Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 153-039
Date: Friday, November 17, 1972 at 12:40 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-039

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Did you get the announcement for Ziegler on the Rogers thing yet?
[0:08] Nope.
[0:08] We're still working on it.
[0:11] What's that?
[0:11] Ziegler's not here yet.
[0:12] Ziegler isn't here?
[0:13] Nope.
[0:14] Have you talked to Bill?
[0:15] Nope.
[0:16] Yeah.
[0:16] I've been talking to Henry.
[0:18] Oh, yeah.
[0:18] Yeah.
[0:20] Well, hasn't he left yet?
[0:21] Nope.
[0:22] Yeah.
[0:23] Well, let's get this... What is the problem?
[0:28] Is he raising hell?
[0:30] No, he's not raising hell.
[0:31] He's obviously concerned as you'd expect him to be.
[0:35] How does he want to do?
[0:39] He wants to win.
[0:41] No, it isn't so much to win as he wants to—he's concerned about putting it together at this point with Bill Lehrer.
[0:55] You start moving the new people in, whether you can
[0:59] really get anything done.
[1:00] Well, he's wrong about that because we're going to—I'm going to hire each one of them myself.
[1:04] Well, that's the thing— That's the point.
[1:06] He doesn't—and I don't—and incidentally, if—I'm sure that I didn't—I hope he understands he's not going to hire them.
[1:12] Right.
[1:13] I'm going to haul them in all myself so that there's no question where it is.
[1:17] There's no problem with that.
[1:18] See what I mean?
[1:19] So that they know where the loyalty is.
[1:20] I told Schultz that.
[1:21] I got that—I mean, everybody's getting that through.
[1:24] Well, the point is, it's a moot question.
[1:27] You've got to get the thing.
[1:28] We're not going to change your mind now.
[1:30] Okay.
[1:32] Yeah.
[1:32] Or is there some suggestion that we should?
[1:36] No.
[1:37] He really accepts it.
[1:38] I didn't accept any possibility of a change.
[1:41] No, we can't.
[1:42] I can't.
[1:43] Of course, he doesn't believe anything will ever change, and I can't get into – I didn't get into –
[1:51] Oh, that's right.
[1:52] That's right.
[1:55] I know you can't because you're coming back and saying, well, do you believe—you don't really believe that will happen?
[2:00] I said, I know it will.
[2:01] Yeah.
[2:02] Well, the point is, God damn, he'll leak that.
[2:05] I said the one thing that will cause it not to happen is if it gets out.
[2:09] That's right.
[2:10] That's right.
[2:11] That's right.
[2:11] That's right.
[2:14] Okay.
[2:14] That's the only way.
[2:16] Okay, fine, fine.
[2:17] But all the nice thing is to talk to Bill.
[2:20] Yeah, that's right, since you get the announcement done and so forth.
[2:22] But I think it isn't just the announcement.
[2:24] I think we've got to cut our deal at the same time.
[2:27] Exactly, exactly.
[2:28] And the announcement's got to incorporate that.
[2:30] And as a matter of fact, I see no reason to have to do it at
[2:35] unless he's ready to cut it.
[2:37] I mean, are you going to cut it over the phone?
[2:39] Sure.
[2:39] Or do it tomorrow, where you could just say— No, do it over the phone.
[2:42] —and say, I understand that you'll leave with the first, but we will say nothing about that.
[2:48] Right.
[2:49] Second, that we will have no appointment, that there will be a reorganization.
[3:01] as he is in every other department, will make the decisions, all decisions with regard to assistant secretaries and others of that category.
[3:15] Right?
[3:16] All appointments.
[3:17] Right.
[3:18] Anything else that needs to be said?
[3:19] I guess that's it, isn't it?
[3:20] Well, that the line of working control is going to be through the system, not in running.
[3:27] That's right.
[3:28] That's right.
[3:28] Okay, good, Bob.
[3:29] Thank you.