Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 144-002
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 1972 at 7:46 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/144-002

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello?
[0:02] Yes, sir, Mr. President.
[0:03] Did you get home?
[0:04] Yes, sir, I am.
[0:05] Yeah, well, are you having dinner, I bet, huh?
[0:07] No, I just got home and was out swelling a little bit to get some exercise.
[0:11] That's good.
[0:11] A little bit.
[0:12] That's good.
[0:24] What's his position and amnesty going to be, do we know?
[0:27] Well, I would guess what he would have to do.
[0:29] He can't possibly come over to our position because he would just totally lose the kids.
[0:37] He can't afford to do that.
[0:38] I think what he has to do is to try to take a middle-of-the-road position.
[0:41] Say, well, they'll have to serve.
[0:43] There'll be some form of national service required.
[0:47] No, but we've got to be very hard on that, that anybody who's deserted his country must serve.
[0:52] I mean, he's got to pay the penalty.
[0:55] Use the word penalty.
[1:00] We're not going to consider anything until the prisoner is at home and the war is over.
[1:04] Well, he doesn't, but he says that too, doesn't he?
[1:07] Well, he will say, yeah, but he'll say that I'm bringing them all home next spring and therefore here's what I'm doing.
[1:11] Yeah, yeah, but we've got to say that even when they're all home and the war is over, they've got to pay the penalty for having deserted their country.
[1:18] Yeah, pay the penalty is the line.
[1:21] The penalty is the line, the penalty.
[1:23] That's right.
[1:23] He's said things in the past.
[1:25] I mean, he's got them in this compendium that he's put together.
[1:27] He's said things in the past that are just,
[1:29] That's right.
[1:32] That's right.
[1:33] That's right.
[1:34] That's right.