone · 10 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed the overwhelmingly positive public and editorial reaction to the President's recent Supreme Court nominations of Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and William H. Rehnquist. The pair noted that the surprise announcement effectively silenced critics and left political opponents, such as Senators Bayh and Kennedy, caught off guard. While Powell enjoyed broad recognition, the two agreed on the necessity of conducting an outreach campaign to build support for Rehnquist, whose credentials were less well-known to the broader public and legal establishment.
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Hello.
Oh.
Hello.
Hi.
It's Bob Alderman.
Yeah.
Uh, you want any reaction rundown?
Okay.
We've got, uh, I think you scored a super 10 strike on me.
So, that's from where...
We've gotten quite a little reaction stuff in, you know, because they've been working on picking up some quotes.
It's clear that the work we've got to do is on Rehnquist, and I don't think that there isn't going to be any problem in doing it, because all the raw materials there, the problems... First in this class.
Yeah, and on that basis, they're all foreign, but the legal types, we've gotten a tremendous run of legal stuff, so, you know, we could get some raw quotes out.
And they're all, they just, you know, have orgasms over Powell.
Yeah, but they ought to, they've got to have orgasms over Rehnquist.
Because he's smarter than Powell.
Right, that's what we've got to get going.
And we can't.
Who's doing that?
What they say, with Warren Colson, what they're saying is that, you know, he appears to be highly qualified, but I don't know him.
I see that.
And it's unavoidable.
I mean, it's just, there's a lot of people.
Now, Judge Hainsworth, though, for instance, says, I know both of them well.
They're both splendid, excellent choices.
and that kind of thing.
But most of them say, like Bob Mazur says on Rehnquist, I don't know him.
I appreciate his academic record.
And Coburn Powell says, I don't know him, but his credentials seem excellent.
He's a past president of the bar.
And so we're just going to have to, and we're already starting on that, we're going to concentrate on getting some solid stuff.
There's no negative on him at all.
But the old-timers, the big power-type people in the law business, all know Powell, of course, and so they're ecstatic about him.
And then they just don't know French Quest, so we've got to build that one up.
Dean of Stanford Law School...
He says he had a brilliant record at Stanford, should be outstanding.
His work at Stanford was superb.
He's highly regarded by the teachers in the room and so on.
I mean, he builds him up because he knew it.
But we're going to work now on getting people who do know him in the government and out and so on.
All right.
Did you get a rundown on George Meany from anybody?
I talked to Meany.
He was all right.
Did you?
No, he's all good.
He says, well, he looks good.
I've got to check in the morning.
Yeah.
He made the comment right after the TV.
The ABA's got egg on its face now.
This is a great announcement, and I'd like to see the editorial writers rip up their editorials.
Right.
Get a kick out of that kind of stuff anyway.
The press and editorial stuff looks good.
The Phoenix Republican...
Apparently, it must have really taken the commentators...
Julie or Trish, both of them, the commentators, were just flabbergasted.
They were.
They were, completely, because they'd all come on.
We had a lot of fun watching the news because they all came on saying, you know, the president's going to appoint Marshall Bridey and... Lilly.
And he might move in a different direction and appoint Arlen Adams or, you know, something like that.
I mean, nobody mentioned either of these two names.
Right.
There's even a possibility.
So that...
That held, but it shows you why we had to keep it quiet.
Sure.
Phoenix Republican Gazette Ed McDowell says, I'm right this minute putting together one of the most laudatory editorials I've ever written.
I know Powell by reputation.
It's an excellent choice.
I know Rehnquist.
He rates at the very top.
There's no one who can accuse them of a failure to meet high standards of the Supreme Court.
Rehnquist is one outstanding person.
President Nixon deserves a great deal of credit.
as Mr. Nixon said he would try to restore the balance of the court, he's following through on that promise.
You noticed the most important thing, I said, the country, the law, and other stuff.
Yep.
They got by.
They sure did.
And that came through old Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick.
Oh, yeah.
And Lieutenant Brian Richmond says, I'm damn well pleased.
We've been editorializing for the appointment of Louis Powell for many years.
And, uh,
The Orlando Sentinel guy says he really showed those bastards.
Their credentials seem to be of the highest.
It's about time the silly business of confirmation was stopped.
San Diego Union, very masterfully done.
I thought the Bar Association decoy was masterful.
I can see a lot of them think that's what that was.
I can see Senator Bayh and Kennedy with egg all over their faces.
I must say I was very impressed with the nominations.
And we'll give our editorial support.
Palmer Hoyt, they're really good men and I'll write that in white.
Good.
Brady Black, uh, I have a hunch that what the president had to say about the background of the nominees and the need to adjust to the situation where we protect the innocent, prosecute the criminal will go over extremely well.
I think it will carry a great deal of weight on the president's choices.
I thought his reasoning in making the nominations will gain the public's support.
Okay, good.
But it's, uh, that's the general run.
Johnny Oaks at the New York Times says, this is absolutely amazing.
They sounded like good appointments to me.
I don't understand why there was all the discussion of the other sex.
Arthur Goldberg says, there are two men who seem qualified.
He knows Powell, but has only met Rehnquist and doesn't know him very well.
Does not agree with their general philosophy, sees no problem in confirmations.
That's good.
You sure as hell don't want it.
You don't want people that he would agree with.
Reg Murphy at the Atlanta Constitution says, well, you fooled us again.
This was the biggest surprise since China.
They look like outstanding men to me.
Gannett Papers, I thought the president did a hell of a good job of talking about his philosophy, and I think that those who would try to stir up difficulty for the confirmation of these two gentlemen are going to be caught short.
Carl DeBloom, he did a really good job of catching the opposition off base.
A good illustration that he can pick the right man.
James Wexler said, I'm going to write about it in the morning, and the only honest reaction is that I'm going to do some research.
All right.
All right.
Erwin Cannon, though, says, I've already editorialized on the high quality of Lewis Powell.
These two appointments are tremendous improvements over the names that have been bandied about.
I think you're going to get some darn good reaction.
Bob Bird made a good statement saying he would support your effort to restructure the court.
Good.
And the commentators were just completely thrown off.
They didn't know what the hell to say.
Yeah.
Severide said you'd finesse the whole situation.
He did?
Yeah.
They all say there won't be any fight.
There can't be.
They're obviously qualified.
No basis for a fight.
Any reaction from the women?
No.
yep that will have to do but I you deserve credit for having given it the try and that's what we've got to make sure you get hold on that was a good stroke quoting Lipman in there too stick it to him again but I think
The presentation was awfully good.
It's obviously easier for you to do your own speech.
Yeah, but I mean it's easier for you to deliver one you've written.
It was very good because you got your whole story over on the court, your attitude towards it.
Not just the appointments, but the wrap-up thing on the respect for the court.
That whole bank side was a damn good chance to do more than just a 0.2 in.
It's going to be hard for the center to knock these down.
Screw it around.
I'll screw it around some.
Okay, very good.
NARA Description
On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 9:21 pm to 9:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-071 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 012-071
Date: October 21, 1971
Time: 9:21 pm- 9:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President.
Reactions to the President's October 21, 1971 speech
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/15/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[012-071-w001]
[Duration: 27s]
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s response
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-American Bar Association [ABA]
-Senate
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox’s response
******************************************************************************
-William H. Rehnquist
-Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
-Rehnquist
-Rehnquist
-Richard A. Moore, Charles W. Colson
-Clement F. Haynsworth
-Robert W. Meserve
-Rehnquist
-Cody Fowler
-American Bar Association [ABA] past president
-Rehnquist
-Old timers
-Powell
-Rehnquist
-Stanford Law dean
-Rehnquist
-George Meany
-ABA
-Press and editorials
-Phoenix Republican
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox
-Commentators
-Herschel H. Friday
-Mildred L. Lillie
-Arlin M. Adams
-Phoenix Republican
-Edwin S. McDowell
-Powell
-Rehnquist
-Law and order
-James J. Kilpatrick, Jr.
-D. Tennant Bryan
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Richmond
-Powell
-Orlando Sentinel
-San Diego Union
-ABA
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Palmer Hoyt
-Brady F. Black
-John B. Oakes
-New York Times
-Arthur J. Goldberg
-Powell
-Rehnquist
-Reg Murphy
-Atlanta Constitution
-People's Republic of China [PRC
-Gannett Papers
-Carl DeBlum
-James Wexley
-Erwin D. Canham
-Powell
-Robert C. Byrd
-Commentators
-[Arnold] Eric Sevaried
-Women
-Walter Lippmann
-Presentation
-William L. Safire
-Haldeman’s view
-Senate
-Confirmation chancesAlso recorded on October 22, 1971
- 012-067 9:00 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 9:00 pm to 9:02 pm.
- 012-068 9:03 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Warren E. Burger talked on the telephone from 9:03 pm to 9:13 pm.
- 012-069 9:13 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and George Meany talked on the telephone from 9:13 pm to 9:21 pm.
- 012-070 9:21 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:21 pm.
- 012-072 9:44 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:44 pm.
- 012-073 9:44 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 9:44 pm to 9:45 pm.
- 012-074 9:45 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:45 pm.
- 012-075 9:45 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:45 pm and 9:47 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 012-071, October 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/012-071 (accessed October 12, 2026).