Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 014-118
Date: Monday, November 15, 1971 at 7:42 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-118

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Yes, sir.
[0:02] Haldeman tells me you prepared Volpe for that cabinet session.
[0:06] I'll get him for that.
[0:09] I didn't hear it all, but Haldeman.
[0:12] My only criticism was you came in too soon.
[0:15] You're right.
[0:16] You could have sat it out another half hour.
[0:19] You know, he's really a, really a, I just wish we could do more, but he is a little comical, isn't he?
[0:24] He really is.
[0:25] That thing had more laugh lines in it.
[0:28] You know, I was, as you noted,
[0:30] I'm sure trying to, you know, show some interest in his Romanian and Polish things, which all, of course, all of us knew.
[0:39] Well, certain Bill Rogers and I knew in Laird, having seen him off.
[0:43] But, you know, God damn it, he puts a lot of this.
[0:45] He's hearing it for the first time.
[0:49] He is something else, isn't he?
[0:52] This Transpo thing is going to be the biggest traffic jam in the history of the United States of America.
[0:58] It is.
[0:59] I'll be damned.
[1:00] It was nice to get out of the way so we don't have to do that anymore.
[1:05] Well, anyway, it's done now.
[1:07] I had him do it there.
[1:09] I thought if he's going to bore me, he might as well bore the cat.
[1:12] I gathered that.
[1:13] Don't you agree?
[1:13] Broaden the base.
[1:14] Right.
[1:16] But they now see why we don't do this, don't they?
[1:19] Right, right.
[1:20] And Elliot, I think, is now quite content.
[1:28] He's made his case.
[1:29] In his case, he carried out his commitment to the committee, to the conference.
[1:33] Doesn't he have a hint, though, that I'm going to... Oh, absolutely.
[1:36] He knows exactly.
[1:36] I didn't listen as blunt as you suggested in the briefing paper because I felt like it really couldn't be.
[1:42] No, I think that was fine.
[1:43] But I mentioned the money.
[1:45] He got the signal, and on the way out, he said, well, that he had discharged his commitment to the conference.
[1:52] So I think with a little care and feeding, he's going to be all right now.
[1:57] Well, good.
[1:58] Good.
[1:58] Because we just can't take this, John.
[2:00] I'm not going to start down that very road.
[2:01] No, I understand.
[2:02] I understand.
[2:03] I think he does, too.
[2:05] Fine.
[2:05] Okay.
[2:05] Fine.