Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 188-010
Date: Thursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:56 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.
Recording device: Camp David Hard Wire
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/188-010

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I've been doing a lot of thinking about the way our busing legislation is bogged down in the Congress period.
[0:14] I know that the responsible position is the one that we have taken, period.
[0:18] On the other thing, the very worst thing that can happen is to be responsible and also imminent
[0:27] We are rapidly getting ourselves into that position, period.
[0:31] I don't think anybody on our staff really believes that we're gonna get either the moratorium in the farm, in the farm that would be useful, and that the chances of getting the second half of the package is the last, period.
[0:52] Under the circumstances, I believe we're going to have to come to a constitutional amendment
[0:59] My view is that we should come out with a constitutional amendment about the 1st of September.
[1:08] Put your staff to work on the very best possible form of a constitutional amendment so that I can be prepared to do so at that time and period.
[1:18] This has the advantage of drawing the line for whatever Democratic candidate they finally select.
[1:32] up the issue and even say some things which would indicate that they were not so robust as they seem to be.
[1:41] We are not going to gain any grounding points, whatever, by being so responsible that we appear to be totally ineffective.
[1:53] It may be that we want to move in a constitutional manner further, but in any event,
[1:59] I have now reached the conclusion that we have to move the network by the first of September at the very latest period.
[2:11] As a matter of fact, it may be that we will have to move in this room before the Republican convention.
[2:19] Having a platform to fight on it isn't too good an idea.
[2:22] In any event, it'll get the troops working on what we want to come up with.
[2:26] and have in mind that this is the direction in which we're going to move.
[2:36] In the meantime, all hands should do everything they possibly can to try to point out what our present proposal really is and try to sell it all over the country.
[2:48] I'm inclined to think that it's too complex.
[2:54] uh...