Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 043-081
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 1973 at 2:59 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-081

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello.
[0:01] Mr. President, Bill Timmons.
[0:04] Bill, with regard to that reception for the congressman and so forth, you feel that it should be next week, right?
[0:10] I think the timing would be good, Mr. President, because we're going to have probably a veto on REAP off in a couple of weeks, and I think this sort of stroke session would be helpful in holding the guys in line.
[0:20] Yeah.
[0:23] In terms of time...
[0:25] We could do it perhaps Thursday or Wednesday, either one.
[0:28] Either day would be great, and I think something like 530 to 7 would be just right.
[0:35] 530 or 7 on Thursday, right, right, right.
[0:48] Okay.
[0:49] Okay.
[0:50] Let me ask you, on your list, can you suggest that
[0:54] I'd like you to tilt, as far as Republicans particularly are concerned, pretty much, pretty liberally, you know?
[1:03] Okay.
[1:04] Don't be too rough on people that may have strayed away a couple of times, you know what I mean?
[1:09] All right, sir.
[1:10] We can, the list that we submitted earlier allowed one defection.
[1:15] Yeah.
[1:15] We can take a look at it, giving them two or three.
[1:19] Well, depending upon, in other words, particularly depending upon people that are
[1:23] We're going to need, is my point.
[1:25] Yes, sir.
[1:28] I don't know.
[1:30] You take a fellow like Weicker.
[1:32] Is he on the list or not?
[1:33] Yes, he is.
[1:35] Yes, sir.
[1:35] He would be invited.
[1:37] It's important that he come.
[1:38] Mm-hmm.
[1:39] But you see, I think that... Gurney and Baker would be there, too.
[1:45] Oh, that's easy for those two, I know.
[1:47] But I think Weicker should for other reasons.
[1:49] Mm-hmm.
[1:50] but there may be other people that we have, you know, come at a problem with, even on the Democratic side, that you'd want to...
[1:56] I mean, where you've got Southern Democrats, why... That's right.
[2:01] In other words, you've got some people that are very strong for me personally.
[2:04] That's right.
[2:05] An example is Phil Landrum of Georgia, who has led us on many things, but jumped ship a couple of years ago on the Vietnam War.
[2:12] Yeah.
[2:13] And he is excluded from the list, but... Yeah, I'd have him.
[2:16] One that we won't include, yes.
[2:18] I think I just have him on basis of...
[2:21] I mean, we just... And when you mention the fact that they've had support, that doesn't go to embarrass him, is it?
[2:28] No, uh-uh.
[2:30] Huh?
[2:30] No, sir.
[2:32] He supported the policy early in the first two years and then just got fed up and jumped ship on us.
[2:41] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[2:41] And of course you can pick up some people like that who may have
[2:46] made very good statements afterwards, you know, that would help.
[2:49] I don't think, for example, that you can have a Percy, don't you agree?
[2:52] I don't agree.
[2:53] He has never been with us, and has been vocal in his opposition, and same with Hatfield and people like that.
[2:59] Not Hatfield, and I don't think you can have Saxby either.
[3:01] I don't either, although his voting record, of course, is good, but his public statements were intemperate.
[3:06] The one statement was so far that it would be a little embarrassing, I think.
[3:11] On the other hand, I think you should have Taft, don't you think so?
[3:14] Yes, I do, and he's been pretty good on this issue.
[3:16] Yeah.
[3:18] And, of course, we'll have Saxby to church service or something like that.
[3:25] He's been sending some signals.
[3:26] We, of course, put him in deep freeze, and he's working through some of the departments saying, how can I get back in the good graces of the White House?
[3:33] So it's working.
[3:34] That's right.
[3:36] We don't want to appear to be...
[3:38] This group, we say, well, we're just, and the way you explain it to the other members, say, look, we're revenue sharing.
[3:46] The president has groups of people down.
[3:49] He has them who are particularly interested in a subject and who have support.
[3:54] That's right.
[3:55] Now, we would not bring a Case or a Mathias or a Schweiker, those people who have never been with us on the issue.
[4:00] You can't do that.
[4:01] Because that would not be fair to the guys that stood up.
[4:03] That's right.
[4:03] And the guys that stood up wouldn't like it, but the damn either.
[4:05] That's right.
[4:07] So that's the way I'd look at it.
[4:09] We'll rework the list.
[4:10] We'll rework it and be fairly generous on it.
[4:12] All right, and maybe Wednesday or Thursday of next week.
[4:16] One of the two days.
[4:16] I think I told them Thursday today, but you don't think Thursday's... Would Wednesday be better?
[4:24] I don't think it makes a lot of difference.
[4:26] They'll be back from the Lincoln recess, and they almost have to spend a full week here.
[4:30] I think.
[4:30] So either night would be all right.
[4:33] Wednesday might be a little safer for some of the guys that may be trying to leave early.
[4:37] Oh, well, hell, they can't leave.
[4:38] If they're invited, that's enough.
[4:40] All right, fine.
[4:41] Right on.
[4:42] Thank you.