Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 018-010
Date: Monday, January 3, 1972 at 12:16 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.; Weinberger, Caspar W. ("Cap")
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-010

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:02] Yes, sir.
[0:02] Mr. Schultz and Mr. Weinberger.
[0:04] Hello.
[0:05] Yes, sir.
[0:05] Well, I just got a call, talked to George Allen on the story better than I thought.
[0:10] Back in the 30s, in the early, when Harry Hopkins was here, and he was in charge of PWA or WPA, I don't know which it was, but one of those two.
[0:22] He got a wire.
[0:23] desperately from the PWA director in California, asking for approval of a requisition for 5,000 shovels.
[0:37] And Hopkins ripped off a wire back to him and said, tell them to lean on each other.
[0:43] So you tell Laird to have them lean on each other.
[0:47] Fair enough.
[0:47] Very good, sir.
[0:48] Now that's the laugh for the year, and you can pass it to all the staff, Cap.
[0:52] Thank you.
[0:52] Okay.
[0:53] Very good.
[0:53] Thanks a lot.