Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 191-003
Date: Thursday, May 18, 1972 at 10:10 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: Camp David Hard Wire
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/191-003

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] Oh, all right.
[0:04] Well, I was just taking a look at the morning papers, and I probably couldn't believe my eyes, where the Washington Post has some sort of a headline that says, Nixon's big winner in Maryland.
[0:20] Oh, it was Michigan you were referring to.
[0:27] Hart, I guess, some way you said Hart.
[0:29] I have Michigan in mind.
[0:30] Senator Hart.
[0:39] to do a sin with their readership by saying Wallace people are Nixon people, Nixon.
[0:44] Wallace is a racist, ergo Nixon is a racist.
[0:46] That's really, you see, they're too subtle, though.
[0:56] Well, particularly in view of the fact that, you know, you do have some people around, I mean, Don Rumsfeld,
[1:04] To a certain extent, Bob Bench and certainly Ed Harker and the domestic council staff who said that busing is not an issue.
[1:18] In the states in which it matters, it is critical.
[1:21] Decisive.
[1:22] And also, we're on the right side of it.
[1:24] We just want to get more right on it.
[1:54] I suppose this wheelchair thing, Chuck, will obsess them all and they won't be looking back at it.
[2:17] He's a damn fool to do it.
[2:18] I mean, it's, it's, it's always going to be a wish to, frankly, help his enemies.
[2:27] I'm sure, when I say I'm sure, I'm not, I'm not, the press reports indicating paralysis are correct.
[2:35] What I mean is, it's, it's, it's grim.
[2:41] It's at least, at least three months.
[2:43] At least three.
[2:49] before he ever started campaigning, Chuck.
[2:53] So, you know, let's face it.
[2:57] It just means that we've got to do our best, that's all.
[3:01] Be that as it may, I must say that it's got to have shaken the Democrats a little bit.
[3:05] What do they say, Chuck?
[3:25] I saw one of the press things indicated that.
[3:30] How are the television jackasses playing, the same way?
[3:38] Okay.
[3:41] It's a general feeling, coming back to less important things for them, more important for us.
[3:48] It's a general feeling that...
[3:51] my call to her, sending the doctor out, offering Walter Reed, going across the street and so forth, and of course checking daily.
[4:00] Is that about the right level with him, don't you think?
[4:09] Strong and pushing.
[4:10] I wouldn't let it go out.
[4:14] I just kind of stopped the helicopter.
[4:16] I understand.
[4:17] And I didn't agree with anybody.
[4:19] I considered stopping the helicopter in the way and just dropping in and wishing to go before I leave.
[4:23] I reckon he might die while I'm there.
[4:28] I don't know.
[4:28] Friday, I clicked up.
[4:29] Can't date a Friday.
[4:33] But with no press, if you will, the press will be there.
[4:35] I wouldn't build it up at all.
[4:38] Just fly from camp date and get on the helicopter and just drop down.
[4:48] Everything should be surprised.
[4:50] Nothing should be contrived.
[4:53] But you think up to this point we've done it right, huh?
[5:14] I might just, that might be the second thing, is to just call and tell him, you know, we'll see.
[5:19] which may be the best thing to do.
[5:24] We did say that the doctors figured it would be better not to.
[5:52] But anyway, we'll see.
[5:53] We'll see.
[6:01] That's right.
[6:02] And also, Albert, I'm glad that I didn't stay battened down in the White House.
[6:08] I mean, you know, that's the right thing to do.
[6:11] I don't care what people fear.
[6:13] I mean, he's always said that.
[6:22] That's all right.
[6:23] A lot of people think by going right.
[6:24] It's a good thing he did.
[6:29] He'll get active.
[6:30] He's closer to them than I am, so what the hell.
[6:44] Some of your people have been surprised to find that about the other shootings we've had in our time.
[6:52] it's really quite something well particularly there are nuts running around we don't when we have somebody this fellow would have been locked up in another country as being a moron now are we say let nuts run around when you let nuts run around also it's the price of permissiveness oswald would have been in a jail in another country
[7:21] I like a little of that.
[7:23] Sure, he's been out threatening people before.
[7:35] For your information, it will probably be publicized, but I've just spent an hour and a half at the arena.
[7:41] Here, he's going back.
[7:43] It's afternoon.
[7:45] It's on.
[7:48] We'll let those bastards riddle on that a little bit.
[7:58] Hopefully, hopefully.
[7:59] Particularly, didn't you find that interesting, though, their World War III confrontation, risk of peace, the whole Nixon generation of peace, huh?
[8:14] All right.
[8:32] Well, I could even call him to appreciate what he said about the ceasefire, that that strengthens our hand as we go to the sun.
[8:41] I don't know anything.
[8:42] Because I had talked to both Griffin and Berg yesterday, so I might as well give Carl a call.
[9:00] On one hand, they say peace for the United States, and we're saying peace for Indochina.
[9:04] Why not?
[9:05] Stop the killing.
[9:49] But right now, though, it's pretty hard on him because you may have some bad tomorrow because those guys are going to have a high point tomorrow, you know, again, because of his birthday.
[10:05] But it's all right, too.
[10:18] what they say
[10:52] Right now, the main thing is to keep the heat on it.
[10:55] I mean, I'm speaking out, but we're going to continue to bomb those factories every time in Moscow.
[11:00] Every day.
[11:01] It's the same thing as me.
[11:23] because we don't want to have them feel that they backed down.
[11:27] We're going to let them because we've got to say that we're doing it for our new children.
[11:32] We're not going to let one small country poison the relations between two large countries.
[11:36] That's the line I made from the Soviet.
[11:38] It just takes a cold turkey if they understand that.
[12:02] and the most dramatic made since World War II.
[12:09] Okay, bye.