Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Soviet Summit and 1972 Presidential Election

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Hello.

Well, I've gone through the books here.

I did tell Henry to read the act to the speechwriters.

I said I didn't want any supplemental notes.

I've told them 1,800 words, preferably to 2,000 words maximum.

That makes 30 minutes, you see.

I'm not going to read any damn drafts that they did yet.

See, Henry hasn't looked at it.

I don't want to waste my time.

I don't even have it here, but I can see.

What draft is this, Bob?

Well, Henry's coming up tonight.

I'm so deep in the books at the present time that I don't want to... Did you read it?

I did.

He's got him working on some of these things.

I don't know.

I don't know whether we need to.

Frankly, if you've got the room, I'd take him.

Yeah.

Now you've got the room and I just have him around.

And when he isn't around, he's got long hair and everything.

He can go around with the press.

You know, sneak around a bit with the Zickers crowd.

You know, we may not have anything for him to do, but I just... Yeah.

Because I just...

If I get to a crunch on a writing sometime, I'll be more comfortable getting in and seeing it.

With Price it's too slow, and with Sapphire it's too cute.

And I'm not sure, but we'll let Price and Sapphire, if they're the ones.

But I just explained to them that we need plenty of writers, because we've got so much substantive stuff here.

I'm going to read virtually everything over there, due to the fact that Gresham wants to read.

And that's easier for me.

And then they get the translation.

All that sort of thing.

And I'm not going to have the time.

I want to use my time for studying for substance.

And so I don't want to take the time to make up any toasts.

So the toasts, the rival statements, all that jazz, just have them read.

See?

That makes no damn difference.

See, we're not going to be able to do live television and all that sort of thing.

I don't have to make the effort.

The only thing is, and I agree with Joe Hendricks, is I didn't want any toast or statement longer than 250 words.

250 words equals five minutes, six, five to six minutes by the time you translate.

That's long enough.

Agreed.

And as I said, I mean, and I don't, and I, well, not only on television, but at a dinner, if it goes longer than five to six minutes, it's just too damn long.

See?

And then I, as I said, supplemental notes and all that jazz.

It's just, it's not something I need at this point.

I just don't think I need to play much of everything now.

Well, I've got to talk to Lukasz, and I've talked to Conley this morning.

I've talked to Colson, kind of, toward the end of the day.

So there's pretty well glued in and everything.

I must say that Wallace thing, the Michigan thing, is fantastic, isn't he?

800,000 votes, 51%.

That must shake the Democratic Party to its core.

Incidentally, I would think that Harper now would begin to change his view that busing is not a good issue.

How the hell does he think you'd win Michigan?

See my point?

I'd recommend Brandon Berwickman copy you on this particular point to zero in on it and do it more simply than we have previously.

There's no question that this is the issue in some states.

And when it is, you go after it.

And you see, Bob, that the line of Harper and the domestic counsel boys is influenced by what they read in the goddamn media.

that the media wanted to make that Wallace is a populist and Wallace is a protest and all the rest, and that, you know, we shouldn't do this and that, but damn it to hell, we've got to look at the political facts alive.

That's my point.

The question of what it does nationally is irrelevant.

The question is what does it do in Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, whatever certain key states, make it, upper New York, hit it,

That's right.

We're not going to hit it in Kansas.

That's the way it works.

That's right.

Well, it looks like, according to Lukasz, there's probably going to be some permanent paralysis.

through the convention.

That's the question, is what do they do then, I suppose.

I think it'll work through the convention and all the rest.

But after the convention, you've got the third party thing.

I don't know.

It's pretty tough, isn't it?

We shall see.

Yeah.

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

Yeah.

That week.

Yeah, yeah.

People, you know, it's the way that the news is so powerful here that people all of a sudden... Well, I think, you know, I was telling John Kahn, I said, you know, we were really fortunate.

We buried your announcement between these two events.

He said it couldn't have been better.

He says, obviously, everybody's speculating like crazy.

And he says, I didn't know that either.

that the speculation would come in a column.

Yeah.

They tell me that, apparently, that according to Colson Mansfield is acting like a spoiled brat.

Worse than ever.

God damn him, he is unbelievable, isn't he?

And we just gotta quit this babying of Mansfield, don't you think so?

No, I don't.

I think we just need to China for God's sakes and give him planes and everything and all he does is kick us in the ass.

I have the bird thing now.

Is that, uh, do you want to vote on that this week or not?

Because it is split.

Because they don't like birds.

Well, because

Because basically, they're calling for a ceasefire.

God, if they don't call for a ceasefire, what the hell do they want?

A cop out, huh?

But it came out all right.

It came out all right.

It's hard to understand Republicans in the state limits, like Weicker and Taft.

Yeah.

They must have been mad about something.

i think part of it bob is the fact that he and others are mad because they aren't the senate is not allowed to play a role apparently he was very pissed off with henry don't blame henry you know we just cannot we can't do it that way we can't sit down and gavel with the senators about what's our policy going to be in vietnam you know get all that person's hand all right or anybody else

So the trip plan is going forward in good shape, huh?

Yeah, there are all these problems.

Boy, there's one thing I'm really convinced of, that Blair Braves is the big story that we've seen last night.

Very right to go over to the Treasury yesterday.

you know, the right thing.

Well, what I meant is not a, I mean, not big in terms of substance, but, but, yeah.

You got that feeling?

Yeah.

At that point, to be made there that I can and Wallace can too.

What do you think of that?

It comes through.

For sure, right?

These damn war critics, Bob, have got to be pretty... a little concerned, you know, with the Moscow trip still going on.

What do you think?

Got to be concerned.

And, uh...

You're working out, incidentally, on those logistical things, the things that I particularly feel strongly about, about one person talking to me and not four.

You know, it's a little sensitive, but if you'll do that, your feelings are hurt, it's too bad, but we've got to just kind of have that kind of arrangement where I can just feel very, very comfortable.

Others are... You'll find things for the others to do anyway, you know.

I think Mosbacher won't present a particular problem because of what the Russian might do, but just have him there to, you know, have the dinner and that sort of thing.

That's the way to have that.

So that's what he needs.

That's what you need.

So forth.

Yeah.

He just brought in that speech.

He just walked in this minute.

So I'll take a look at the damn thing and call Andrews.

Give him some guidance.

If you think that we don't need Andrews, hell, don't take my mind.

I don't read.

I'm not sure.

I may not need him for one minute.

I may not.

And then he can be used, just tell him he can be used for anything, for anybody, which is good.

And that's the good thing about taking these two girls you're taking, the little one that's up here, Beverly, who I just gave some work to now on the Russian trip.

It was better to bring her than Marge.

I worked that out yesterday because there's a lot of typing of stuff that I've marked up out of the books.

And somebody that's there is going to be doing it.

So it's working out fine.

Now, you're going to have enough secretarial help, aren't you?

Because remember, that was the problem with China was with all these men along.

Of course, both Ray and the Sapphire Titans do it.

But you can't count on them.

Rose, I'm hell of a lot of time.

Speech copies.

Of course you have.

Yes.

Oh, yes.

Running out of things.

Absolutely.

That's right.

Right.

Okay.

Well, incidentally, be sure in the next two or three days that you find something to call Connelly about every day.

You know, a fellow.

I just wanted to feel it, not he'd gone and forgotten it.

You know?

Okay.

All right.

Fine.

And have John heard of this.

Bye.

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Soviet Summit and 1972 Presidential Election

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on May 17, 1972

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