Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 149-004
Date: Saturday, October 14, 1972 at 3:50 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/149-004

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Yes, sir.
[0:02] Well, we got here.
[0:03] Anything new?
[0:04] No, nothing new for the moment.
[0:06] I talked to Weinberger and got him headed in the right direction, I think.
[0:09] And I'll let you know just when something breaks.
[0:11] Actually, with a 20% limitation, we basically got the best of both worlds.
[0:16] It gives us a reason for cutting, you know what I mean?
[0:20] Right.
[0:20] With a bureaucracy.
[0:22] And on the other hand, it gives us discretion, right?
[0:24] Yep, yep.
[0:24] And a chance to blame the Congress still.
[0:26] You still get a chance to veto on the strength of not getting the whole thing.
[0:30] Bob, incidentally, did talk to that fellow, and he's just...
[0:34] Delighted.
[0:35] Yeah, I talked to him first.
[0:38] Apparently, he just thinks it's a great idea.
[0:40] Yeah, oh, my.
[0:41] But it is.
[0:42] It is a good idea.
[0:43] He was terribly afraid you weren't going to come at all.
[0:45] But it's a good idea.
[0:46] It really is a good idea.
[0:47] I think it's going to be a sensational picture.
[0:49] It's just going to be a picture, and I think your idea is standing out in front for the receiving end.
[0:53] Of course, we have a weather problem.
[0:54] Well, sure, and if it doesn't pan out, there's another way to do it.
[0:57] If we can't, we'll find a way to get out.
[0:59] Yeah, yeah.
[1:00] Or you can move over to that other chamber or, you know.
[1:03] Right, right.
[1:04] And I think we ought to, of course, have some coffee catered or something like that.
[1:11] Yeah, we may not need to.
[1:12] Park service will take care of it.
[1:13] Yeah.
[1:15] Okay, well that does give us, and I think that it really isn't too gimmicky because of the sense that the mayor invited, and she's a Democratic mayor, and it is constitutional, and that's where it all began, and we're making this change back to the Constitution.
[1:28] So, anyway.
[1:29] All right, I'll give you a call if there's something down there.
[1:34] You don't have to unless there's something I need to know.
[1:37] Right.
[1:39] They're still sort of drilling for the...
[1:41] They're going to try and get through this, the whole debt ceiling spending limit conference, and then move on welfare.
[1:49] And then adjourn.
[1:50] And then adjourn.
[1:51] But Timmons is now up talking to Scott Mansfield.
[1:56] And so we'll get a little better reading on that for sure after he gets back.
[2:01] He's going to give me a call.
[2:04] And LaRue is trying to talk to you soon.
[2:07] I haven't checked on that today.
[2:09] That was last night.
[2:11] I'll do a little checking on that, see what's going on there.
[2:14] He's still puffing and puffing.
[2:15] I noticed that he's announced his hearings and so forth.
[2:18] Yeah.
[2:18] That's just such a damn... Coming this late, it is a blatant thing, of course.
[2:24] But, you know, it would be quite a parade that he has up there.
[2:27] Oh, sure.
[2:28] You can't plead any... Mitchell would have to appear.
[2:32] That's right.
[2:32] So it stands.
[2:33] That's right.
[2:34] We could keep the White House out of it.
[2:35] Yeah, yeah.
[2:36] That's his privilege, but the others...
[2:38] Right.
[2:44] Okay.
[2:45] All right.