Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 046-151
Date: Tuesday, May 22, 1973 at 3:00 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-151

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Mr. President, Bill.
[0:02] We have the meeting at 6 o'clock tonight.
[0:06] I understand they have a vote.
[0:08] At 5 o'clock, yes, sir.
[0:09] 5.
[0:09] We think it'll be over by 6.
[0:11] Yes, sir.
[0:12] I'm reasonably certain it'll be over by 5.
[0:14] Plenty of time to get down.
[0:15] This is only for the purpose of the leaders.
[0:17] Let me ask you this.
[0:18] It would be helpful.
[0:21] How about just inviting them to come with me rather than just meeting here and having dinner on the Sequoia, you know, and letting them, you know.
[0:29] Yeah.
[0:30] You...
[0:30] for the leaders, and I'd have Al Haig there.
[0:34] Okay.
[0:35] I think that'd be great, Mr. President.
[0:37] They would really...
[0:38] I'm assuming they have no other conflicts tonight that they can't get out of.
[0:41] All right, you check it out, and you see who else should be there.
[0:45] Because, you know, somebody that can explain this goddamn paper, let's see.
[0:50] Well, Al can.
[0:50] Al knows the whole thing.
[0:52] Mm-hmm.
[0:52] Bryce?
[0:53] Yes.
[0:54] Well, Bryce would be fine.
[0:56] Because, you know, we're...
[0:57] Our thought is to get Bryce back on a part-time basis as a counselor again, which would be great, you know, to help you enormously.
[1:04] That's right, and the members would like that, too.
[1:06] Fine, invite Bryce.
[1:09] And, uh... Bazaar, do you think, or... Or Bazaar, or...
[1:13] If they're not garment.
[1:13] No, but because basically they don't know him, but Bazaar they know.
[1:17] Yes, I'd have him.
[1:18] Okay.
[1:19] You see, we've got to have a... You see, we can only take care of about ten on there, but...
[1:23] We foregather at around 6 o'clock.
[1:27] Check the leaders to see if they could have dinner with me on the Sequoia.
[1:30] Okay.
[1:31] And then we'll all meet there at around 6 o'clock.
[1:34] Okay, now this was Scott Griffin, Ford Ahrens, and George Bush that were going to come down here, so that's a pretty good group, I think.
[1:41] Right.
[1:42] Do you want to add anybody to it, like a Goldwater, for example?
[1:45] The only thing is, those five specifically requested to meet with you, and I think if we march it, they might, you know.
[1:51] Yeah, I know.
[1:53] They want to meet with me to discuss Watergate, right?
[1:55] Well, and how they can help.
[1:57] They really want to meet you.
[1:59] I hope they've got a little, I mean, these guys are going to get their tails up a little.
[2:03] Jesus Christ, I mean, we're taking a bad rap here.
[2:06] I know, and we went over, Bryce and I went over the draft statement this morning with them, and they're encouraged by that.
[2:12] And you've already discussed the statement with them?
[2:14] Roughly, yes, sir, and got their comments.
[2:16] So they've consulted, and so they know that it's coming.
[2:20] All of the final details they didn't know about.
[2:22] Right.
[2:24] So they're encouraged about this.
[2:25] You see, the difficulty is that here, this is something that we have to recognize, is that when we moved in Harlem and Erlichman, they said that was great.
[2:36] And then the...
[2:40] And after we got that over with, when I went down to the Republican fundraising there, they said that was great, you know.
[2:46] So now they say, President, say something now.
[2:51] You can't say something every day about this.
[2:52] That's the thing they've got to realize.
[2:54] And, you know, as long as you're in this building or anybody else, you're never going to be able to satisfy members of Congress.
[2:59] They're just going to keep it up.
[3:01] It's the nature of the animal, I guess.
[3:02] But, you see, my point is that in terms of trying to do something and say something,
[3:08] weak.
[3:09] If we do it, we'll keep, they'll kill us.
[3:11] Sure.
[3:11] They've got to understand this, that they've got to stand up a little too, you know.
[3:15] That's right.
[3:15] They're the leaders, you know.
[3:17] That's right.
[3:18] God damn, I remember the Eisenhower years.
[3:20] I mean, he didn't have this kind of thing, but he had other things that were pretty tough.
[3:25] But Jesus Christ, uh,
[3:27] The leaders always went out and spoke.
[3:28] They never expected him to do a goddamn thing.
[3:31] I know.
[3:32] He never.
[3:33] Dirksen was tough, you know.
[3:35] Dirksen would step out and do something.
[3:37] I don't know.
[3:38] Our leaders always come in and say, what the Christ is the president going to do?
[3:41] Yeah.
[3:43] We understand.
[3:44] I'll check, and if they're free, we'll leave it.
[3:45] If they're free, then call me back, will you?
[3:47] All right, sir.
[3:49] Bye.