Nixon phone call with Haldeman on March 29 1973 speech

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Hello.

Yes, sir.

That was great.

I don't know how it came across.

Very, very well.

Very well.

Trisha told me the picture was very bad tonight.

That poor Carruthers is so stupid.

No, she's dead wrong.

The picture was the best you've had in years.

Really?

and but maybe it was her set then because she told me she didn't she wasn't criticized she said maybe it was a bad set but she said that's the one problem with it and that's the thing i want to do some checking on if you had your set set right the picture was the best we've ever had i think yeah but because of the yellow backdrop i think it's more sensitive to the set being set right she said i looked very pale and you know she was she was not criticized she was of course all for us but she said

It was very pale, and I should have done something about it.

That's the set, because I purposely moved my set out of adjustment to see what it did, and it was bad if you moved it out.

When you got it set right, it was sensational.

But I'm not so sure that it's worth

In other words, it's a little bit better than the other picture, but it can go wrong.

Where the other picture, it doesn't really matter so much.

When you use the blue backdrop, the set being out of whack doesn't matter.

But the speech itself just worked superbly well.

And you looked up over half the time, I think, as far as when I've wrote every word.

But the structure came out perfectly.

The pitch is perfect.

And I think that was the right way to do it.

It was the kind of talk that was fit being read, and I think was good that you did.

I think we would have had problems if you hadn't.

You know, if you'd had to push it all on trying to get it.

I could have done it, but I don't think I really needed to, and I think we got across the points.

like the buck stops here, and the thing about that, it was Reisner, of course, I was talking about, that was quite moving, I think, at the end.

Oh, the clothes was marvelous.

I don't know.

What did you think?

Oh, yeah.

That was just great.

But the structure, the way you work from, you know, going from the war, then into the battle of the budget, you know, the new battle, and then from into the defense thing, and then back to the... Back to the peace.

Well, to build up America, and then to the peace, and then to the POW.

Clothes was, I think, just fit exactly right.

And the news tonight was just loaded with POW.

You know, guys coming home.

The thing is, you see, this is what I'm trying to get speechwriters to understand, is the structure of a speech.

Yep.

Now, I wrote, as you know, every word of this.

Nobody did one stinking word on this except me.

That isn't a great thing, but it wasn't bad.

But the structure really was.

It's the architecture that is important.

And there's some damn good lines.

I mean, saying things like, you know, when they decided to stonewall us at the conference table is a hell of a lot better way than saying that the negotiations reached an end.

Which is the way Henry wrote it.

Yeah, that's right.

and uh and putting at the buck stops here and uh henry was delighted with it he went on over right afterwards to that uh russian art uh reception but at the gallery but uh he came in on his way out and he thought it was just great he particularly he was pleased with the delivery and he said you'd already covered the foreign policy content and he thought that was great and he liked

which is kind of an interesting thing.

He liked very much the mixture of foreign policy and domestic on the basis that you made the news in this country out of the meat prices, but you got your warning in on foreign policy, which was not a good point, really, in this country, he thinks.

Now, it is a good point in this country, but not with his friends.

I got that across pretty strong, I thought.

But, you know, really, when you come down to it, I think, too, all the stuff

I mean, and I'm not going to say this critically, but what Schultz and Relichman submitted to me to say on the budget, Bob, believe me, was terrible.

Absolutely terrible.

That's interesting.

And so I just, I rewrote that.

And what I said in the budget was goddamn good.

Believe me, I think I got it across.

Or would you agree?

Absolutely.

And you tied it to the right thing and tying it to the family budget.

Yeah.

And would you say it's interesting to whom?

Well, I was just getting some of the comments in here.

And the point Weinberger makes is the, well, of course, he starts with, it made me very proud to be an American.

And that's the reaction you're going to get from people.

But then he said the presentation on the budget ceiling has never been better.

And he intends to pick that up for his own speeches.

And said the meat ceiling comments were handled just right.

And I was very concerned about it.

The Truman reference to the buck stopping should be used by everybody.

And...

Like the veterans thing and the thanking Americans was particularly well done.

You see, we got the thanking of the Americans.

And also, some of these people have got to understand, and Bill Rogers has got to get off his ass on this, and Elliot Richardson, the way I defended the defense budget.

God damn them.

They will, but they must do it.

cut the you know the specific points and we're working each who's going to work it out now is the broody group and that are really we got a group or is it lost now with colson no it's not lost that part of it is better than it was when colson was here some of the strategic stuff is is not nearly as good but

Can we follow through better?

It's interesting.

Brennan.

Pete Brennan?

Yeah.

Yes, sir.

And then he particularly liked the strong stand for the veterans and the need to hang tough on amnesty.

And he says, this is what we need to stay strong.

Elliot Richardson, the closing was what he thought was great.

And the content is going to be very valuable to all of us testifying on the Hill.

Of course, they're all going to be enthusiastic.

I know.

They've got to be.

The other comments there, looking at some of the ethnic types, George DeBria, our Democrat guy out in Cleveland, says the timing of the inflation and meat prices portion was very good.

And the thing on why he's vetoing the bills was put well.

The common man can now understand, which is, you know, that's your budget thing.

Okay.

Yeah.

And Tonelli of the paper workers says, I thought it was a great speech, especially the part on meat prices.

Put it on the line, spell it out.

And the International Laborers Union, freeze on meat desperately needed, has my full support on the war issue.

That's Peter Fosco.

See if we get the new majority that way.

Hell, but yeah.

And then looking at some of the local official types, Mayor Collins says the imposition of beef prices are important, but short-term...

The appeal for returning vets was very good, an effective speech.

Only someone with divine providence could do better.

Nice comment.

Thomas Jensen from Tennessee, state legislator guy, says the president really comes across in this kind of an address.

Was pleased to hear about the budget thing, supports the general concept, has trouble with some cuts in specific programs, which, you know, anybody's going to have.

uh governor west south carolina we all rejoice with the president of the world most happy about the action he took tonight on meat prices he's you know democrat governor who's super supportive billy mills in la one another democrat guy we're picking up some of them now this is a brilliant speech well done well organized very positive the only point any critic could make is that we should have been more general with controls instead of just picking me

Mayor Allen of Olympia, Washington, he told it like it is, was strong, and it's in complete agreement.

You can't deficit your way to a lasting prosperity.

Anticipates a lot of mail to congressman centers.

Thank God you asked for the mail.

I think that was great.

They won't get much, you know.

Oh, I don't know.

I told the guys ahead of time to use.

I didn't know you were going to ask.

Well, of course.

I don't have as much competence as you have in the Broody operation.

I think they've got about 80 people over there and with a goddamn little stroke.

They don't have 80 people.

Maybe 30 then.

Well, all right, fine.

Mayor Moody of Columbus says, can only expect favorable reaction.

It was a great day for America.

Felt it was the action the president had to take.

He himself is going to issue the call for congressional mail.

See, I think you give people something to hang on in the mail thing, and I think we can get it.

Mayor Driggs of Phoenix, one of his most effective speeches.

He likes the use of a speech rather than a teleprompter.

Thought it was a courageous action to change position on meat controls and expects favorable reaction.

Caloprop never used one, but doesn't know it.

Isn't that interesting?

Yeah.

Well, but he was saying he likes the idea of you not using it.

Likes the idea.

He commented on your saying to Hanoi, play ball according to the rules.

What about, we haven't got anything from the Congress, I guess.

Let me see.

Pretty dead, apparently, up there.

Who was working on the Congress?

Baruti or who?

I'm not sure, because they cover the phones across the board.

I don't have the Congress ones here yet.

I'll get some, I'm sure.

Oh, well.

We'll see.

That's important now.

God damn it, the Congress is pissing on us on the other thing.

And some of our guys, if this is one time, for three months now, two months, we've done everything that Timmons and the rest and everybody else has suggested.

Kiss the ass of the Congress.

We've had them down.

We've had them for dents.

We've had them for lunch.

We've done everything else.

We've had them for the church service and the rest.

Some of them on an occasion like this, they want to be for Watergate, but if they can't be for us, screw them.

Really, you know, I really feel that way.

Now, what the hell are people doing?

What is Timmons and the rest doing on this sort of thing?

I mean, I really feel strongly about that.

If they don't come through now, the hell with them.

All right, fine.

We'll just go to the country every time.

Why do we bother having the Congress down and kiss their ass?

Let's wait and see whether they come through.

All right.

One and a half hours later, they should come through.

I don't have the rundown on the Congress stuff yet.

Yeah.

Well, they won't, but the hell with it.

Well, I would guess they will.

Pull the stuff in.

It takes a while to get it.

But you do feel that the Baroody bunch is contacting the right people because they have... Oh, sure.

And they've done a hell of a job on getting this...

They've done a much better job than we've done before on getting the support group going that's doing something.

They've got a hell of a good program of mobilizing the organizational people, which you've got to work... You can't work through individuals.

We can't reach enough.

No more.

No way.

I agree.

And you can...

You need a catalyst.

And the thing I was whipping them on was, you know, they've laid the base, but they needed something to get it cranky.

And I didn't know you were going to ask for the mail, but I was making the point that they can work from this speech.

The defense lobby can start working the hell out of the strong pitch.

Now, who do you call about the defense lobby, believe me?

Who the hell do you call?

I can give you a list of who they call.

I don't know.

Who do you call?

I don't call anybody.

Well, God damn it.

Then it won't be done then, because everybody will sit and think somebody in the White House is going to do it, Bob.

That's my problem.

No, they won't.

No.

Is Baruti going to call, or is Elliott Richardson, or who?

They have a whole setup for pushing the buttons.

Baruti, his group, Timmons, congressional group, and departments.

But with regard to the mail and defense thing, you're absolutely right.

But there's a whole, really, there is an establishment out there.

But they've got to get off their ass, and they've got to call 1,000 people.

And they should do it in 24 hours, and it can be done.

If they get off their ass and do it.

You see, the trouble is they all sit around the bar, and they don't call people.

Now, that isn't true at all.

It isn't?

No.

Well, we'll see.

On the defense budget, we'll see.

Because, boy, those guys have got a hell of an interest in this.

Absolutely.

They could call 100 lobbyists in Washington and get 200,000 calls, believe me, on the defense.

Believe me, they could.

That's what Baruti ought to do, because Baruti knows these people.

He worked for Laird.

He knows them.

Well, anyway.

No question.

But, you know, we get them set ahead of time.

They start.

Yeah, I know.

Well, they're probably doing a hell of a lot better than I realize.

Let's wait a couple.

I mean, we've got to keep lashing now.

I totally agree.

We lash too much.

That's right.

The question is to wait.

You can't.

I know.

An hour after the speech.

I know.

Whether you got anything out of it.

Whether you know that is in a couple days.

Sure.

Well, anyway.

It's good that they're working.

And, uh.

I'm awfully glad, though, that we didn't go today with the Dean thing.

We can't even go with it tomorrow, as it turns out.

That's right here.

Which is all right.

I mean, we'll just tough it through.

I mean, you can't, there are times, you know, that you have to take the heat, and that's that.

And it's going to be a tough time for poor fellows like Bush, who isn't a very strong man, but a very nice man.

You know, he's going to have to stand up.

That's it.

Don't you agree?

I think he will.

I think he will, too.

In the meantime, we, on this, our guy should be out just beating the goddamn bushes like hell, you know.

Well, this is the other.

For defense and for holding the line on the budget and for peace with honor, you know.

Get the people to quit worrying about the Watergate.

That's right.

I'm pumping so hard on this, they don't have time to.

You're in touch with the Brody bunch tonight, are you?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Why don't you call them, tell them, see what else they've got and call me back, okay?

All right.

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on March 29 1973 speech

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Also recorded on March 30, 1973

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