Conversation 326-001

TapeTape 326StartWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 5:07 PMEndWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 6:15 PMTape start time00:00:24Tape end time00:44:26ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ehrlichman, John D.;  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Connally, John B.;  Shultz, George P.;  Stein, Herbert;  Rumsfeld, Donald H.;  Colson, Charles W.;  Sanchez, ManoloRecording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On March 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, Herbert Stein, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Charles W. Colson, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 6:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 326-001 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 326-1

Date: March 22, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:07 pm - 6:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John B. Connally, George
P. Shultz, Herbert Stein, Donald Rumsfeld and Charles W. Colson.

[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress; this is a continuation of Conversation
No. 324-43]

     National economy
          -Pay Board
                -George Meany’s resignation
                     -The President’s possible statement
                           -Television
                                -Reaction
                           -The President’s view
                                -Meany
                     -Possible West Coast longshoremen strike
                -Press coverage
                -Labor members
                -Meany’s resignation
                     -Effect on Democratic candidates
                           -Hubert H. Humphrey
                           -Edmund S. Muskie
                           -Humphrey
                                -Busing
                                -Joint Economic Committee
                           -Muskie
                                -Leonard Woodcock
                           -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                     -The President’s possible statement
                           -Format and timing

     James D. Hodgson
          -Woodcock

Shultz left at an unknown time before 6:05 pm.

     National economy

          -Pay Board
               -Meany’s resignation
                    -The President’s possible response
                         -Networks
                         -Format and timing
                               -Possible public perception
                         -Forthcoming Cost of Living Council [COLC] meeting
                               -Connally
                               -Timing
                               -George H. Boldt
                         -Colson’s view
                         -Statement
                         -Rumsfeld’s view
                         -Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
                         -COLC meeting
                               -Timing
                               -Ziegler’s possible statement
                                     -Ehrlichman’s view
                               -Connally’s view
                               -Boldt
                               -Pay Board

Shultz entered at an unknown time after 5:07 pm.

                                 -Price Commission
                           -Woodcock’s possible resignation
                                 -Hodgson’s views
                                       -Frank E. Fitzsimmons
                                       -Public Pay Board
                           -John T. Dunlop
                                 -Construction industry
                           -Peter J. Brennan
                           -Fitzsimmons
                                 -Hodgson’s view
                                 -International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ public image
                                 -Views
                           -Construction industry
                                 -Relationship with Teamsters
                                 -Dunlop
                                 -Shultz’s view
                           -COLC meeting

                -Timing
                -The President’s possible statement
                      -Ziegler
                      -Colson’s view
                      -Doug Johnson [?]
                      -Rumsfeld
                      -Shultz
                      -Preparation
                            -Long Statement
                            -Television statement
                                 -William L. Safire
    -Stein’s forthcoming briefing
-Composition
    -Virgil B. Day
    -Benjamin F. Biaggini
    -Rocco C. Siciliano
    -Biaggini
          -The President’s view
                -Fitzsimmons
          -Rumsfeld’s view
                -Day
    -Day
          -Rumsfeld’s view
    -Biaggini
          -The President’s view
-Meany’s resignation
    -Administration response
          -The President’s view
                -Connally
                -Rumsfeld
          -Connally’s forthcoming speech to the Middlesex Club
                -Boston
                -Club
          -Television shows
                -Today
                      -Size of audience compared to Meet the Press
                      -Herbert E. Kaplow
                      -Barbara Walters
                -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] Morning News
                -Meet the Press
                      -Marshall Green

                               -Today
                                     -Connally’s possible appearance
                                           -Timing
                                                 -The President’s forthcoming press conference
                -Meany’s attendance record
                -Meany’s resignation
                    -Administration response
                          -Television shows
                               -Today
                                     -Timing of Connally’s appearance
                                           -Network news
                                                 -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                                     -Location
                               -Meet the Press
                                     -Possible replacement of Green with Rumsfeld
                                           -The President’s forthcoming meeting with Green
                    -Humphrey, Muskie
                    -Administration’s response
                          -The President’s schedule
                               -Green

Ehrlichman, Connally, Shultz, Rumsfeld, and Colson left at 6:05 pm.

     Steins’s briefing technique
          -The President’s view

     National economy
          -The President’s program
                -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
                -Wage and price controls
                     -Success
                     -Possible freeze on food prices
                           -Stein’s view
                                 -Farmers
                                 -Meat
                                       -Cattle
                                       -Hogs

     Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
         -Marina von N. Whitman
                -Stein’s view

                        -Schedule
                             -Speeches
             -Ezra Solomon
                  -The President’s view
                  -Stein’s possible speech on wage and price controls
Stein left at 6:08 pm.

     The President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming COLC meeting
          -Forthcoming meeting with Green
                -Henry A. Kissinger’s views
                      -Green’s possible press statement
                            -State Department
                                  -Shanghai Communique
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                      -Haldeman’s view
                      -William P. Rogers
                      -Taiwan, Republic of China
                      -Green’s forthcoming appearance on Meet the Press
          -Florida
                -Press conference
                -The President’s view
                      -Meany
                      -Camp David
          -Press conference
                -Pay Board story
                -International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
          -Haldeman’s schedule
          -Press conference
                -Patrick J. Buchanan views
                      -George C. Wallace
                -ITT

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:08 pm.

     Instructions

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:15 pm.

     The President’s forthcoming press conference
          -Responses

               -ITT
               -Life magazine story
               -Peter M. Flanigan
                     -Ziegler
          -Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt

The President and Haldeman left at 6:15 pm.

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.

I mean, what does it do, Daddy?
Do we get too shot at?
I don't know.
Why would you just hand out a written statement?
You can have a lawyer.
You can have a long written statement and a short... Well, not too long.
No, I'm just thinking of ways to dominate that.
But I agree, if I go on...
They're bound to try to then, with anybody else, they're bound then to try to pick up something.
They'll pick up somebody that can't react, picking that up.
I think he's got a good chance to get down on the floor and knock him out.
What happens if I interview somebody that can't react?
They'll try, but we want a very strong public statement at 4 o'clock, and a written statement, too.
You can say almost anything you haven't said.
Well, now, the statement has to be, let me say, I don't want some half-assed statement about an old gobbledygook about how we're going to set up a payboard, public members and all that business.
Send it to people in the dam about that.
The statement should be basically gay, rhetoric, rhetoric, with a hell of a kick in the ass for me.
Got to be in there.
Got to be in there.
Or I guess I should have stood there and believed that it's not going to work unless you kick in the ass.
You've got to have a devil, which is one of the times that that theory works.
He's asked for it.
He's going to get it.
He's going to get it firmly and strongly, but not angrily.
And assuming there's going to be a strike on the west coast, which I think is... You mean at the Gongshar?
At some point this next week, there's probably going to be a strike.
And I think assuming that, I think it's important that they have seen that the linkage takes place.
What?
And you say that if there's a strike, we'll tell all the troops?
No, sir.
I was thinking more that...
I even had a good editorial.
Now, there's one interesting set of facts in there that Don didn't give me.
that I think would be appropriate, just to give you a beat for how many times the legislative members of the paper would have been in the majority.
Just to give you a feel, just to make sure I'm outweighed.
Look, I don't need to feel.
I am outweighed.
I just regret all the goddamn freedom I've been sent in.
Yeah.
Well, look.
We'll, uh... What you have to do is to... We have the wall.
You see, this puts a, it's going to put quite a problem up to the members of Congress, to the candidates, you know, whether they're going to support me or not.
Humphrey has to, he must be coming out in favor of the full-blown Europe.
Humphrey has to.
Humphrey and Meany are playing off against each other on the busing statement and on the health care statement.
I mean, Humphrey's thing, it looks almost certain to me.
They probably are.
Well, by the way, the first time Kubrick's ever been orchestrated.
Well, it won't stay that way long.
He's a tune now.
He's modern music with all the distortion that has to be in it.
But if you pick me, I'm pretty sure we'll say ouch.
No question.
Ouch.
So musky.
Well, musky is woodcut.
It's musky.
Muskie's got to stay with it.
Muskie has to.
Jackson will have to stay with it.
Well, we understand that's a political matter, but we want to be on the right side of fighting increases of wages that will result in increases in prices.
It's got to be a good argument.
It's done, and it should be written in a statement that I read.
What do you think, John?
I'm not living an answer to a question.
That's another possibility.
What I could do would be to go on prime time, not prime time, but half prime time, 7.30, and hold a press conference with a statement on it.
The difficulty with that is that the press conference is still around, and, you know, it'll all be dissipated by the time we get through.
They'll mean to get into all sorts of other things.
We need confusion among the mind.
We might as well let this one ride as the evening starts.
Don't you agree?
It's good to dilute.
That's the whole point.
I think it's too good to go up to that level.
I wish we could... You mean to meet and walk out and give out an answer?
Yeah, sure.
No, I mean, no, we've got to have an answer.
What about going up to 9730?
I was going to suggest that.
I mean, you write 150 words and go out and walk around.
Well, now, wait a minute, wait a minute.
You mean you'd...
You'd ask right now for time at 7.30.
Five minutes.
Five minutes.
You'd save less than five minutes.
Then you'd go on.
The news is over.
Everybody's seen the news.
Do you want to use the metro?
Right there.
Right.
Good.
Well.
So that he doesn't get any extra ride.
He sticks his head up and he laps it off before him.
Rather than doing it in the evening.
You on the three networks have a far bigger audience in the evening news.
I know, I know.
And all together.
I wonder if you can... Well, let's see if we're... Well, let's see if we're building up... And that would put you on the evening news.
Yeah, I understand, I understand.
That's the public, that's the people.
I'm just thinking a minute about what we're doing now.
Why...
Frantically calling through networks and saying, I'm going to go on at 7.30 tonight.
Come on.
The other side of that thought is that he's not yet been on television.
There are a lot of people in this country who don't know yet that he should call us.
He will after the evening news.
Yes, that's what I've seen.
His press conference said it was at 2.00.
It was at 1.00.
Well, then you're doing something that you don't have all the time.
The problem that you have too is that I don't like to
I don't think it's frankly measured enough.
It may look like an emotional, violent reaction to something, whereas it should be a very measured and tough reaction after consideration.
I have a little of that feel to it that I...
Well, they may think you're reacting too quickly right now, but you ought to do something to build it up tomorrow, some kind of meeting of the Costa Living Council or something.
Yeah.
If something were announced tonight in the front, what would that mean?
Our television center, the president, his arcade people?
I've got an idea.
I've got an idea.
I think we could make a damn good idea.
We'll build this thing up until all will have it.
I think we ought to have a meeting at 3 o'clock.
Tomorrow at 3?
Right.
And then I'll walk out of the meeting at 4.
By the way, does that give enough that we meet across the country?
Or would it be better if we do it in the morning?
And then tell us what I'm thinking of.
I'm thinking of a, you know, we make the decision in the morning, and then go out in the afternoon and read the statement.
What's the better way?
Or do I meet across the living council and say I'd like to make a statement?
I want it.
I want to discuss it with the members of the Constitutional Council, and I'll approve it at 4 o'clock at Waterwalk.
I would think you ought to.
I think this ought to be an action that you take.
And I think we ought to.
We've got a meeting scheduled at 3 o'clock, and you just say, here's a statement I'm supposed to make, and I don't want to do it without informing you, but I'm going to invest it into your practice.
Well, I won't.
I think what you don't want to do is give the impression of deliberate indecision.
Maybe he has posed the issue very clearly right here.
One line.
It's just like he did the day before.
Let the people who are exercising the power take the full responsibility for this without the facade of labor representation.
Why don't we just say that they...
I know that.
I know that.
What we're trying to do, Bob, is to build up my statement for tomorrow night.
Isn't that what you're trying to do?
Right.
You just said tonight that the president will make a statement tomorrow.
You said that much.
I guess I'm afraid Sigler, I think maybe we've crossed that bridge with Madonna in one sense, but Sigler was already making a very, you'll see a statement has already been made.
Now the question now is the action.
Right.
I think you could say that we could say that it's the president.
I think actually the president will be across the living council tomorrow.
You don't like that?
How about if you met with him very early?
Sigler had a mid-morning briefing and said the president was across the living council this morning and announced today the steps which he would take.
He will have an announcement to make for the cameras later today.
I don't know what that implies for you.
Well, that you have responded decisively, that you knew what you were going to do, that there was no delay in your response.
What harm is there in us saying that we're going to meet with customers tomorrow?
It feels like you're taking advice.
Actually, it's a little too late.
It's really too late to make the decision.
I'm afraid you are.
No objection to that.
Thank you, Mr. President.
As long as you're telling us what you're going to do.
I agree.
Because we've got a plan.
We've got a plan.
And it's just a fact.
Well, I think it's just... Well, I think it's a fact.
I really think that's what it gets to.
You don't need us to advise you what to do.
All right, use us or just show the cost of the account for the purpose of telling us what to do.
The cost of the account is the form of the course of action that he has decided upon to deal with this problem.
What about Eddie and George Bolton?
Are you not supposed to be independent?
Well, how would I do that?
You're there.
I wouldn't do it.
I'm not sure if that's true, but I don't think they can start people with that big word in Christ's name.
Maybe I have to do it.
I don't know if I can do it.
Well, let's think just a minute about whether Fitz being on there makes his position.
Well, first of all, I think he ought to decide whether or not he's going to take it.
Well, that's what I think is the problem.
And secondly, I don't see anything wrong with it.
I don't mind having it basically based on a house label.
It's what he wants it to be.
Well, I'll just say that, sure, we've asked him still, we're going to have one businessman.
Be sure that all labor and all business in these fields, they have one person that they can talk to and pass any ideas or suggestions that they have.
I think what really probably gets worried is how much people are interested in the only people that the administration has in labor.
I might do that.
I didn't know a lot about having ministers and nobody.
That's right.
I don't know if that's a good sentence.
That rationale helps us to reconstruct the picture of... And as a matter of fact, the paint is rather close to those dark ones.
But you know, Bob suggests the borderline is not that big.
Maybe Bob should add it.
No, because you put Dunlop in a position where he can't operate as freely as Dunlop.
Yes, it is.
That thing is going so well, I think the problem is... Let's don't service that boat.
Let's don't service it anymore, because their rates are still pretty high.
Yeah, that's just got out.
It's still at 9%.
The other problem is, would you agree that meaning will put pressure on the stores to try to cave in?
He isn't going to want that to continue in succession.
Construction?
Yeah.
No, he doesn't dare.
They won't.
They won't.
They won't.
No, they won't.
But that's where I wouldn't get that...
But I think this is the statement that we perhaps don't want to single out, instructing the same thing about it.
The outstatement has to be of such a nature that it doesn't corrode those unions that are instructing for it to feel that they have to react to it.
Let me come to the proposition then again, how we work on the game plan.
We already have what we should do tomorrow, since you got across to the City Council, and you set a free clock.
What are three of them?
We have to move the tree.
We have to move it anywhere you want.
So that I can hit the television.
I can't do television later than four.
But then I'd come in, and then I'd walk out and read the statement and follow it back.
See, but one could say that you're making a decision that you are not communicating with the people at the table, but the rest of the council are afraid of that.
I want to ask you there, what do you think?
I think this is a good plan.
3 o'clock tomorrow.
Now, who does what?
We start working on the safety.
We had some work started, but we really haven't known quite where we're going.
We have a little thing.
I guess one thing, we've got to have a statement.
And then some, a little more length.
Not too much length, but we'll spell it out.
And then somebody's got to prepare a good television statement for me to make.
Which I should have, it's really, I should have it in the morning.
By, you know, by, you know, we say 11 o'clock.
So I can work on it.
Get it ready, get it prepared, and all that.
That's not all right.
That's doable.
On mine, I think you could have sapphire crack it.
After that, you've got a substitute.
We'll meet.
We'll make, you know, we'll definitely have a story tomorrow night.
You know, somebody's got a bigger idea.
And then Herb will go on and do your briefing of separately in the morning at 10 o'clock.
That's good.
I think that should be separate by all means.
What will is a story.
But I think on the other hand, it's two stories.
We'll hit the afternoon.
Yeah.
That's right.
That's right.
We will go forward with the game plan.
Now, we'll keep the same muckers that we pulled from this function until we come to court.
You've got a problem, Mr. President, because their leader, he is Virgil Day, where there's someone other than Virgil Day.
Well, it's a presumption it would be Virgil Day.
He has been very, very, you know, in the light of the press.
He's in a very humble position right now.
I won't do it.
You can't keep the air leader because the leader's leader is gone, so you can't keep business leaders gone.
The other electrical ones would be Piagini or Ramos and Celiana.
I'd much prefer Piagini.
Ramos and Celiana.
Celiana looks like he's in-house.
He was farmer in the government and the rest.
Piagini is, I think, a reasonable, strong man.
He's a great man.
He's a good man.
Yes, it would be a good way.
Biogeny.
Biogeny.
I just know that's the one I'd do it as a father.
If you'll do it.
You can have biogeny on the one side, and pits on the other side, because that's a good man.
Oh.
That's exactly what I'm thinking.
And biogeny is a good way to do it.
Sure.
He's got a travel problem.
He's kind of eager to get off.
Whereas Day has lots of time.
Well, the hell with Day.
That's a problem.
Today's Day is in a position where he's in a good fight to make it.
Well, you see, Rocco... Maybe Rocco's all right.
I've never had any trouble with Bruce.
He does program somewhat.
Um...
I don't know.
Well, why don't you all think about it?
Give a word about it real quick.
You who work with him, I don't know.
You don't?
I don't know.
But Biagini is the best man, but if he wants to get off, it's not fair to him.
Biagini and Rocco would be the best guys.
Why not Rocco?
I don't think Rocco would be bad.
Rocco is a sound, evil god, and a little inside ball player.
What difference does it make?
I don't know.
He's got a labor and a business background.
The long shot.
Yeah, the long shot.
Well, it's not a bad idea.
That's a good thing for me.
I don't have any problems with it.
I don't have any problems with the long shot.
And it doesn't make it much different to just get somebody to work with.
That's right.
Rocko, I know.
I know you can work with Rocko.
I like that.
Yeah, yeah.
I think they're the best for that.
Businessmen and so forth.
Now, in the meantime, can I suggest this thing?
This is a statement that I made, but I didn't take very good use of it.
A follow-up for administration, I think, on a good statement.
We knew Don and followed him in.
We remember he had a battle now.
And we had to start a plan.
I don't remember.
He was saying that we would get back into some of this stuff.
I don't know.
I had a thousand thoughts.
I don't know what to say.
Oh, I can say a lot of things.
I'm going to speak for the Homosex Club in Boston Friday night.
I can say a lot of things.
Great.
That's a nice club.
I didn't know you were doing it in a place like that.
Well, I don't know.
I spoke to the Middlesex Club.
That's a really elite place.
You're the right breed for that.
I am the only Democrat in the 170 year history of the Middlesex Club.
That's the Middlesex.
You're the elite of Boston.
That's right.
They all hold their cups with a little water.
I thought I'd make pretty tough speeches.
Do it.
They need a little spine.
You know, that's good.
In this case, this would be a follow-up.
I'm thinking, I'm trying to think of whether... Well...
Next week, for example, there should be a follow-up.
For whatever is worse, is there... Are any of those talk shows open?
No, closed.
They're closed for this Sunday.
Well, that next time is too late.
We can have a day show.
Yeah.
Well... You're right.
You're right.
I'm just thinking of a type of question.
Well, well, let me say, John is about to drive today, he reaches a hell of a long bar that he's never driven before.
Uh...
The, uh...
They said, okay, let's do everything we can.
Make every engagement of that kind we can.
Well, I can go over the pressure.
I'm sure that we can do it.
Did you do it about funding or something?
I don't know.
I don't know what kind of fail.
In fact, there was an outstanding invitation from McDowell, Mr. John.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Incidentally, you don't think you could do it Friday morning?
It's going to be a hot thing, I know.
Then see, I'll come on at 3 o'clock, presumably, and you'll press me in office where I'll get another question and chance to wrap it up again.
We now have to take the hard line.
We got the facts, you see.
I mean, he had been meeting since November the 8th.
I mean, he only attended... Well, I don't blame him.
He's obviously had a little bit of responsibility.
He had been meeting since November the 8th, and I think he probably would have got on.
He should have put somebody else on.
He did.
And he did put somebody on in his altar.
I don't want to explain that.
Exactly right.
I think doing today on Friday morning is a very good idea.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Today's Wednesday.
We've got today, Friday morning.
Can you do it?
Oh sure, I'm sure I can.
We can follow that.
Good.
Now you get that.
But on this subject, that's what they'll say.
Well, I'm not sure we're doing well, sir.
But I'm going to start with this one.
We want to tell them they're interested in this subject.
You know, of course, you can't hold it until they want another thing.
Do they have to not take that, or do they...
No, they used to do it behind the scenes.
Well, I would imagine the easiest thing.
You've got to go to the studio.
Oh, sure.
You've got to go to the studio.
It's much better.
You get a better picture.
Or go to New York.
No, they'd rather do it here.
Yeah.
We'd rather do it here.
Arrange that way.
You're better off doing it here, because then you get a Washington reporter.
You go to New York, and you get the cats.
Yeah.
How about bumping green for Rumsfeldmont or something like that?
It's about how I will do it.
It's about what I will do.
I will probably try to get green in it.
We want to make a decision where it is.
Now I'm done, and what shall we do, Green?
I'll tell you, if you want to go out, if you want to go out, it's very important not to go out to the press.
There's no need for them to... Well, that's what he wants to do, that's all.
Well, oh, that's what he wants to do.
Well, then, if that's the case, then there's no need to see them on.
I know we were doing good, and you can get it over with.
All right, fine.
Well, we'll work that out.
Well, this is fine.
Very helpful.
I appreciate your work.
It's only five minutes after six.
So long.
Thank you very much.
Take the rest of the afternoon off.
Good luck, Kirk.
Get a little meaner.
I like your humor, but you used to throw the dagger in down there, too.
I watched it.
Very good.
Very good.
I think you've got a damn good I want to get it better, and I want you to prepare an answer to a question for me on this, on the CPI if you would, you know.
But let me tell you that I can recently say the wage price control system is working, and
So we got a 6% number, but looking at the general component, food is always volatile and so forth, but it is working.
We've got a continuum, and we expect it to go down.
Are we going to meet our goal of 2.5%, 3%, huh?
Yeah, well, I think we look very good today.
Do you?
Yeah.
We were prepared for this.
We were prepared for this.
We were not prepared for this.
We were prepared for this.
And I just couldn't even go longer than that.
This thing is working.
We're not over here.
Can I ask you something, Herb?
I want to ask you here.
Could we just throw a breeze on food prices?
We discussed that before.
Yeah, if you don't mind.
I don't...
Good work.
New day respite from the food price thing, and also the food price thing is going through.
Yes.
Why don't we do it about the 1st of September?
It's made up.
Right.
All right.
All good?
How do you get along with your new member?
Does she behave?
Sure.
How's it going?
Well, I mean, it's all right with me, but, you know, but get Edwin Solomon out, he's good.
I mean, the thing we have now are three members of the council who are articulate, and that's damn good.
You know, you're all articulate people, and I think it's good when you go out there and don't worry about it if somebody's feeling about this and that, and you haven't gotten down a drop.
If you believe them.
Well, we can do whatever we want.
I did.
Good luck tomorrow at 11 o'clock.
You, uh... You actually didn't go there because I was looking at you.
Sure.
I appreciate it.
I appreciate it.
The state department has been putting
like putting out the green head to go around and salvage your communique.
And that's just giving... You've seen a bunch of that.
No, there hasn't been any of it.
It's just that's a...
I haven't seen a thing under the summary on that.
There hasn't been anything.
There may have been in some obscure column in some place, but it's not been a...
It's something Henry dreamed up.
But... Why the hell doesn't he go to the beach?
The other thing is...
He isn't...
He's also concerned that if he goes out to the press, that it will inevitably focus on Taiwan, which he feels is not to our interest to raise, and who hurts with the Chinese.
We don't have anything to gain from him.
He's going to be on Meet the Press, so he's going to get it anyway.
He should have had a chance to report to you.
One thing I wonder is whether you want to consider, which might not be a bad idea at all, having the press conference in Florida.
I need the time to be ready for it.
I was thinking about one time when our PR would be bad.
It doesn't cost a lot of money.
I mean, I mean, he fights and all the rest, and I go lollygagging around the floor.
It's just not the right thing.
It really isn't the right thing.
No, I should be here now.
I mean, I felt that.
I've got a canteen Friday night.
And I'll do the press thing Friday at 3 o'clock.
It's not a bad time, you know.
Fair enough.
Good.
Press Friday is really, with all of this, is much better.
When you get this story done, you've got a whole backwash of a lot of stuff that washes away IT&T, which is kind of clumped off into nothing.
For a while.
For a while.
Then you have a press conference where they're going to focus on this, and then they're going to talk about foreign policy, and they'll have to hit the IT&T questions, but it ain't going to be all that much.
Look, I've got the questions that I've been working on today, and I can do it now, but... Am I holding you?
Yeah, I've got to go.
Yeah, well, I've got to say, let me walk now.
I want to finish my...
I've decided on a very different approach than Buchanan.
I mean, he has some...
I'm not going to talk about as many candidates.
He thinks it's a great opportunity, you know, to attack the racists and so forth, those that use racism.
I'm not going to say...
I'm going to say that the matter is under investigation, and I'm not going to take away him with regard to the things.
Hello, this one.
There.
And that's
That's what you're doing, and I'm going to do it.
If I were not on TV, you see, if I were on TV, I'd have to be a little more responsive, and I'm going to knock off my TV, and I'm going to knock off the light magazines, and just respond to that.
What about when he's made a whole statement about that?
Or a visitor responds to that, and I'm like, yeah, just jump to that, and I'm like, what are you?
You know, that's what Colonel Roosevelt used to do when I was trying to get my hands.
But I don't have any no time to do that.
I've got to walk.
I've got to do what I have to do.