Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 269-026
Date: Tuesday, August 3, 1971 at 1:40 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/269-026

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[5:24:36] It was really something.
[5:24:37] He got Galloway, the other company, chemical.
[5:24:41] Yeah.
[5:24:41] I was talking to him, and that was the only call I made to help, to help at all, to get a call out to Peter Cook.
[5:24:50] And then he got Rock.
[5:24:53] You feel that this is the best we can do with this?
[5:25:01] I think so.
[5:25:02] It's a pretty strong statement.
[5:25:04] It's a strong statement.
[5:25:05] It'll get a lot of visibility.
[5:25:07] It'll soften.
[5:25:08] It won't soften.
[5:25:09] It'll soften.
[5:25:11] We'll still have problems with library.
[5:25:15] What the hell?
[5:25:19] Of course, they want you to do this.
[5:25:21] They'll say,
[5:25:23] If I thought I'd put an end to the problem, I'd rush into it right now.
[5:25:34] I think it just prolongs the problem.
[5:25:36] I see.
[5:25:44] I don't know, you know, this is one where you've got as big a chance of being wrong as right.
[5:25:50] I just, I don't feel comfortable with it, but I just don't see any other way to go on.
[5:25:54] So we just pick a course and then just put balls out on it.
[5:26:01] Hope we're right.
[5:26:05] And I think we can reinforce this.
[5:26:06] I think Connelly can go down there.
[5:26:09] He could be going down to the ranch sometime.
[5:26:11] He could have a press conference while he's down there.
[5:26:15] And going up.
[5:26:15] Well, maybe he could stay over Monday and have a press conference.
[5:26:18] Oh, he comes to a few weeks.
[5:26:19] Oh, is he?
[5:26:19] Oh, wow.
[5:26:20] Well, he could background us on it.
[5:26:21] I'll talk to him about that.
[5:26:25] See if he's willing to do it.
[5:26:31] Because I think he understands the nuance of it.
[5:26:35] Well, I guess it's, I don't know.
[5:26:41] Strangely enough, the Constitutional Amendment may be the answer here.
[5:26:47] It really may be.
[5:26:48] It's a hell of a blunt instrument, but I just think that it's gone too far, and it's rich, and it's got to turn around some.
[5:26:57] The problem with it, of course, is that every district desk gets a free shot at it.
[5:27:03] Yeah, but he could have not even went out there.
[5:27:14] He could have devised his own plan, which in effect was good.
[5:27:18] He didn't adopt the HGW plan.
[5:27:21] And, uh, we're not criticizing him for not adopting KGW plan.
[5:27:24] That's what Costello says.
[5:27:27] Our field doesn't even like KGW plan.
[5:27:28] What we don't like is what he came up with, as president of Lamont.
[5:27:32] Thanks, man.
[5:27:36] Interracial experience.
[5:27:37] Yeah, all of them.
[5:27:38] Somebody over there this morning says, well, I can understand that.
[5:27:42] He says, you'd be tired after an interracial experience.
[5:27:45] You don't want to walk home from one of those.
[5:27:49] Good luck.
[5:27:49] All right.
[5:28:03] Yeah.
[5:28:04] Is there anything I have to do?
[5:28:05] No, go on.
[5:28:06] Hold everything up.
[5:28:07] Yeah, yeah.
[5:28:08] I'll get it.
[5:28:08] I'll sign it up.
[5:28:09] One minute.
[5:28:11] Yes, sir.
[5:28:11] I don't think...
[5:28:12] I don't remember this stuff.
[5:28:13] I just don't have your body.
[5:28:15] No, I don't know.
[5:28:16] The thing that I want to resolve, if I can, is this cabinet agenda for Thursday morning, because... Well, there's no chance.
[5:28:28] Well, there are only two options.
[5:28:30] One is problems with blue-collar workers when they mine senior baron.
[5:28:37] We're not sure yet.
[5:28:38] No, no, no, I'm not sure.
[5:28:40] And the other is having Jim Hudson report on what he's doing on veteran employment, which is something we thought about last time, too.
[5:28:52] Why don't you have the Vice President report?
[5:29:01] We're going to have old Kevin and these other guys, and Kenny.
[5:29:07] Have the vice president report to the security.
[5:29:09] Have Rocky say, we're going to do that.
[5:29:12] Rocky spent five months at the vice president's report.
[5:29:19] A couple of little things that Rob Finch has been trying to get Everington in to say.
[5:29:38] All right, fine.
[5:29:44] That's okay, that's fine.
[5:30:08] Okay, so I think that if Jack Dreyfuss is here with Takashi, he wants to know if you want to shake his hand.
[5:30:15] He just had lunch with Takashi.
[5:30:18] That's what I like to check with him.
[5:30:25] He's going to be here until about mid-afternoon, until he hears from me.
[5:30:29] Yes or no?
[5:30:30] Dreyfuss is not aware.
[5:30:30] Check it.
[5:30:57] I'd like to see him another time, but I can't do it today.
[5:31:01] I can't do it today.