Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 034-085
Date: Thursday, December 14, 1972 at 4:03 PM
Participants: Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Shultz, George P.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-085

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] First of all, what's the status of Dr. David and the AEC briefly?
[0:11] The last track I had of it, which was the day before yesterday afternoon, he was going to talk to Cap about the budget.
[0:24] He had a question about
[0:27] Wanting the AEC to be designated as the coordinating agency on energy R&D.
[0:35] Yeah.
[0:37] But his general attitude was favorable to the job.
[0:41] You talked with him.
[0:43] How would it be to put him at NASA instead of AEC?
[0:52] They're similar kind of jobs.
[0:53] Yeah, but it works out to be a better appointment from our viewpoint.
[0:58] If it's somebody else for AEC, that's good.
[1:00] First that, and second, we need him in NASA.
[1:08] Well, I think he'd be as good at one as the other, and I think he'd be all right.
[1:13] NASA's really a bigger job as far as the job's concerned.
[1:16] Well, what AEC has that's very special are these research laboratories.
[1:23] Yeah.
[1:23] And they're undoubtedly the best.
[1:27] research that the government conducts.
[1:34] But I would think that NASA would be all right for David.
[1:36] I don't know what, I don't have the slightest idea how he would react and how much he's honed in on AEC or whether he has become uncomfortable enough sitting in meetings hearing
[1:45] John Whitaker talked about how Interior is going to take this hunk out of AEC and that hunk out of AEC.
[1:50] Yeah.
[1:50] He doesn't, he sits there saying, hey, what am I going over there for?
[1:54] Right.
[1:56] Okay.
[1:57] Who do you have in mind for AEC?
[1:59] Dixie Lee Ray.
[2:01] Who?
[2:01] Dixie Lee Ray.
[2:05] Commissioner.
[2:06] Yeah.
[2:08] Is she good?
[2:08] Yep.
[2:10] She is.
[2:14] And Schlesinger says she is.
[2:15] One thing to have in the back of your mind is if we cut out the science advisor, I guess you and I talked about this yesterday, didn't we, and move all that out of the White House, we have to move it somewhere with somebody recognized.
[2:28] I suppose if David went to NASA, he could take that function with him to NASA and coordinate it, or Guy Stever could do it at the NSF.
[2:37] I think we're out of the woods as far as that.
[2:41] Okay.
[2:42] Okay.
[2:42] Did you do anything about the IRS thing that I mentioned to you?
[2:49] Yeah.
[2:51] I raised the question and there doesn't, in the first place, there's no concern about John Alexander's view.
[2:59] And, you know, that isn't the problem.
[3:04] He's the guy he wants to go through with no matter what.
[3:08] I see.
[3:08] Okay.
[3:12] And I'll talk to John Mitchell on that.
[3:15] You know, I don't know that it's a big problem, but I think it will get this negative beat.
[3:22] Do you know whether he called Milton Friedman?
[3:26] No.
[3:27] Okay.
[3:27] Okay.
[3:27] Yeah.
[3:29] Right.