Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 020-063
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 1972 at 2:49 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Scott, Hugh
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-063

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Yes, Mr. President.
[0:03] Hugh Scott.
[0:05] Oh, Hugh.
[0:05] Yes.
[0:05] I didn't have anything to bother you with, but just talking to Ziegler, and he said that the statement you made after the leadership is getting a good play on the wire.
[0:13] Oh, good.
[0:14] And I thought you should know again, though, that I talked to two or three afterwards, and
[0:18] And, you know, you like to hear good things when they're good, but some of the fellows told me they had never heard you better.
[0:24] Oh.
[0:25] I mean, you really got wound up.
[0:27] And I said, well, you know, I said, Scott really is a mean bastard.
[0:32] I said, you just don't realize it.
[0:35] You know, they forget you were once a party chairman, huh?
[0:39] Remember?
[0:39] Yes, sir.
[0:40] It takes me a little while to wind up, you know.
[0:42] But you're on the right side, let me tell you.
[0:45] I'm uptight about it.
[0:46] You're on the right side, and don't you think so?
[0:49] Yes, sir.
[0:49] I'm giving a story to the Los Angeles Times this afternoon, guarded, but generally they're pressing to say, why is Muskie the target?
[0:58] And the answer is that the people who present certain positions...
[1:04] uh as alternatives who foul up hanoi's negotiation make themselves the target it doesn't sure necessarily be the same one in a given week sure that's the trying to create an opinion that we're zeroing in on a single person no you're you're zeroing in on mcgovern too certainly that's what you say mcgovern muskie those people that are offering the enemy better terms
[1:26] than the president has offered them are, in effect, torpedoing the chances to get a settlement before the election.
[1:34] I think the idea that they, in effect, are destroying the chance to have peace before November, isn't that a good thing?
[1:44] That is, and I'm using the phrase that they are fouling up the negotiation.
[1:50] Right.
[1:51] Well, good luck.
[1:52] Thank you.
[1:52] I appreciate it, sir, and I'll keep at it.