Nixon, Colson & Kissinger on Acceptance speech and Defense spending

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shocking goddamn thing I ever heard.

He said, we'll turn to the communists.

He said, we're starting to solve the problem of the communists.

And, uh, yeah, well, yeah, yeah, well, that's the thing.

Our boys should talk about it as a master, and I didn't trust I did something to Catholics back then.

You know who's gonna get killed, Chuck?

The Catholics.

They're the ones that are fighting.

Jesus, the Buddhists don't fight.

It's the Catholics.

I told him not to be worried about the fact that these people were attacking him.

I think they all did as far as they could.

I think as far as they could.

That's where they are, yeah.

What in the hell does McGovern have this kind of a background?

What in the name of God does he think he's proving?

Does he think he's getting the people by calling for a communist government?

A coalition government?

A bright guy like Mankiewicz.

Why the hell doesn't Mankiewicz know what to do?

You can keep the fire burning down there if you want to give Henry his spiritual.

He's very impressed about all these attacks on him.

He'll be safe.

There he is, yes.

Hello?

Oh, okay, Chuck.

I'm not impressed.

Of course.

I know it.

But they're stepping it up.

government.

Yeah, that's right.

Even that isn't true.

Well, if that's true, how is it that the Jew has given a million and a half arms to his own people and they found use against him?

And, uh, okay, Chuck.

I look forward to it.

Bye.

Now, I always liked it when people cheered up.

Oh, I think you were in.

All right, so I have a message for you.

You cannot be complacent.

I take out the next sentence.

All right, strike that.

I didn't even strike that one.

And just take out the button.

For the United States.

I just did.

On page four, there are two words I wanted to recommend.

When you say that they will soon have the capacity, I will say that they have the capacity.

I was just saying they have the capacity.

They're not quite there yet.

They have demonstrated that they have it.

I'd take out with the Soviet Union in the first line.

Next paragraph where you say spending more than we need will cost us money.

I'll say spending what we need.

Why should you defend spending more than we need?

I know it isn't exactly symmetric.

I wonder if we... Maybe that ought to come out then.

You see, my point, it loses the...

It loses the...

It loses the point.

Because spending what we need will cost us money.

Spending less than we need will cost us other... You like the line.

Do you believe it in or not?

I would.

I mean, he does not say what money, what cost does our lives.

Well, I can just say spending less than we need is a good cost to our lives.

I think it's a good class.

Let us take risks for peace, but let us never take the risks.

Let me see if we can take something out.

What about taking out this security agency?

Why don't we just take out that we have cut defenses?

like that.

Spending what we need.

What we need will cost us money.

Spending less than we need will cost us our lives.

I like this whole speech and I told you to hate just to make sure.

You said it's a good, strong, patriotic, positive speech.

From page 10.

I'd say we can negotiate limitation of bonds, and then I'd say, and we have done so.

Oh, incidentally, I put this in only to see whether he was like that or not.

I think it's a very subtle way to say there are those who

like that.

Now, we can negotiate and we have done so.

And we have done so.

both locations.

And then the next sentence, defrayed from strength drives the goddamn communists right up the wall.

If you could say that, but let us always be sure that when the president of the United States goes to the conference table, he never has to negotiate.

Yeah, he has to.

He never has to go to the conference table.

mind you can only get something if you have something to return that is that's the good that is always when the united president goes to the counter again he never i get your point he never has to negotiate he never that's what you can start that's right that's a stronger sentence now what about the you don't mind the crappy stuff

I like it.

I think it's a damn good speech.

And the contrast between this and that white, secondary McGovern is just unbelievable.

Page 13.

In other words, you like it.

A lot of this is always positive stuff.

It isn't something in which you think we should say something.

Just everybody, Garment, Price, Sapphire, all of the guys, Buchanan, a whole bunch, say that I got this thing to find out what the peace dividend is, what it means.

Let me ask you about one thing that I wrote into this.

Page 13.

I'd rather like this, but I don't know whether the peace dividend has been too often described.

part of the structure of the spirit of the Americans.

Good.

I like it.

Is it that way?

Maybe that way.

Horrible.

It's a convention program.

Isn't it?

Now, none of the quoting you would say.

that I would assert the peace dividend has been too often, so go for it.

That's by far the biggest dividend in the history of the American people.

Those two sentences should probably be moved right after the quality of life thing and strike the words most important, as you might find.

One more thing.

All right.

We're on page 13.

I'll take the top two sentences at the top of page 13.

I'm going to move them over to just after.

12 the words quality of life on the page strike the word most important in other words we gotta describe what it is because what what follows on doesn't really have anything to do with the spirit of the American people I think I'll take that thing out about the Russian people I don't think we need that I sort of love that well but uh

Well, I like it.

Yes, yes.

Put it in the order later in my conclusion.

I have that in mind.

Now, the only thing that I'd rather, now that I read those two sentences.

Yeah, yeah.

Or you might pull it all out.

I don't like those two things.

We would remove one of the major soldiers for conflict amongst Americans at home.

I try not to believe that the war in Vietnam is set.

All right, fine.

That comes off.

Good.

By the way, we've got a rule.

Or does it?

Mind it out, too?

Well, I don't have to.

Well, then I've got to develop something about what true and nice and peace would mean to the spirit.

By far the biggest evidence, however, is that true and nice

then what you say tracks I guess I put this in because every one of them speech writers are always I'll go around this track all the time and I'm fighting this you can't imagine what kind of stuff I ruin I don't know yet you take out let's continue to have our debates I think

Why give the bastards that?

Why grant them that divorce?

The line I always take when I speak is, I frankly don't even start with me, and I always say,

Now, that's enough.

You, uh, you're a fool, you know, already.

That's right, fool.

You've got to get out there to make it.

Give us a day.

No, it's gorgeous.

I'm going to go over there.

If you don't mind, I'll take it.

Everything's here.

Oh, the whole thing's available.

And, uh, uh, what time do you want to, uh, to do the potential?

I thought I'd leave right after dinner and spend the rest of the day.

Fine, Johnny.

What time would you?

About eight to nine.

Then I'll have you over.

Singlers, it's very helpful for him to sit in because it gives him the guidance.

A little bachelor is so, so, you know, strict.

And he's got to, and, uh, and, uh, and, uh, and, uh, and, uh,

Nixon, Colson & Kissinger on Acceptance speech and Defense spending

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on August 20, 1972

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