Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 038-084
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 1973 at 9:19 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Dean, John W., III
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-084

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Oh.
[0:02] Hello.
[0:04] This is Dean.
[0:05] Yes, sir.
[0:05] Hi, John.
[0:06] You got your piece of paper yet?
[0:08] Which one is that now?
[0:09] Oh, yes.
[0:10] I work with Len Garment.
[0:12] And Len, I think, has a product that he and I concur in.
[0:15] Oh, I see.
[0:16] Yeah, yeah.
[0:16] I got... Len got something to me last night.
[0:18] Yeah.
[0:19] He and I...
[0:20] But that's what you would...
[0:25] That's the one you would approve?
[0:28] His approach, or do you have any variations?
[0:32] Well, I would... Well, let me see, guys.
[0:35] Here, I got these Italians down today.
[0:38] That's what you hear in the background.
[0:41] Maybe about, when we get through with the Prime Minister, maybe about 3 o'clock we can get together.
[0:47] Wait a minute, wait a minute.
[0:48] Let me see, 12.30, Mr. Batsky.
[0:50] 1 o'clock, 2.30, 2.30, 2.30.
[0:56] 2.30 or 3, I'll give you a ring.
[0:58] And I want to read the thing, and then there's one other possible approach, and get your judgment on them.
[1:06] All right, I'm available.
[1:08] Very helpful.
[1:08] I mean, I was out with Dr. Bill Rogers, too, so we're trying to sort of get the... As you know, the approach can vary, or it depends on how we handle it.
[1:24] That's the main thing.
[1:25] And I'll handle it in a way that differentiates between the whole situation, you know, as it must, depending upon what developments are.
[1:46] But you would generally say, John, that you think the garment approach is the best one?
[1:51] I think that at this point is... See, the problem you've got as far as the garment thing and so forth, I had a talk with Peterson, and he's very reluctant to have anything said at this point, you see, because they haven't...
[2:03] It hurts his case.
[2:05] Huh?
[2:06] It hurts his case.
[2:07] What?
[2:07] It hurts his case.
[2:09] Yeah, well, see, McGruder, apart from their talks with your people, it's McGruder that they...
[2:13] I understand.
[2:13] They haven't got anything there, and...
[2:15] He doesn't tell me not to say something, and I said, now look here, I'm going to get out here.
[2:20] What did you do?
[2:21] You just get out and do it.
[2:24] I just can't take responsibility.
[2:26] I don't think Peterson would, but some guy down in the U.S. turned up and said, well, the president blew the case in order to get publicity, you know?
[2:33] Well, I don't know that... Not blew the case, but impaired it, you know?
[2:39] Right, right.
[2:40] Let me get some more information for you on that potential.
[2:46] Would you do that?
[2:46] Yes, I will.
[2:47] That's the thing that I think is very important here because, I mean, I could have said something Monday and I talked to Peterson and he said, I'd prefer not, you know.
[2:56] I remember we were talking about resignations and all that sort of thing and he said, no, remember I told you.
[3:02] And I said, all right, now look here, I just can't
[3:06] I mean, I can't be in a position of that.
[3:09] He says, well, the decision is yours, Mr. President.
[3:11] And I said, well, let me tell you, what's the effect on it?
[3:14] I said, what's the situation?
[3:16] So, I don't know.
[3:19] We don't have any.
[3:19] Well, look, think about it.
[3:21] We don't have to do a thing today because they don't think they're going to have John Deere.
[3:28] They won't have McGruder today.
[3:29] They said they can't get him.
[3:31] And probably not until tomorrow.
[3:34] That'll be their first star witness.
[3:36] I mean, you know their procedure there apparently is to have him go out and make a statement in open court.
[3:45] Confess in open court and make a statement apparently.
[3:47] I didn't know they could do that with a guilty verdict.
[3:49] That's because Sirica's assisting up on it.
[3:51] Yeah, that's what they said.
[3:52] Sirica was...
[3:54] I was asking the questions anyway, so they said, we'll just make him make a statement.
[4:00] I wonder about that procedure.
[4:02] It's a little tough, isn't it?
[4:04] And it's very risky as far as jeopardizing.
[4:09] I mean, I would think that Mitchell et al.
[4:11] have a pretty tough, I mean, have a good constitutional question there, wouldn't they?
[4:16] I think they would, indeed, if he didn't even open court like that.
[4:20] Give me a little feeling on that.
[4:22] Don't let them know I'm checking on that, but give me your little rundown.
[4:26] I'm digging on that for you.
[4:28] On that, and I'll call you about 2.30 or 3.
[4:31] All right, sir.
[4:31] Okay, okay.
[4:32] Thank you.
[4:32] Hope you've got a good night's sleep, as well as you can these days.
[4:37] But let me say, keep my toe with the other boys.
[4:39] I said, you know, this is tough for everybody, John.
[4:42] All of you are good friends, and I said, and you fought the good fight.
[4:46] And you'll live to fight another one.
[4:47] That's the important thing.
[4:49] Indeed.
[4:49] Right.
[4:50] No problem there.
[4:51] Right.
[4:51] Okay.