Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 019-045
Date: Monday, January 24, 1972 at 3:23 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-045

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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] Hi, John.
[0:03] How are you, sir?
[0:04] Don't mean to interrupt you, but I got back, and we decided to go tomorrow night on that business, that speech, you know.
[0:13] Yes, sir.
[0:13] And I'm working on it now.
[0:16] That's great.
[0:17] And I think it reads pretty good.
[0:21] I'll see that I wanted you to get a copy over perhaps late this afternoon, and if you've got any thoughts, you might pass them on.
[0:27] All right.
[0:29] I think I'll have...
[0:31] either Henry or Bill Sapphire bring it over to you.
[0:35] Second point, I was just delighted with the speeches you made over the weekend.
[0:41] I mean, the way you gave the double whammy, one first to business and then to labor, I think just was the right touch.
[0:49] And I understood you did them both off the cuff, is that right?
[0:52] Yes, sir.
[0:52] My gosh, that was great.
[0:54] Yes, sir.
[0:54] Unfortunately.
[0:55] But you had to work like that.
[0:57] There's no off-the-cuff speech.
[0:59] You did the work before.
[1:00] I know you did.
[1:00] Yeah, I do.
[1:01] I try to do a lot of work.
[1:02] Sure.
[1:02] We transcribe, you know, we tape.
[1:04] Sure.
[1:05] Oh, sure, sure.
[1:07] I don't think either one of them can get too offended, and they both deserve it.
[1:10] They deserve it, right to the full measure.
[1:12] They deserve it.
[1:13] And it was fine, fine, fine.
[1:14] And I think the reaction's been good, really.
[1:16] Oh, yes.
[1:17] You know, labor's mad at me.
[1:19] They didn't like me before I got up here.
[1:22] Well, I'm in the same class, but I've always been friendly with them and always say to them, they're going to get fair treatment.
[1:29] If I didn't try to be with it, and they are, but they're goddamn sure not going to get any more than that.
[1:33] Not one bit.
[1:34] Not one bit.
[1:35] Not one bit.
[1:36] That's fine.
[1:37] That lady...
[1:39] you met with my friend the Cardinal.
[1:42] Yes, sir.
[1:42] Had an excellent meeting with him.
[1:44] Quite a fellow, isn't he?
[1:45] Yes, sir.
[1:45] Yes, sir.
[1:46] Peter went up with me.
[1:47] And as soon as the speech was over, we went and had an hour's visit with him.
[1:51] It couldn't have been better.
[1:53] And we're doing some, obviously, doing some work on it.
[1:56] My feeling there is that if we could just hold out, I mean, even put something in
[2:02] uh as a proposal knowing full well that nothing's going to happen that it would give enormous hope to those people you know when he says that two schools are closing a week i think that's right and maybe the best thing to do just do it frontally like a tech i would i wouldn't uh rather than horsing around through the we're going to do it let's do it with a frontal attack no apologies just fast uh sure all out right because
[2:27] You know, you get the lumps, you might as well put it out in such a way that you bill the credits.
[2:32] Well, let me say, you make your study, and as soon as you come up with something, I will put her out.
[2:38] I'll float it up there and send it up to Congress and let everybody squeal.
[2:42] And one other thing I was going to tell you, that I...
[2:46] I didn't learn until I learned from Bill that apparently Nellie was, that's one of the things you were doing in New York, was picking that thing up from my place at San Clemente.
[2:58] Yes, sir.
[2:58] That's where we went up there.
[2:59] Well, that was a beautiful thing and couldn't be a better choice.
[3:02] Well, that's good.
[3:03] We hope you enjoy it.
[3:05] Oh, yes.
[3:05] I love it.
[3:06] I just love that sort of thing.
[3:07] And it'll fit that house particularly.
[3:10] It surely will.
[3:11] Potty area, right?
[3:12] It surely will.
[3:14] You can put it in the patio area.
[3:15] Where did you find it?
[3:16] We found it at Hammers, Hammer Galleries.
[3:23] See, when we were in San Clemente, Nellie and Nadell went up to Los Angeles and spent the day with a curator of the museum.
[3:33] And we were looking out there, and then they called back and said they had found this thing at the Hammer Galleries in New York.
[3:41] So we went up Saturday to look at it and found it.
[3:44] And we liked it, very frankly, and just took it for everybody.
[3:51] And I think all the cabinet was pleased.
[3:55] Oh, I know.
[3:55] They were pleased.
[3:56] We hoped you were.
[3:57] We were just delighted with it, just delighted.