Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 100-011
Date: Friday, May 5, 1972 at 11:37 AM
Participants: White House tour group
Recording device: Cabinet Room
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/100-011

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] It was made in Massachusetts in 1767.
[0:04] Like on the backs of each of the chairs, they have a nameplate with each of them.
[0:09] Was that Mr. Reynolds' chair?
[0:10] Right.
[0:12] Who?
[0:12] I don't know what they're doing.
[0:13] Not really.
[0:13] Not really?
[0:14] No.
[0:28] So it would be Attorney General in the meeting.
[0:35] Well, no, because what happens is they take their chairs with them and they go.
[0:42] So that shows the vacancy.
[0:47] This is Kennedy's chair.
[0:54] Secretary of Treasury, what's that called?
[0:55] Oh, Treasurer, Ambassador, well, just some of the things he's gathered around.
[1:03] Is that right?
[1:08] This is... Oh, George Bush, Representative of the United States of America.
[1:16] Oh, no, no.
[1:17] What are you doing?
[1:20] How come you're down here?
[1:22] You're always down here when I'm down here.
[1:25] This is, we like to have a bridge seat.
[1:28] We have a bridge seat used to be in charge of the tour detail.
[1:31] We've been boning his loss ever since.
[1:33] Oh, how come you didn't work with the guy?
[1:35] But I care about the good old days.
[1:38] Do you?
[1:38] Yeah.
[1:38] And those were the good old days.
[1:40] Yeah, those were.
[1:41] Mm-hmm.
[1:41] You think you're certain?
[1:45] Excellent, excellent.
[1:48] I haven't seen you here in a bit.
[1:55] Nice meeting you both.
[2:00] Thank you, our pleasure.
[2:05] This is tradition.
[2:06] The way they have it arranged is they go out for the president and the vice president according to the age of the cabinet office.
[2:29] So the oldest cabinet officers are the ones closest to him.
[2:31] So that's why you had him?
[2:33] Yeah, that's why I had him so far.
[2:36] They passed a state, like the president, the attorney general, the treasury, the secretary, the financial advisor, the powers, Peter T. Peterson, the federal boss.
[2:47] The guy's there, probably working for the accounts laundry, because don't open the door, don't open the door, don't open the door.
[2:55] And this is Pop Fish.
[2:59] Well, if they did, we'd just sit on the chairs and kiss the jurors and all of those guys sit there.
[3:16] All of us would sit there.
[3:21] You know, I was talking to John about that last night.
[3:24] That's the strangest thing about the administration, because that guy's got more power than any of them.
[3:31] He's a little profile.
[3:34] These are where you get the old ones.
[3:39] President traditionally puts the portraits in here, those sitting papers.
[3:44] You know, those in the presidency, the people
[3:47] We have told them about the table.
[3:50] Oh, the table was presented to the cabinet by the president in 1917.
[3:54] It was made by a kitchen chair cabinet.
[3:56] It was 22 and a half feet long.
[3:59] 17 what?
[4:16] It's a golden light.
[4:19] I kind of hate great lighting, you know, unless it's red light.
[4:29] It isn't the lighting that's interesting.
[4:36] Yeah.
[4:45] Do you need another one?
[4:46] No, I was just saying if those would be good.
[4:51] I think you have the ones around, but other than her.