Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 148-003
Date: Tuesday, October 10, 1972 at 8:16 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/148-003

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. Haldeman.
[0:01] Yeah.
[0:02] Yes, sir.
[0:03] I just wanted to let you know the spending ceiling passed 221 to 163.
[0:06] That's good.
[0:08] 221 to 163.
[0:11] Right.
[0:12] Which has just astonished everybody.
[0:15] Because it's just a hell of a lot bigger margin than they expected.
[0:20] Bill said he really worked on the cabinet officers this morning and gave them all assignments and they all did it.
[0:25] He thinks they did a hell of a job on that.
[0:27] The crew working the floor did a job.
[0:29] And he said Wilbur Mills gave the greatest speech of his career on the floor that was a ringing endorsement of the president's integrity in managing fiscal affairs, which was the key.
[0:42] Because, see, the bitch was that, obviously, the line they were using was they shouldn't give you this power.
[0:47] And he made the case that your record and integrity and so forth was such that they could do that without concern.
[0:56] Right.
[0:57] So they're all quite excited.
[0:59] It was, I guess, quite a deal.
[1:01] With that kind of a margin, I wonder if you want to reconsider the question of meeting with the senators.
[1:08] Well, I have to go back there.
[1:09] I don't want the assholes up here.
[1:11] No, why not do it Thursday morning?
[1:13] All right.
[1:14] They won't move to consider at all until Thursday, and that will give you the thing to do.
[1:19] Even if you meet with Henry, you only need a half hour with the senators anyway.
[1:25] Right.
[1:26] Have the senators at 10 o'clock.
[1:28] Well, he'd like to do it a little earlier, at 8.30 or 9. Who?
[1:31] Bill.
[1:33] If we're going to do it.
[1:34] Well.
[1:35] They have a cloture vote at 11, which is one problem.
[1:38] Then make it 8.30.
[1:40] It'll make a long day, but we'll do it.
[1:41] Well, I'll make it 9 o'clock.
[1:43] Make it 9 o'clock.
[1:44] That's right.
[1:44] They'd just soon come at 9.
[1:45] They'd rather.
[1:47] Why?
[1:47] They'd rather come at 9.
[1:49] And catch them and then catch Henry at 9.30.
[1:54] What time's our cloture vote?
[1:57] The cloture vote's at 11.
[1:58] Just make it 9.
[1:58] That's right.
[1:59] That's right.
[1:59] 9 o'clock's good.
[2:00] That gives them plenty of time.
[2:02] And then, see, they'd go out and catch a little press afterwards, which, because it now, that wouldn't be a grandstand.
[2:07] It now looks as though, you know, you could consider there might be a chance.
[2:12] It's very slim.
[2:13] Bill says he doesn't want to kid you into thinking you might have it.
[2:18] What he knows is they're going to screw it up with amendments.
[2:20] There's no chance, Bob, really.
[2:22] That's all right.
[2:23] We'll put the heat to them.
[2:25] He's got 35 votes, and he figures if he can pick up a few more, he might just do it.
[2:30] How's he going to get it to a vote?
[2:32] He's got a culture.
[2:34] See, that's the problem.
[2:35] Well, I don't know.
[2:38] Okay, well, good.
[2:39] It's worth a swing.
[2:41] Now, they've drafted a statement they're going to put out down there.
[2:43] I assume you don't need to...
[2:44] I don't need to see it.
[2:45] It just praises their action, urges the Senate to follow suit.
[2:48] Very responsible Senate to follow suit, right.
[2:51] And you might want to consider calling Wilbur.
[2:54] That would be the only follow-up on it.
[2:59] Jerry was our leader, but there's no need to call him.
[3:01] Oh, God, no.
[3:02] We've done that enough.
[3:07] the mill if you call mills refer to his speech right i know that you heard he did and his courage in the taking the lead on this thing but that uh okay you set the meeting up and uh we'll take a swing at it good okay they uh colson's got all the other things operating on the uh
[3:31] McGovern thing.
[3:31] God, that was the silliest son-of-a-bitching thing I ever heard, when you come to think of it.
[3:35] That Shriver thing is so preposterous, they ought to laugh out of court.
[3:39] Yeah, well, he doesn't make a big thing out of that.
[3:40] That's just one of his...
[3:42] I know, but I mean, it's still just to throw it in.
[3:44] He threw amnesty in, too, which is good.
[3:47] Good.
[3:48] Okay.
[3:49] All right.
[3:50] Bye.