Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 13 › Conversation 013-148

Nixon phone call with Regan on John Ehrlichman and Bond issue

Friday, November 5, 1971 · 9:24 AM–9:28 AM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Regan, Edward V.Conversation013-148 on Tape 13 (tape position 04:16:11–04:20:06)StartFriday, November 5, 1971 at 9:24 AMEndFriday, November 5, 1971 at 9:28 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 013-148 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon spoke with Edward V. Regan to establish a direct line of communication between Regan and John Ehrlichman regarding domestic policy and county government issues. The two discussed the political fallout of a recent bond issue, with Nixon validating Regan’s support for the measure as a responsible political action despite its unpopularity. The conversation concluded with a brief, lighthearted exchange concerning the performance of the Buffalo Bills and Representative Jack Kemp.

Edward V. Regan
John Ehrlichman
Bond issue
County government
Buffalo Bills
Jack Kemp

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.

Mr. President, I have Mr. Edward Reagan for you.

Yeah.

All right, go ahead.

All right.

Well, I'm so delighted, and we want to be as helpful as we can.

I'm sitting here right now just walking off with John Ehrlichman.

Right.

John's the head of the domestic council.

That I know.

And whenever you have something affecting county government, where a problem or something, we don't have much money, but we now and then can be helpful.

But you just get on the horn with John, because he knows that I've told him that we'll talk to you.

Thank you very much.

Fine.

I wonder if the bond issue hurt.

The bond issue did to some extent.

Yeah, people don't want those taxes, do they?

Oh boy, it's just... What position did you take on the bond issue?

I was in favor of it.

I know, well that was the responsible thing to do.

Only thing to do.

I said, listen, I know about the per capita debt in New York State and everything else, but I'm going to look for it because we need it.

That was it.

But it didn't hurt me, I guess.

I just hope you do better than the bills done.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you, Mr. President.

They still need Kemp.

Okay.

That's right.

NARA Description

On November 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Edward V. Regan talked on the telephone from 9:24 am to 9:28 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 013-148 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 013-148

Date: November 5, 1971
Time: 9:24 am - 9:28 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Edward V. Regan.

[See Conversation No. 615-8A]

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/11/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[013-148-w001]
[Duration: 1m 1s]

       Edward V. Regan
             -Election victory
                     -Erie County
             -Jack Kemp's conversation with President
                     -Democratic attacks
                     -Edward V. Regan’s support for President
             -President's opponents
                     -Attacks on Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew
             -Edward V. Regan's forthcoming package for Harry S. Dent

**********************************************************************

     Regan's future relations with the White House
         -John D. Ehrlichman

**********************************************************************

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/11/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[013-148-w002]
[Duration: 59s]

       New York county elections
            -Outcome of county elections
                   -Democratic Party performance
                   -Nassau County
                           -Republican Party performance
                   -Suffolk County
                           -John V. N. Klein
                           -Republican Party victory
                   -Nassau County
                           -Republican Party performance
                   -Republican Party performance
                           -Higher offices
                           -Town, village, and city offices
                   -Erie County

**********************************************************************

             -Bond issue
                  -Regan's position

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/11/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[013-148-w003]
[Duration: 44s]

       New York county elections
            -Edward V. Regan victory

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

               -Nassau County
               -Westchester County
                      -Edwin G. Michaelian
               -Suffolk County
                      -John V.N. Klein
                             -Position in county government
                             -Edward V. Regan’s description of John V. N. Klein
                             -Potential phone call from President

     Edward V. Regan
         -Work on behalf of President in 1972 election

**********************************************************************

     Buffalo Bills
          -Jack F. Kemp

Also recorded on November 5, 1971

013-146 8:46 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 8:50 am.
013-147 8:50 AM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:50 am to 8:52 am.
615-005 9:10 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
615-006 9:10 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
615-007 9:10 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
615-008 9:27 AM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:27 am to 10:04 am.
013-149 9:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and John V. N. Klein talked on the telephone from 9:48 am to 9:50 am.
615-009 10:29 AM · 2 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:29 am and 10:33 am.

All 53 conversations from November 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 013-148, November 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/013-148 (accessed October 12, 2026).