Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 014-084
Date: Friday, November 12, 1971 at 2:36 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Ehrlichman, John D.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-084

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. President, Mr. Ehrlichman.
[0:03] Yeah.
[0:03] There you are.
[0:04] Hello, John.
[0:04] I got your memorandum with regard to Richardson, and I, of course, will follow that line.
[0:09] But I just want to be sure that you know that I have no intention, whatever, of signing that bill.
[0:13] Oh, absolutely.
[0:14] Absolutely.
[0:14] Particularly, John, and basically it is philosophical.
[0:17] It's the philosophical thing that I can't, I mean, the money is terrible.
[0:21] But, you know, I'm simply not going to have families, have kids raised by the government rather than by the families.
[0:26] I know that.
[0:26] I know Richardson disagrees with that.
[0:28] That's it.
[0:28] You see, I've got to keep him more or less in line.
[0:31] I understand.
[0:32] And this will help on that.
[0:33] Good.
[0:34] Well, I'll just simply say I'm not going to comment upon that until I see the report and...
[0:37] and talk to Secretary Richardson.
[0:40] I'm just not going to comment.
[0:41] Well, you could give them a little whiff of your philosophical question.
[0:45] Well, about saying what concerns me is that I don't want to see people, I mean, children raised by the government rather than by their families.
[0:50] Well, now, if you just would say, I entertain some doubts, and I've got to talk to the Secretary about this.
[0:57] Well, it's probably not going to come up, but...
[1:00] Because they're more important things, but nevertheless.
[1:03] I see.
[1:03] We have been telling him and telling him and telling him, and he's been horsing us and horsing us and horsing us, and I don't want to play the ultimate Trump right at this point.
[1:13] Yeah, yeah.
[1:14] Well, the poor fellow, he's under tremendous heat.
[1:16] That's the problem.
[1:17] And he's been a damn good soldier.
[1:19] We just think what the Christ Finch would have done to us.
[1:21] Well, that's right.
[1:21] He'd have been over the fence hours ago.
[1:23] Let's do our best.
[1:24] Okay.
[1:25] But I just want you to know, I will never sign that.
[1:27] Oh, I'll find some other reason.
[1:29] I understand completely.
[1:30] But you agree, don't you?
[1:31] Absolutely.
[1:32] Yeah.
[1:32] Absolutely.
[1:32] But I just have a tactical problem, right?
[1:34] All right.
[1:35] Okay, John.
[1:36] Very good.
[1:36] Fine.