Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-191

Nixon phone call with Bush on Candidate Recruitment

Friday, February 23, 1973 · 3:29 PM–3:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bush, George H. W.Conversation043-191 on Tape 43StartFriday, February 23, 1973 at 3:29 PMEndFriday, February 23, 1973 at 3:32 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-191 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417195085 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with RNC Chairman George H.W. Bush regarding Republican recruitment strategies, specifically emphasizing the importance of identifying and supporting viable female candidates. The two discussed organizational staffing for the Congressional Campaign Committee and personnel updates involving Ken Reitz and others. Additionally, Bush provided a positive report on his recent public relations efforts in Rochester, New York, where he promoted the administration's record on human resources spending and economic policy.

Audio

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NARA Description

On February 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and George H. W. Bush talked on the telephone from 3:29 pm to 3:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-191 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-191

Date: February 23, 1973
Time: 3:29 pm - 3:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with George H. W. Bush.
                                              -109-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 43-191 (cont’d)

[See Conversation No. 413-13]

*****************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

      The President’s speech to the South Carolina legislature
           -Republican women candidates
                 -Harry S. Dent
                 -Lenore Romney
                 -Speaker of the House, South Carolina
                 -Janet Johnson

      Ken Reitz
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                 -Congressional Campaign Committee
           -Robert Michel
           -Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown, Jr. [?]

*****************************************************************

      Public relations
            -Bush’s efforts
            -The President’s domestic programs
                   -Bush’s view
                        -Rochester, New York
                              -Mayor
                        -Jobs, taxes, cost of living
                   -Spending programs
                        -Human resources

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I had Mr. George Bush.
Yeah.
You were, sir.
George.
Mr. President.
I had nothing of great importance.
I know you're important.
But it's a thought that occurred to me when I spoke to the South Carolina legislature.
I noticed a couple of very attractive women, both of them Republicans in the legislature, and one good-looking and great, and they had won and so forth.
I spoke to Harry Dent about it when he came in to see me the other day, and I said, you know,
Some of these districts, if they can do it in the South, I'm rather surprised they were there.
It may be that against some of these, I don't want to go through the Lenora Romney thing, but I want you to be sure to emphasize to our people, God, let's look for some because, and I understand I don't look because I'm for women, but I think maybe a woman might win someplace or a man might not.
Have you got that in mind?
I will certainly keep it in mind, sir.
Fine.
And if you talk to Harry about it, he'll tell you how they found these women.
I don't know how they did, but these were two in the state legislature, you see?
Yeah, that's great.
And they were good looking and bright.
And they told me the Democrat, who's a speaker, said they're two of the best members of the House.
Well, that's terrific, and I hope this Janet Johnson, when she gets on board next week, she's young herself and attractive, and we've got to get her folded well into the recruiting and the candidates.
Incidentally, Sir Reese, Ken Reese, is going to start, I think, on March 3rd or 5th.
And he'll be planning a while.
I don't know if Bob Haldeman told you about my call regarding the Congressional Campaign Committee thing.
Yeah, I heard about that.
And it may be fine.
Michael's fine.
He's a friend.
And if you could get the two of them, it'd be great.
Well, I think the thing I want to be sure is that it wouldn't cause you any trouble if it went that route.
We didn't talk to Brown.
Yeah.
Well, this would be good.
And it'll work one way or the other.
And I think that would be helpful.
I'm not dishearing your advice, but I was locked into a couple of these Lincoln days, but it finished today, so we'll be blessed here.
I'm sure they all love you.
Okay.
I don't know about that.
It's going good.
I'll send you a little note.
You getting a good reception?
Well, I think so.
You are.
I'll tell you, you're going to win this.
I was up in Rochester last night.
They had 2,000 people.
New York?
Yeah, and they had this...
this whole group of all these New York State fellas, and the mayor came up and gave me a slight protest on the city stuff, but then I said, look, he's going to win this thing, and he said, I know it.
He said, it's very, very clear to me.
He says, all I'm saying is I'm a Republican mayor, and if there's any way you can help, I said, well, hell, maybe we can find something.
But the thing that impressed me was here was an urban...
you know, not the center city, New York City, but the big city.
And very socially conscious, too.
Yes, sir.
And they think, you know, nobody tells me they think we're going to lose on this tack of taxes and keeping the cost of living.
And it's, of course, down here where it's probably... Of course, the other thing, too, is, George, that we are spending one hell of a lot of money.
We've...
We're spending twice as much today on what we call human resources as we did four years ago.
Now, that's just an awful lot of dough.
We're hammering on that, and I'm beginning to feel good about it all.
All right.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Have a good visit.
Thank you, sir.

Also recorded on February 23, 1973

  • 043-190 3:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and F. Edward Hébert talked on the telephone from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm.
  • 413-012 3:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and F. Edward Hébert met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:26 pm to 3:27 pm.
  • 413-013 3:29 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George H. W. Bush met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:29 pm to 3:32 pm.
  • 043-192 3:32 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:32 pm and 3:38 pm.
  • 043-193 3:32 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:32 pm and 3:38 pm.
  • 413-014 3:32 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:32 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 413-015 3:35 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:38 pm.
  • 413-016 3:35 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:38 pm.

All 94 conversations from February 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-191, February 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417195085). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-191 (accessed November 15, 2026).