On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:52 pm to 4:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 272-016 of the White House Tapes.
Transcript (AI-Generated)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.
Well, I know there's a lot at stake, I guess, but first of all, first of all, it's a political problem.
We're in for more BGN, BGN, BGN, BGN, BGN, BGN, BGN.
And it comes to some of the things that I've done in the past.
I was minding this.
I had to die in that nation, but as reporters, and as this business, you see what potential there are in the country, and that's what I'm going to do.
That's why I'm going to do this.
He knows more about it than anybody else.
And I want to look at some details.
He may have messed up.
You see, what if they had come up?
What if they had come up?
We can say that the textiles involved in the action are secure, and that is what we should be looking for.
We have one hundred and five minutes of time.
The textiles involved in the action are secure, and we want to see them.
You're going to have one hell of a time doing that.
I mean, you know what I mean?
All right.
All right.
Let's read it.
Do I understand that Mitchell and Peterson are on the other side of the issue?
Mitchell calls very concerned.
He says, I understand Peterson's trying to order the incline.
Peterson.
Peterson.
He's trying to get in to see the president on the tax bill.
He said, I just want to be sure the president hears Kennedy's side of the story.
He's going to see Peterson.
He should have Kennedy there with him.
He should know more about this.
And he said, I know my potential is one page down on the subject.
We should hear both sides.
More legislation won't do it.
We'll just lose our rents and we won't get any votes out of the Japanese.
He said, Kennedy has the best grasp, and he's been trying to get in, and Peterson's been blocking him.
That is true, I'm checking with Peter.
I mean, Kennedy has not been trying to get in.
I've heard.
Yeah, he has to get in if he wants to.
He just got back from Japan.
If he's even back.
If he is, he's just back.
His mission failed, and they...
I think you got a very good voice in the world.
That's scary.
But you had noted on that note to Flanagan that, you know, and that maybe Flanagan may have put that into effect that they may think Peterson's doing that rather than funding it to a bigger institution.
And that may be what the problem is.
You said that back over 30 years, you can't even be confident that you'll decide to live before you decide something for Peterson.
to claim it, though it's the big three, because it is a political issue.
Why don't you pull it together?
It's not just a political issue.
It's also a policy issue.
I don't want to have stated that, because they aren't doing any solid thing at all.
They just want to go with the Japanese history, at least somewhat, in terms of what the WG man already said.
Spence is good.
No, no, no.
Spence just said, how do I look at it?
He doesn't understand.
I mean, he doesn't understand anything.
The candidate should be on it.
Mitchell should be on it, so that he feels that he at least had his political influence in the city.
And Mitchell kissed her.
Now, it's very important that Connolly be informed on it.
And I think that the demand to inform Connolly with regard to why he cannot give to the NSC, I mean, the National Security Center, is just evil.
We're not going to hear from him today.
I don't know if you understand this, but we can get it on you, or we can get it held on, held on.
I told you, we can just battle around and see what they do on this subject.
They can meet first, you know, and sort of get their own feeling.
My feeling is that a line of bloody rockers make a crack and, you know, do it when he's here.
You know, here was a 72-layer.
You know, here was a 72-layer.
Well, it's mine.
It might come to live in the...
But I don't.
I don't know what else.
They can run that by quickly.
There's no armed gun.
My view for having Rodgers do it is that I don't want to have the White House, I mean, I don't want to have Kissinger try again to get at the son of a gun player on the Kennedy trip.
They had a credit full of factions together, so that they all, at least, there's no reason for them to battle about this.
I mean, they're very active on it.
There's certain things that you can't do about it, including the use of the national security.
But Kennedy came up with that as a use.
There's not having an exposure limit.
I'd like to get an interview.
It's not been in a long time.
He has the experience of being too close to it.
that you are not aware of.
But I'd like for that to, that's really, rather than here doing that, the guy that should do it is smiling, you know.
If he could be back to do it, it would be helpful.
I thought he was, he told me he was going to.
I thought he was going to.
I thought that was the purpose of the conversation.
Okay.
Far away.
He also, he has been in for a long time.
He knows all the problems of young people who are together.
And they used to say, they used to say that this is not simply an international trade.
I don't think Dan ought to get into this because he's not rational on the subject of this search.
The question basically is, I did not understand the nationals.
You're a problem.
You just got an internal movie to do, and that's it.
Very good.
Dad had told my daughter, he was so many times, that the court of things will not, the legislative group will not settle something.
That's what they just said.
Well, that's the situation.
That's pretty goddamn shoddy.
Help ourselves by sending along with Kennedy.
I have a son.
I was just looking here, Ray, at the radio thing.
This feels better.
This has a beat.
And it has a very, very good beat to it.
I guess it would turn out to be
The only thing that I think that I would suggest in terms of the whole business, and it's the tactics that have been so effective in my, in any speech, when it's particularly difficult, is just a little sugar.
It's a little sugar.
It's a little sugar.
It's a little sugar.
It's a little sugar.
They used to use the diatom on the .
Look, there's just a hell of a lot of people that are running down this country.
And they're saying this and that and the other thing about what's wrong about this stuff.
We want to take a real look at it.
And we're running out of time.
Second.
And that gives to the listener.
It's distinguished from a reader.
In fact, that kind of dialogue where a reader is concerned
My targets are those persons who seek to destroy our institution without offering up the buy-in to all types of persons who refuse to do so.
He said that, I want to emphasize that I do not believe everything that he said.
We have problems, I'm sure.
There are manifestations of prejudice against him, but we're not going to get to the top of it.
People should be exposed to the fact that he justified his own responsibility.
The point is that these are isolated examples, not the situation as a whole.
The issue is that we haven't proven the best way to do it, or fostered it, not to be the ever-changing situation that we have now.
So, the
Fortunately, the fence of irrational behavior in America never lasts too long.
We had Gold Rush Reader for the Civil War, and Carpenter, and after the war, we tried to get Australia back.
We opened the curtains, but we always found a way.
But I'm not confident it's been such a success.
Quite good.
Thank you.
I think this is what you have here.
Pretty off, five off.
Excellent.
Good, good, strong, high quality.
I think, however, that he had some
on the attackers, those that are running down America.
It's time to speak up for America.
It's time to defend America.
It's time to say, this is not an ugly country.
This is not an ugly people.
This is not a, and so forth and so on.
There are those who say that, and knock them out, and put up the straw bender and tear it around.
We hear it on the radio.
We hear it on the television.
We hear it in the pulpit.
We hear it.
the radio, the television, the public, the political platform, and so forth.
And then sometimes we remind ourselves about it.
We go to, I guess, this...
The mind travels around the country.
I feel that there is a hunger
not only for people to hear some things that are good about themselves, they don't want to hear polyamory, something that's good, decent, patriotic, etc.
It's a tremendous hunger.
And also, there is a very great and growing disgust with the... And they want to hear somebody take on the...
people that are the destroyers that are running it down.
And I think if we could get that into each one of the talks, because in each one of them, it would work very nicely.
In other words, the positive side is so good that we could set it up.
In other words, set it up like a bowling alley, knock it down, and strike it.
Now, my inclination is that these are ones which you probably should do them yourself.
And you can, of course, have somebody help you, but I think they should all be in the same style.
You know what I mean?
I'll work with you on them, but you know, you know what I mean?
Sort of in style and tone and so forth and are, you know, what you want to do.
I'm not concerned about not having an illusion.
I can do that.
Well, if you try to reach Purdue, as well as if you try to reach Purdue, if there's something very timely at the moment where they say something, that person can get a break.
Somebody at that particular time, for example, this week, a man said this or that or the other thing.
And I just totally disagree with that.
I mean, I don't know if there's a politician
We heard this or that, or a group of Americans got together and did a nice thing.
It just reminds us of what our heritage is.
That sort of thing.
We could be tied into that exchange.
But I would be concerned about that.
On length, I would try to hold them to the realm of 1,500 words.
... ... ... ...
Here, Labor Day won't pay for this at all.
At least, just to hear them speak.
I think we should do the Labor Day one.
I don't think it would be worth it.
I feel very strongly about that.
I asked Colson some of the other Congressmen in Jackson and New York and the CIO and they're all wearing green dishes, but we'll go ahead.
That part of the development is really hard.
And again, we've got to do a little bit of, we've got to throw off what was a selfish mob to build a so-called leader class.
bad grammar, the lower form of life, all that sort of thing.
I would like to do it anyway.
That's serious.
I think you should try after that.
I'll start thinking about it actually tonight.
I'll see how it goes.
I don't know.
Right.
Of course, the series really is composed by the writers and the critics.
Yeah.
Well, I like the feeling very well.
I mean, in fact, Rick has been part of it already.
But I like the feeling.
I mean, it really looks like some wonderful feeling.
If you read like Sandberg, that's the way you should feel, a little bit of a feeling, you know, and all that.
It was just a matter of fact, you know, talking about the American people, Kelligan on the radio, and the story about the kids from Radio Grand who came up here from Fort Barlow, and the cyclists.
They had things going on by a bunch of people, and they crossed the line.
And what they saw...
Well, there may be a little of that.
But I think any of that.
We use this part of it.
It's not important.
You know what?
He might, in a way, in a way, in a way, it's right on intention, right?
After you've accepted that, you want to do something, you want to be a part of that more than anything.
That's that girl's name.
That's the thing that you said.
I'm not sure you're saying that.
No, I'm not sure you're saying that.
Sure, that was taking a long time.
It needs to be said, too, that women are as useful as women.
Not just the... Why should a woman be like a man?
Why should a woman be like a man?
Women can be great politicians, and they can be great writers, and they can be great editors, and they can be great television commentators, and also they can be great wives.
Not that they're all necessary, but they also serve something that no man can serve.
They do a hell of a lot of stuff.
I can't even explain.
Great influence.
It matters at all.
I don't know.
A man that nobody... Incidentally, I was reading.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Anyway.
Anyway.
He was a great old man.
I know he invited me to serve him.
He was incredible in 1994.
And he killed a guy called Rudolph, his son.
Everything happened with Rudolph, his son.
He never said he was going to die.
He had to be very strong.
He got on World War II and shot him up.
Anyway, the most influential person in his life, as the old man only talked to through other opportunities around him, was a woman.
Not the actress.
No affair.
She was a powerful, powerful actress.
She was the one who went with the outside line.
There are any number of stories like this about women, men, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women, women
The bottom, like, you see the hole this is about.
It really appeals to the common minority.
Well, the trouble is that women's lip creates the impression that all women are good for is sex, make-up, you know, somebody around the house wanting dishes, and that's all that matters.
That's all that matters.
That's enough.
Thank you very much.
Well, I would say, though, instead of, when I say 1,500, maybe 1,000 words is right.
I mean, I think there was, I think there was some, some great, just, just good updates up in there.
They picked up, they put, they, Shepard, you know, he picked up something out of that July 3rd speech, of course.
But you're right if you want to pick up on that.
One other thing while we're talking here that occurred to me, I mentioned this to my mother, I think you ought to go back and pick off the
As the first year, we had some rather good speeches.
We would pick up everything from different types rather than having to pick up the grass for the rain.
Did you get that list, Rob?
I gave you one.
That's about all of those.
I think you're in for Dave Wilson.
He's got another book now.
He's got another one coming out.
It's a sequel.
It's about the two years, 1771.
Many of those are borrowed.
I don't know where I have the damn list, but I gave it up for somebody.
Did I give it to you?
I gave it to you, didn't I?
The list was six, didn't I?
Six or seven.
Was it the ones you just mentioned, the liberal list?
Yeah, the liberal list.
I'm thinking Ray basically is on all the same lines.
In my view, speeches that are really important in terms of an annual spirit have nothing to do with programming.
We have so goddamn program-oriented around here that we get out and we make a huge act of it.
You know, Byron was in 1970, and when they opened the office a year ago, graduate sharing.
Well, it's fine.
You know what I mean?
Everybody...
When we were out on Iowa, I told Bob, I went out there and I read a...
I was going to get $76 million in revenue sharing and get some sewer water for the sewer plants or whatever they are.
You know what I mean?
I went down the list.
I had about eight years to go.
I'm going to get more for soil conservation, 25% more.
Absolutely dead.
They didn't give one finger down.
For the press, they wrote them.
I mean, they wrote that part.
That part was for them.
So from now on, I just put that out there for us to say something else, because people are interested in ideas and so forth.
Related to the nurses that you put out, that had all the substance of what you were going to do, they talked about what great people nurses are.
How about that?
That's not a bad thing to put in.
I don't mean the whole thing.
I don't mean to put in the whole thing.
Cover down some.
You've got a hell of a lot of stuff.
You've got a lot in the last two years.
See, all they gave Wilson were the farmhouse people.
Well, nobody was, I guess, picking up the rules.
But let's come to this again, and what the purpose I was kind of saying.
I said, I hate beer, and the idea is beer.
I hate beer.
I think 15 minutes is about the ideal time.
So figure that your 1,500 words is excellent.
15 minutes is how radio time is actually 13 minutes.
1,500 words will allow you to deliver it in a way that also is an ideal length for purposes of reprogramming.
Don't you think so?
Don't you think these subjects can be handled in a much better way?
She said we're not having a hell of a lot of subjects.
programs in all directions.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think like this.
Right.
Right.
Where you haven't cared.
Like on July one or six.
Anyway,
They're pretty close like that, as they say.
That's the only kind of .
I think now we're on something.
I think the way we were going previously, I mean, I don't mean it was .
I thought about it.
Just sort of go off on something.
Give a little lecture on radio about how the substance feels, right?
Talk about the American economy and so forth.
A little bit about the American economy.
You know, just what it produces.
You know, you could read and answer those and say, why are these so materialistic?
Sure.
What is the greatest thing about it?
But it is how we do it.
How it enables us to enjoy all of your life.
Waiting hours.
Waiting hours.
It's a little religious book, I don't know about you.
Have you ever heard it before?
It's a British, British, British book.
I've heard it before, but I don't know what it is.
It's a good book.
One other thing I thought of, you know, in my work
It feels cool when you leave the act, you don't have to leave the act.
Now, that is the idea that you have, and the bottom line is that you don't have to come back to the case and have to leave the case.
They're more like a nation, but...
They're also, they take their religion, sir.
We believe them.
We believe them.
I would like to see it primarily directed toward the religious heritage of America and what religion means and that sort of thing.
So would you orient it in that direction?
Other than that,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
and what they, and what they have now, that they're standing up for now, you know, they answer the false critics, the problems they're dealing with, and so forth.
And as you see, we see our responsibilities in the world.
They, they, they are, uh, they're, uh, basically a, uh, a roughneck bunch, you know, that are, uh, a little bit, uh, a little bit, uh, a little bit, uh, a little bit, uh, a little bit, uh, a little bit, uh,
and somebody to .
And be sure to be religious.
I want to speak quite candidly about .
And also, the great importance of schools.
The reason that I support a school is .
Tomorrow's Friday.
What's the date?
That's alright.
You should get something tomorrow.
Uh, then I will, uh, put it in the toilet, so you can talk to him.
Brian's just, uh, Brian's a pretty low loader, not an assistant.
Well, I'm sorry.
I'd like to see him now.
I'm gonna try and get him to hear me.
See you tomorrow.
We'll wait for him, yeah?
You mean it?
They're probably a little better off to see their first pepper and say, I don't have it down.
I need to check.
And I don't.
But when you have the time to do it, I think it's better for you to see their first pepper and then just say, OK. All right.
I didn't notice that currently you're trapped in the hole trap.
Oh, yes.
Go ahead.
I'm going to have to work with you.
I'll give you an extra time to do it.
I'm ready to be in the sea and serve as a sergeant in the Army.
That's all.
So I'll tell you what we need.
What we need.
Let me see the, uh, the, uh, we'll have to see it on the first of the morning.
Friday morning, so we'll tell them.
We'll set it up before the AMC meeting.
Yes, sir, and you can meet with them later Friday.
I have to tell them right away.
What'd you say, Greg?
Nine o'clock.
I'll, I'll, I'll have, I'll say an hour before the AMC meeting.
I'm not going to make an enormous effort to
That's why I'm not very sure.
I don't know.
I don't know.
What he's working on is a little bit more extreme than what you've been after in trying to get this positive.
Exactly.
Patriotism and religion.
That's the whole thing you're on.
Well, it's what Bill has now.
I met him two of those weeks ago.
Well, as a matter of fact, it's what now is what happens to the people.
Thank you, ma'am.
I must say, the public temper changed in 68.
People didn't want to hear what was going on with them.
People didn't want to hear what the hell was wrong with them.
People didn't want to hear what the hell was wrong with them.
And we said two words about that, everybody did.
We all raised hell about everything that was wrong, and we all raised hell about it, you know.
But the curious thing is that the entire business is turning.
It's turning, and it may have turned great more than you think.
But on that particular one, in any event, people are so deep in debt and not much wrong, and they really want to hear what that means for them, and it can happen.
But the press will call it that, because the press is still there in 1968.
They drive some uncle.
I understand.
We are going to say it.
We're going to say it.
We're going to say it.
We're going to say it.
We're going to say it.
We're going to say it.
Well, you do that, Ray, and I'll, uh, on the others, if you could start on the American Spirit.
How about dignity of work?
Who's going to work on that?
Oh, he hasn't.
Maybe I've seen him.
This little book by Martin Sayre says a little about work.
Why don't you do this?
If I could have the drafts of being 30 feet.
And the draft's at 8.30, and I'll read it for a while.
And at 9, if it won't, it's going to be destined.
Because all I need to do is try to get a little guidance, a feel for it.
I might get an idea or two.
And then you can get the next draft Monday.
And there you go.
Very absolutely.
I really think this may be a very exciting .
I guess it didn't quite feel right.
It was a very good thing.
It didn't feel right all the time.
And then all these groups, and then you don't part in any of this.