Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 131-032
Date: Thursday, May 18, 1972 at 11:34 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David Operator; Shultz, George P.
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/131-032

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] Yes, please.
[0:03] Woods, please.
[0:04] Sir, Mr. President, we have Mr. Schultz calling for you on the line.
[0:08] I haven't gone to the aid yet to clear it.
[0:10] I'll take it.
[0:11] All right, fine.
[0:15] Go ahead, sir.
[0:16] Hello.
[0:17] Mr. President.
[0:17] Yeah, George.
[0:20] I have been...
[0:22] talking with John Connolly and Charlie Walker and others in the Treasury, and also trying to get a feeling from various senators that I've visited on the committee as to their instincts about the Treasury staff.
[0:38] And it's my judgment that our best bet right now is basically to keep the staff that's there on the understanding that
[0:51] This is sort of for the balance of the year.
[0:54] In other words, not to try to change it around drastically right now, but to essentially ride through with what we have there.
[1:02] They're very well thought of, respected on the Hill, and the various bills that they're managing.
[1:07] Yeah, you ought to bring in at least a couple of your own people.
[1:12] You mean you've got to have an aide that is your own.
[1:14] Right.
[1:15] Right.
[1:16] Now, the one that impressed me that I thought was a Toll Connolly is a particularly good, I like this Donnelly.
[1:22] He's bright as a tack.
[1:23] He's a good salesman, and he's new.
[1:26] Of course, naturally, Walker and Volcker you've got to keep.
[1:28] Yes.
[1:29] But it's your judgment.
[1:30] If that's what you want to do, you go ahead and do it.
[1:32] Well, I think this is a thing to do for now.
[1:34] Right.
[1:34] The point is it's awfully hard to get somebody to come for eight months.
[1:37] Right.
[1:37] That's all you can commit to at the moment.
[1:39] That's right.
[1:40] So I think that the thing to do is to plan for...
[1:43] But if you could get...
[1:43] I'd only suggest that if you could get, in order to get additional stroke into the thinking there and some new thinking, you know, get some of your...
[1:53] friends like Milton Friedman and three or four others that will, you know, come in and counsel with you.
[1:57] Right.
[1:59] I just think you shouldn't go in there and sort of continue as it is.
[2:02] I think that's right.
[2:03] You see my point?
[2:04] It's a good, solid group, but it is not a creative group.
[2:07] Yeah, you see, and they take on tax reform.
[2:10] If we wait until January to come up with something in tax reform, then that means we're waiting two years, you know, two sessions.
[2:17] So you've got to start thinking about it now.
[2:18] So I would have something done on the outside on that, maybe.
[2:21] That's what I mean, things of that sort.
[2:23] All right.
[2:24] Now, there is a bill that John Connolly has gotten through that's ready for your signature tomorrow.
[2:31] Yeah, to provide to-do jobs.
[2:32] Right.
[2:33] And they have more or less committed...
[2:36] And I can understand here Charlie Walker's point that he would be the deputy secretary.
[2:42] Right.
[2:42] And that Eddie Cohen would be the undersecretary that's vacated.
[2:47] All right, fine.
[2:48] That's what you want, we'll do it.
[2:49] If we could send those nominations up when you sign the bill tomorrow, that would be fine.
[2:53] You just tell Butterfield, Harlem, and somebody to prepare them and I'll sign them.
[2:58] Okay, sir.
[2:59] It's done.
[2:59] Thank you.
[3:00] You've got to just run the show the way you think is right.
[3:02] Thank you.
[3:02] All right, George.
[3:03] Okay.