Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 023-085
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 1972 at 4:10 PM
Participants: Kissinger, Henry A.; Byrd, Robert C.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-085

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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] Hello, Dr. Kissinger.
[0:02] Hello, Senator.
[0:03] How are you?
[0:03] Good, thank you.
[0:04] It was a pleasure to see you yesterday.
[0:06] It's always good to listen to you.
[0:08] I always get something from it.
[0:09] I have a lot of confidence in you.
[0:11] Aren't you nice.
[0:12] Senator, I'm calling you because I've just been told that there's a Democratic caucus tomorrow in which resolutions may be considered about the war in Vietnam.
[0:22] No, there will be no caucus tomorrow.
[0:24] The caucus will occur next Wednesday.
[0:27] Right.
[0:28] Well, I was going to say this to you on a personal basis.
[0:33] If you watch the news tickers today, for example, the fact that Lee Tak-To is coming back to Paris, and that in Moscow, highly qualified diplomatic sources have said that they have played a role in the resumption of the talks and so forth.
[0:48] I just wanted to say that we are now engaged in an extraordinarily sensitive diplomatic phase.
[0:55] and therefore for public expressions at this moment that suggest this unity may really undermine what we're engaged in.
[1:09] I don't know whether it is possible for you to delay this caucus for a week.
[1:15] The later it happens, the better it is for us.
[1:18] I may say quite honestly the better it will be for you because
[1:22] You may be saying things at a moment which could be embarrassing to those who make these resolutions and really might be difficult in some of the efforts on which we are now engaged that I cannot tell you about.
[1:39] Well, my situation is this.
[1:40] Of course, I'm not going to say anything that... We're not worried about you.
[1:45] And I personally favor the...
[1:47] I have to be very careful how I say it in view of my...
[1:50] leadership position.
[1:51] I think the President's doing the right thing.
[1:54] But it has been the leaders' policy to call a caucus upon the request of any one member.
[2:00] Well, now, Senator Fulbright asked for this caucus last week.
[2:05] He asked me last week for the caucus.
[2:07] So then he asked, I said, well, put it in writing.
[2:10] Then he asked that it be, have the caucus either Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, either yesterday.
[2:16] So I've delayed it a week.
[2:18] It'll be next Wednesday, and I don't think I could delay it further unless something occurs here which would, on the surface of it...
[2:30] give me some justification for it, you see.
[2:32] Right.
[2:34] And I'm just, I don't think there's anything I can do about that, but it is at least a week from now.
[2:41] Right.
[2:42] Well, that's a tremendous help.
[2:44] And let me discuss with the President or see what I can come up with of whether we can tell you something that would justify a further delay.
[2:57] I just assume you wouldn't because I'm afraid that as the acting Democrat leader, I'm sort of the... No, no, I mean maybe ask Fulbright or somebody.
[3:06] All right.
[3:08] I understand your problem and I understand your feelings.
[3:12] Fulbright and Symington and Mondale all ask for it, but Fulbright put it in writing.
[3:17] Right.
[3:18] Right.
[3:18] Well, I understand this.
[3:20] And I just wanted you to understand what the situation is.
[3:24] And we're not doing this for partisan reasons, because for strictly partisan reasons, we might just as well see the Democrats get out on a limb.
[3:31] I understand.
[3:32] I understand, and I hope that our conversation will be just between you and myself.
[3:38] You can be absolutely sure that it will not be repeated.
[3:41] I wouldn't want my Democratic colleagues who elected me to this position to think that I was, you know...
[3:46] Senator, you have my word that this conversation will not be repeated.
[3:51] Very well.
[3:53] And I appreciate the frankness with which you've spoken.
[3:57] All right.
[3:57] Thank you.
[3:58] Thank you very much.
[4:01] Bye.