← 019-009019-011 →

Conversation 019-010

TapeTape 19StartWednesday, January 19, 1972 at 2:29 PMEndWednesday, January 19, 1972 at 2:34 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Connally, John B.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On January 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 2:29 pm to 2:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-10

Date: January 19, 1972
Time: 2:29 pm - 2:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 315-16]

     John B. Connally's schedule
          -Peter M. Flanigan
          -The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                     -Draft
                -Request for a call from Connally

     The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
          -The President's January 17, 1972 conversation with Connally
          -Tone
                -Edward M. Kennedy, Fred R. Harris
          -Length
          -Legislative proposals
                -Number
                -Taxes
                -Technology
                      -William M. Magruder
          -Tone, style
          -Structure of speech
                -Outline
                      -Rhythm and cadence
          -Tone
          -Kennedy

     1972 campaign
          -The President's possible organization

     Kennedy
         -Charles W. Colson's and Clark MacGregor's activities
              -Response by Congressmen
                   -Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Robert Dole

     Harris
          -Possible White House response
          -Attack on Connally and the administration
                -Oil interests
                -Possible effect
                -Barry M. Goldwater's possible response
          -Connally's conversation with members of Congress
          -Political status

     The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
          -Foreign policy section
          -Forthcoming foreign policy report
               -February 8, 1972
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Yes, sir.
I don't want to bother you because I know you've got Flanagan coming in, but Haldeman is bringing over a copy of what I call my...
final reading copy of the State of the Union.
Yes, sir.
And after you finish with them, if you could, I don't know what your schedule is, if you could take a time, just read it through.
I will.
And give me a ring.
I've tried, after we talked the night before yesterday, I've gone over and I've, it's, you may feel a little too mild, but I just thought that in view of the rather vicious attacks that
the likes of Kennedy and Harris and others have made that I ought to, frankly, to a certain extent, turn the other cheek.
But on the other hand, as you know, we're putting out a 15,000-word opus in which we lay out everything that hasn't been done.
And in this, I mention the fact that there are 90 legislative proposals that I've already presented that we need action on.
And the only two new things are
the one in which we sort of say that maybe later in the year we may have something on the tax matter.
And the other new thing, of course, is totally non-controversial, the technological stuff, you know, which Magruder's working on.
But my main interest and what I'd like for you to do is to read it for tone and style.
Now, you'll be interested to see this.
My
We do not give it this way to the press, but I thought you'd like to see the way that I have it typed for me.
I think...
When I write a speech, when I do it myself, and then I also, when I deliver it, I think in outline terms, and so I've got this down in outline terms, but I don't think it'll bother you as you read it.
No, I'm sure it won't.
But when you see one or subparagraph one, I don't say that.
Yes, sir.
I understand.
The purpose is to get my own rhythm and cadence, but you'll find it, I think, rather interesting as a speaker yourself.
One other guy does it.
All right, sir.
But it is deliberately, as I said...
It's very conciliatory, but it lays it out there.
I'm sure I won't have any argument with that.
I think that's where you ought to be right now.
The way you and I talk, you know, we were talking the other day.
I was coming on the homestretch, and I...
and thought, well, the real question was whether I ought to make it a little tougher, particularly after Kennedy's attack.
And then I thought, hell no, that that'd be just the wrong reaction.
Now, to be sure that you didn't misunderstand me the other day, Mr. President, when I was talking about what you ought to do in your demeanor and behavior and what you say, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't set up a campaign organization and get it prepared right now and get somebody else to do it.
Yeah, well, as you may have noticed, and this was as a result of Colson's operation and McGregor's,
we did have some pretty good answers.
Scott, didn't you think that was all right?
Scott and Ford took them on real hard.
Yes, sir.
And Dole got in a couple of licks.
And I think that's what you have to be prepared to do.
I think we've got to hit them right back every time they do these things.
Let me ask you just one other thing briefly on that score.
One thing that particularly outraged me was that damn Harris's thing.
And yet I hate to have our people elevate him at all, but what do you think?
No, I didn't answer him, and I don't think anybody else should.
What do you think?
He barely took me on, but what he's trying to do, he's basically trying to say that you and all this administration are tools of the fat cats and the privileged class and the oil boys, and he's a no-good son of a bitch, and I don't think he...
He deserves it.
Well, the thing about that is that... Now, take the oil thing.
Hell, you know we made a lot of oil people mad.
You sure did.
For what we've done.
And by the same token, frankly, I do not want to go out and say to the...
I don't want our people to go out and say that I'm not a friend of the oil people.
Because, basically, John, I am.
You know, let's face it.
That's what I believe.
And I frankly think Harris attacking us may let some of those oil people know that, by golly...
that their enemies are our enemies.
What do you think?
I think that's right.
I don't know what reaction you get, but let me know if you, on that score, if you feel that somebody ought to take him on, I'll sick one, I'll sick Goldwater on him.
I've talked to some people about it, some of the members of the House.
Have you?
They don't think he deserves a reply.
I mean, at this point, so many of them hold him in utter contempt that they really don't think he deserves a reply.
Well, the son of a bitch has even grown a mustache.
That's right.
Well, that finishes me with him.
Anyway, he's a lowlife.
Well, he's finished anyway.
Of course he is.
He's not running.
He gave up running for president.
He can't be re-elected.
He redominated his own party.
His own party.
And now, so he's sniping away.
But anyway, if you'll read it, and I'll be here.
I'm just marking this up for delivery.
But call me if you think there's anything in the way that...
you feel change so forth the foreign policy thing you i think you will agree is quite skillful i wrote that of course very carefully and larger it will be followed by on february 8th with a major foreign policy report as we always have at the foreign policy one sets forth our principles very clearly and i think you'll like it roger okay
← 019-009019-011 →