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Conversation 043-010

TapeTape 43StartWednesday, January 31, 1973 at 12:38 PMEndWednesday, January 31, 1973 at 12:41 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Brennan, Peter J.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On January 31, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Brennan talked on the telephone from 12:38 pm to 12:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 43-10

Date: January 31, 1973
Time: 12:38 pm - 12:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Patrick J. Buchanan

[See Conversation No. 403-27]

       Reaction to the President’s press conference
            -Amnesty
            -Peace with honor in Vietnam settlement
                   -Henry A. Kissinger
                   -The President’s view
            -Sarah McLendon
            -Lack of questions on Watergate
            -Kissinger’s trip
            -Vietnam
            -Amnesty
                   -The Peace Corps
                         -The President’s view
                         -Brazil
                         -Buchanan’s view
                                                -7-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                          (rev. Aug.-08)

                                                                Conversation No. 43-10 (cont’d)

                         -Press comments
                         -Prisoner’s letter to the President
                         -Congress’s comments
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Yes, sir.
Well, I thought you would be pleased with my stick and lift to your friends on Amnesty.
Well, it was a fine job.
It had to be done.
It had to be done, you know, this double standard, you know, here are these poor devils come back, you know.
I think you got the country with you on that thing, and it's just the right thing.
That's right.
If anybody wants dessert, he's got to pay a price.
The poor bastards that served paid their price.
I think there's some guys over there doing a little gagging this morning.
Oh, yeah.
When I said this, I was going to gag you to write peace with honor.
Yeah.
You know, Henry in his whole briefing never used the term peace with honor.
Yeah, I'm aware of that.
Right.
And that's why I stuck it into him again.
I said, we're just going to use it every time we can.
Our people have got to step up to that sort of thing.
Right.
Interesting, though, you noticed of all the questions and the rest, they didn't really get into much.
It was Sarah McLennan had her usual, you know, mountain.
I was stunned there was no Watergate thing even mentioned, you know.
Oh, I think they were ready for one, but it didn't go long enough.
But the thing is that we had here, when you've got a major news story, I mean, the Henry trip.
Right.
And, of course, the major news story of Vietnam writing.
What the hell?
Why do people want to write about subject B?
They want to write about subject A.
Right.
They might figure that's just old stuff and it's all been answered anyhow.
No, they figure I'm not going to say anything to you.
Yeah, yeah.
They'll have a little fun with that amnesty when that'll really bring down all of the...
Junk it in the Peace Corps.
Including most of the White House staff, but that's all right.
Yeah, the junk in the Peace Corps should go on.
But I just thought the junk in the Peace Corps is very good, because that's what people suggest, you know, let them serve two years in the Peace Corps.
Now, wouldn't that be just ducky?
Right, right.
You know, send them down to Brazil for a little vacation for two years, you know, working with the natives.
Hell no, they're going to go to jail.
Right, right.
Don't you agree?
Yes, sir, I certainly do, 100%.
And they, well, it's not a question of, as I pointed out, that's why I brought in that prisoner thing, the guy that wrote me from prison.
I'm sympathetic to him, but people got to pay a price.
Well, listen, the whole country's with you on that thing, and you stuck it to him.
It was deserved, and he was really deserved it.
Yeah, he was asking, heal the wounds.
All right, who's going to heal them?
But by the time that some of them started to think about their responsibilities, I have seen not one of the liberal columnists, not one,
who were urging peace at any price when we got peace with honor, who have said, great.
Have you?
No, no, not at all.
Not one?
Well, no, or not one of the senators or congressmen either.
No, they're still squealing their heads off.
The governor's still shooting their mouth off, you know.
Sure.
Well, fine.
Okay, you can save this for the next one, all that crap you prepared that we didn't use.
Okay.
Fine job, though.
Okay, thank you, sir.
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