Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 015-111
Date: Tuesday, November 23, 1971 at 11:43 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Brock, William
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-111

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:03] Good morning.
[0:04] I don't know how a man as busy as you can take time out to have a birthday, but my friend, but Timmons was telling me, he says, you know, the senator's 41 today.
[0:13] And I says, oh God, he can't be that old.
[0:16] Well, bless you.
[0:17] But how you doing, boy?
[0:18] I'm doing fine.
[0:19] You've been making some fine speeches, believe me, and we appreciate your...
[0:23] strong sport.
[0:24] Thank you for saying so.
[0:25] Well, I mean every word of it.
[0:27] That was a tough vote yesterday.
[0:30] But I met this morning with, you know, I meet occasionally with Scott and Griffin, you know, and had them for breakfast.
[0:38] Scott recommends a veto if it comes down this farm, do you?
[0:42] Yes, sir.
[0:43] Even though it means that we lose the tax bill?
[0:47] I wouldn't do it on the premise that the
[0:51] the political implications of that adverse, Mr. President.
[0:55] I don't honestly think they are.
[0:56] I think we...
[0:58] The tax bill.
[1:00] The tax bill itself is, I think, an atrocity.
[1:04] Oh, it is, yes.
[1:05] You really do.
[1:05] The whole thing.
[1:07] I don't see how...
[1:08] I think it can do you more damage than good.
[1:10] I hope the House will exercise a little more judgment.
[1:16] It won't.
[1:16] They're going to leave the political thing in, Bill.
[1:19] And that will change the whole constitutional system in this country.
[1:22] That's really what it gets down to.
[1:24] It's just plain immoral to tax the people of this country to finance candidates for whom they have no support.
[1:31] You just cannot do that.
[1:33] And despite the fact that they do it and they're supposed to check it off, it doesn't work that way, does it?
[1:39] They don't individually, they aren't making a conscious decision with regard to a candidate.
[1:44] They don't know who he is yet.
[1:45] That's right.
[1:45] That's exactly right.
[1:47] That's right.
[1:48] They're buying a pig and a poke.
[1:50] Of course.
[1:51] Of course, particularly with the non-incumbents.
[1:54] And, of course, it'll go on, let me say, as you know, to House and Senate, as sure as we sit here.
[2:00] Yes, it will.
[2:01] And if I were a House or Senate member, boy, on the Democratic side, I'd be very concerned about it because it just means that they're going to be financing their opponents.
[2:11] Do you realize that?
[2:12] Yes, sir, I do.
[2:14] And I think, too, that something that wasn't really adequately explored in the debate is
[2:19] The basic immorality of any federal financing is that it perpetuates the status quo.
[2:24] By giving $20 million to one man as a non-income, it allows him to totally subvert the party structure all the way down to the state level.
[2:34] He can own that party, not just for that election, but for years.
[2:38] Let me ask you, if we veto, do you think that the Congress will then come up with maybe the...
[2:45] The excise tax and the investment tax credit and the personal exemption, in other words, a thinned-down bill.
[2:51] Yes, sir, I did.
[2:51] Some think they will have to.
[2:52] Well, in any event, I'm considering it.
[2:55] I want you to know we'll see what your brave men in the House do.
[2:59] We've got some good ones over there.
[3:01] Yeah.
[3:01] And they'll do a good job if they care.
[3:03] Yeah.
[3:03] i'm sure you uh you uh enjoyed our my little confrontation with your friend mr meaning i was i don't think i've been that depressed in a long time i i was i have it so ingrained in me mr president that you thought was great for him i think it was great politically i mean i was great i i enjoyed it i mean uh he was he was acting like that and so we had a fine but
[3:26] I don't think he did himself any favors.
[3:29] No.
[3:29] Or his group.
[3:30] Yeah.
[3:31] I think it was an embarrassment to the whole movement.
[3:34] You came out very well.
[3:35] I think you have yourself just beautifully.
[3:37] I'm very proud of you.
[3:39] Bill, go home tonight and tell your wife that I told you to take the night off, okay?
[3:43] Very good.
[3:43] All right.
[3:44] Thanks.
[3:45] Bye.