The 18½-minute gap

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NixonSure need day in and day out. Yeah. Certainly appreciated, appreciated more than-

HaldemanYeah.

Nixon[unintelligible] that one day yesterday was really worth it. The three days were great. You get one good day at Walker's Cay and one good day in the White House [unintelligible] Florida. Since we returned from Russia we had one good day and one good day.

HaldemanYeah. The one thing about the Bahamas is you're not real polished, and also where is [unintelligible] mind, that that's a security worry.

NixonAnother possibility would be to beat it after we get back from California to get in here, then, Florida's almost as great. Before long, it's just getting too [unintelligible] hot and the conditions are bad.

Haldeman[unintelligible] in Florida.

Nixon[unintelligible] get in there for a couple days. In other words, to get sun,toned up, and everything even though we will not be getting this, it's like a weekend in California. Again, you don't even have to put much of our people [unintelligible]

HaldemanRehoboth might be good, too. That's a maybe somewhere Actually, that is it's a place that's apparently spectacular place that, I'm not sure how far up the ocean. About the same as I am, uh What's his name? Gerry Smith.

NixonNo.

HaldemanSaid he apparently has a hell of a It's solid, you know what I mean?

Nixon[unintelligible]

Haldemanhe has one with a heated swimming pool. Our kids [unintelligible] swimming pool. It might be so.

HaldemanYou can have a great, fun weekend.

NixonWe've been rockbound in Camp David.

HaldemanWell, we have had to be. Only out of necessity. Can't be helped by [unintelligible] Friday [unintelligible]

Nixon[unintelligible] this morning. I think you're the one who figured we'd get them oh, no. You can't beat Cap Weinberger at that. [laughter] [unintelligible] figure out a better way to handle the Detroit thing and all the rest. It did help though.

HaldemanAnyway, and Mrs. Miller, the the uh, Michigan and the walk to Washington, is running for Congress, and who hopes

NixonWho who is the Republican candidate?

HaldemanI'm not through. You get, particularly like more today than this morning's papers and so on, look how much, what's been produced for, produced for this. You've had Time said, Newsweek said, The New Republic said, The National Observer said. Ah, they, they still get too bogged down with their, with their, it's their jargon. Although, you get bogged down in National Review,

NixonNational Observer

Haldemanand Human Events, they cheat, they call it the Main Cheat, and and The New Republic, they always have it. You know, you take the readership of all those, including ours, Well, yeah, but

Nixonthey have, they have a fairly, they distribute several ways, but solely. Yeah, but they have them all up, and and, uh, you still aren't up to, to, uh, more than a few thousand people.

HaldemanI have, I must have a dozen, a dozen people, I know, curry one personally who hates Nixon. I can't find one that [unintelligible] to read. I think it's scandalous. That's right. It's scanned. I just check all over for both of these, the smart elite, just dumb.

NixonIn any in any show, as everyone, and, of course, they play in the room, they agree, then they wonder why the whole thing's gone. If the cover is interesting, they read it, or they flick through. They might look at large, and then on sports or the business section, and the rest. But don't ever assume that because a magazine's bought that that's the reason it's read. That's right.

HaldemanNow our our article is good. It will Well, many times, it would be good for all push it. Well, Ziegler was laughing. So they are going to push it. Well, because of that, that article, we can push it. We can, it's one that has some lasting value, not just not just

Nixona hot issue. [unintelligible] It can be used as answer to letters. It can be sent to a list of having an inquiry from somebody about our court appointment, so on, about school, so on, our busing. So, I would be much more useful only for speakers,

Haldemanour for people getting up and giving an argument about backing us on [unintelligible] so they had prepared the thing up here. Who does the background press stuff? Ron is supposed to have a Washington. Okay. Let's see here.

NixonI would like a letter to the editor. I'm worried in order to do this Whoever is in charge of this after

Haldemanone of Whitaker's staff will make it. Whitaker is the guy to make this call, basically. Now I think he's Whitaker. The Governor told her that he was told that I, or somebody wanted to make the statement. A tourist will increase hurry [unintelligible] I know they've been concerned [unintelligible] after this, I would think, that the best way to handle that is to say her coach

Haldeman[unintelligible]

NixonI guess what he is he's concerned about [unintelligible] whether I want to say that it is you know what I mean, throw it in. Uh

HaldemanThen that the last paragraph [unintelligible] place in our country [unintelligible] parents were married 18

HaldemanWell, they were before [unintelligible] they later moved to Spring Valley, where he she was born, and later

HaldemanHis mother tells in the letter, how he passed, why he was passionate

— 18 min 28 s with no transcribed speech —

HaldemanWell, the other one is the delegate thing.

NixonOh, yes. You saw what the judge said, huh?

HaldemanWell, the federal judge threw it out.

NixonThe one that threw each one out.

HaldemanIt was one here in the District. I think it's the one in the District, because it's a suit against California that's involved.

NixonYeah.

HaldemanAnd so that gives them a a new set of problems which which is to figure how they're how they're going to hold by the delegations.

NixonYeah.

HaldemanAnd that's they had tough trouble with that already, this just just compounds it. But they're, I don't think it's going to make-

NixonYeah, it opens up much [unintelligible]

HaldemanGreat. Well, see this other suit filed against—

HaldemanYeah. It's either way I mean either way they're still in the soup. If they'd if they'd done the opposite thing, yeah, he'd just have to be in a position to challenge on the other footing. He's already [unintelligible] on you know he claims the guidelines, the Democratic guidelines, were unconstitutional, but when you get, you can challenge on the basis that delegates were forced into the thing under the guidelines that wouldn't be there under the normal process. Oh.

HaldemanSo there's you still get an issue.

NixonThey'll appeal.

HaldemanWell, they got to get it hurried fast, and say they get a hearing today. It's an appeal, appeal can be made as early as Tuesday, we'll see. He was right here for the Daley forces. See that's the other thing, if the Daley forces win that's going to make, that's becomes sort of symbolic battle and uh

NixonThe way when they packed the store?

HaldemanRun on ice cream cone, candy, [unintelligible]

NixonJust 98, it's 100 degrees here.

HaldemanThe haze [unintelligible]

NixonGod. God.

HaldemanDid you see that movie, The Hot Rock?

NixonNo.

HaldemanGreat, funny movie about a robbery. Gang that kept on trying to steal this cat. Oh, it was like this. They screwed everything up.

NixonIt's incredible.

HaldemanTo see in the bank the steel, it was a a town jewel. And they lift the glass box and these guys all get in and the box comes down, they're trapped inside it.

NixonAnd then someone throws the blend or something. [laughter]

Haldeman[laughter]

NixonOops.

HaldemanNo.

HaldemanRon Ziegler went by and [unintelligible] mayoral candidates.

HaldemanThey passed, and they, they had passed a pro-Nixon Vietnam resolution instead of, you know last year they passed to get out of the war, and this year they went the other way. And uh-

HaldemanRon said there was just strong support for the President all through there. What he saw [unintelligible] Democratic candidates for public [unintelligible]. He met separately with the Republican mayors, had 70-80 at a dinner. The other people [unintelligible]

HaldemanThat's the whole point. They'd be very able, enthusiastic, young, impressive, dynamic, you'd provide us. He said we came away from there really charged up.

HaldemanYeah, well, there's the third day. They certainly would have good - and then, they'd have a certain amount That's great. I'm glad we did it.

HaldemanToday, we had all other bad, blind news today.

HaldemanAnyway, guys as of now, don't feel Mansfield straight out on Mansfield resolution, but they do feel they can pass an amendment to it. It stays the thing in the end on

Nixonthe next year part that's good.

HaldemanInstead of they can do a substitute, and come out all right. But they can't just take Mansfield straight up and defeat it because the Senate wants to pass something that says end the war.

HaldemanThis option still would be the Nixon the Nixon proposal, you know, we have made to get out one four months after a cease-fire.

HaldemanIn the matter of the bill hitting us, now, you don't want an overall veto on it.

HaldemanThey have no line-item- They spent a half-day arguing that it was like a settled legislative matter. Then, a line-item veto was

HaldemanI would separate out for all speech. For example, all speeches here, he actually has for all speech,

NixonYeah. What time is it? 4:45.

HaldemanThe hour of that would be about 9:00. Oh, 2 weeks, so, 3 weeks, So far, I'd have to go to California.

NixonRight.

HaldemanRight.

HaldemanOut here, and yeah. Everybody the local TV types say that is a by a shocker because nobody has seen them do that.

HaldemanIt's just that I think they're going to hit with any of that, is to have a have General Haig do a briefing for the national commanders of all the veterans, the national veterans groups.

HaldemanYou know, pull back now on all this stuff. Question: whether you would drop by and just thank them for their support.

NixonI say.

HaldemanThat could stuff their morale.

NixonIt's important.

HaldemanOf course.

HaldemanTentatively Monday.

NixonAll right.

HaldemanSo, we could take it and and kick and announce in general, try not to go very deep into facts, instead of having a 50 page press release with it.

NixonThey don't really care, and it is not useful at all, sir.

HaldemanHe has to reopen the possibility of you dropping by at the National Association of Counties. Well, um, simply because it's a basically supportive group.

HaldemanNow, the problem is, all the candidates are going to go. Colson says we should put you in. I'm not that sure.

HaldemanYou should have all like, you've got the Veep doing it. You know, and he's the guy who should.

HaldemanIf all the other candidates go, I, I'm not for it. I think you should tell our staff I am not coming. If it's a set up, we can't have another candidate. You know,

Haldemanthey're they get oversensitive. Just like mayor, you can be sure or O'Brien, or somebody, who will go up there and the governor will go up and say, "Nixon won't come to your meeting, well, let's see why." But,

Haldemanit's the first It's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

HaldemanI guess the meeting opens Monday.

HaldemanThe big banquet is Tuesday night, which is another possibility. You can drop by the banquet, that could put that up as a speaking thing, I wouldn't worry.

Haldemandown in Honolulu.

HaldemanThe Home Builders is another one. Down there they check is part of trouble, so that's not- And to thank them for their support.

HaldemanPleased to meet them.

HaldemanCounty people are basically our people, are our people.

HaldemanIf you went, you'd give a speech, it would be a real problem. It might not be a bad idea, and we could see how it goes in the applause meter, go in in [unintelligible]

Haldemanand let him do the speeches, and then go up briefly.

HaldemanIf we do, the screening trick could be out. Somebody could check the screening, sir, so they don't have the White House for it, who would be, you know, doing the screening. We can do that with the program, because our guys are working with them, County Officers,

Haldemanand also they don't want all the other candidates in there.

HaldemanSee, if the other candidate had asked for that, then I don't want you to go in there. Instead, we can probably fight off these other people who line up with them, who absolutely hate them.

HaldemanNo, you can't be sure, exactly right. We can't have you lined up with

HaldemanI talked about this thing of the administration briefing, now, another thing you might do, like,

Haldemanthe art, the honor of the [unintelligible]

HaldemanThat might be worse. So, they end up getting a I guess reception is still the banquet is really kind of the best. Then, you wouldn't have anything to say to them.

HaldemanThen, you can just talk about the importance of local government, and glad they're here working.

HaldemanDrop-by question, is is a Thinking about bringing in, all the national Polish-American leaders for a meeting on the Poland trip.

HaldemanDo you mind drop in and having them get their picture?

HaldemanThey have had a, then, brief the press Polish-American leadership the press, after it.

HaldemanThey're only working out on the basis that a visit to Poland gives us a chance to invite Polish-American leadership into the White House. Well, they go back to Poland

HaldemanFolks can say the President's concerned about Poland.

NixonI think that's why [unintelligible]

HaldemanNo question. And I I wonder, I don't mind doing it a little later, I would mind even doing it outside the White House.

HaldemanStart collecting the Polish

NixonI I haven't [unintelligible]

HaldemanI haven't seen a very positive reaction on that at this point.

HaldemanWell, I'm not sure,

Haldemanmaybe.

HaldemanWhat's your what's your reaction to- They're of course, they're going to say everything's political. This is this is a straight off sham political thing. I mean, something you wouldn't bother quite that purely. But I think if you wait a little while, and then bring them in,

Haldemannot just to brief on the Polish trip, but let let them bring in, let the our political people bring them in to talk about political organization. That's right.

HaldemanAnd then you can stop by and say, "By the way, I just went, you know what a great time I had in Poland. Great to see you and what I had in the meeting here with

HaldemanAnd if they wanted to do something else, say

Haldemanmaybe this is impossible,

Haldemanand maybe a little reception for them.

HaldemanWell, see, I didn't see these totals and they did not disappoint, you know, all these other [unintelligible]. Some of them were in the principal church, also the March [unintelligible] were 79140. Catholics were 7140 [unintelligible].

NixonThe Protestants were probably Irish.

HaldemanTotally unpredicted [unintelligible]

Haldeman[unintelligible] but it's on a national basis.

Haldeman[unintelligible] you know, it came out with the great news that the other fellows

Haldemandidn't have any money to compete. These giants are experienced. You know, these old folks have

Haldemanso they reached into the grassroots. They're going to vote the structure again. We've got tens of, basically,

NixonYeah, yeah.

HaldemanI think we can go with Dan Rather on it.

NixonDan Rather? They don't have the people. I don't give a damn who he enters. That's a check. An actual, an actual Republican. An actual reporter. You really like to see him speak years later.

HaldemanYeah, that could happen. He had a deal with the country.

HaldemanThey have this VIP, Very Important Patients, program. You know, the sponsor of it. It's a, and it's all of sports and personalist networks set up, and they've they've got a branch of it called "No Greater Love"

Haldemanprogram, which is uh directed at 2,000 children whose fathers and and brothers are POWs or MIAs.

HaldemanAnd they these athletes provide birthday presents for them and take them out and that works. Just kind of a stand-up substitute father role, in a sense, like Big Brothers, for kids.

HaldemanAnd uh they're suggesting having a for someone at the and the VIP, exactly, the other is came from. Having a picnic on the White House lawn,

Haldemanand you come out to say hi to him and that and that uh

Haldemanit will show your concern for the

Haldemansupport this technique for Washington. For its for the kids. In other words, the children from the Washington area will be will be a quite area, and whose fathers or other brothers or problems are POWs or MIAs.

HaldemanAnd then the athletes would be people like Johnny Unitas, Ernie Banks, Brooks Robinson, Willie Davis, and Willie McCovey.

NixonI don't mind having [unintelligible] White House tour for the kids in Washington area. But then you get a real problem on that, councilman. They don't even know about some of these celebrities. It's like having a [unintelligible]. In fact, all this, there's [unintelligible]

HaldemanJohnny Unitas, Ernie Banks, Brooks Robinson, Willie Davis,

NixonNot the athletes, though.

HaldemanThey all belong to this club. They are all part of the program, yeah.

NixonThey've joined, their membership of that. I don't feel that's a good Johnny Unitas and Brooks Robinson. I look at this thing. I think it's a good idea to have [unintelligible]

Haldemanhighlighting the POW thing this morning. The media guys want to get the black newspaper folks in for a a they got three minutes for that, but

Haldemanthey don't want to do it unless unless uh you want to have a reception or something [unintelligible]. Or a meeting with a being the three.

HaldemanThis would, I think this is the other problem. It has the black, 80 black publishers down, and you get tell them to go to hell, who the hell [unintelligible] did that much. I'm sure they're going to give you a bad time.

HaldemanOr somebody that gets screwed up by that. You remember before the election you did it, up in New York. You went over to

HaldemanGarment talked you into it at the last minute and you turned him down and it all blew up. Well, then, that guy really worked you over on the way in, and Howard had a out-and-chump.

HaldemanYou know, and then what, they threw our bag back out with some insult.

HaldemanThey're talking about, you know, really wanted to do it, to do it at Chrysler, small Harlem. It seems to me it's fine for us to do that, as long as it's understood it's not doesn't involve you, and they don't even they know that you aren't going to be involved in a special session [unintelligible]

NixonI'm avoiding politics for that one, [unintelligible] politics.

NixonYou know, they're doing [unintelligible] California.

HaldemanYeah, well, before they get to me, a whole lot get turned down too. Ninety percent of them get turned down before they get to me, and about, I'd say,

Haldeman90% of what I get get turned down when they do get to me. And the only reason I raise some of these is, it was a point. The black newspapers are, you know, we do have some chance of taking some

NixonThey took a poll of some blacks, but I don't think the black newspapers is the way to do it. It's acts which they appreciate.

HaldemanThe way to get at blacks is thick blacks like these dinners that they had where we get our own thousand and then promote that and don't have to hold on and have to have basic advertisement. I don't think it's ever worth buying the black papers. Well, we used to do that and I think I don't think it's a total waste of time, it's a waste of money. I think it is worth buying black preachers.

NixonI don't think we need to kid ourselves.

HaldemanIf you buy the right ones, but we ended up buying the wrong ones, I think we have but I don't think we have to buy most of them with money. I think we can buy them a little Annie kind of glory and uh Dr. John Q. really writes people like that.

NixonNo. That's a chance to find it, anyway. Then they insist they start there, so that means if they're in [unintelligible].

HaldemanTake a minute to do uh do with Fred Malek's key people, like you did the pollsters? I didn't do the pollsters, but I did with those two guys that you know. Well, you can't tell, you have 70.

NixonYeah. I don't I just don't think so. I don't mind getting out, but I don't I don't think you need to. And, uh, [unintelligible]

HaldemanActually, yeah, they're they're the guys that are doing the you know, the right nerd of the parks and the and the recruiting personnel

Haldemanand uh this maybe not a meeting with them, but have them at the end of the White House, come in and just shake hands so that they will have met you, a lot will take that. A uh yeah, a handshake, it's not [unintelligible]

Haldemanwill they are not at the campaign organization. They're in the White House staff who are working on

HaldemanThey're doing 120 can come in to get a picture. Or that'd be good [unintelligible] I don't have the patience to sit down for a reception. Now, sitting down for an hour, I am not going to sit down [unintelligible]

NixonOkay.

NixonI don't mind spending anytime. All we're trying to do, we can avoid that, totally not sell them

Unknown[unintelligible]

HaldemanWell with two types like that it's it's just a,

Haldemanyou got a feel for them. They've attacked so that they have some of their naivete, the situation worsened.

HaldemanLike I don't know what they would do if they were in, after an election.

HaldemanI think they treat them as a one house, I think everything the White House did would just turn in to the dust bin. Yeah. That's for this.

Haldemanjust the same. But they got to have them feel part of the team. But what I mean is,

Haldemanand then to see more actions.

Haldemanat least cheap stuff.

HaldemanAnd then it didn't have any difference. It couldn't have. It's the whole question of sportsmanship is the strongest thing that they feel.

HaldemanIt's really hard. All right, I'm here.

NixonHello.

NixonHi, Hun.

NixonYeah.

NixonUh-huh.

NixonQuarter of one is fine. Is that all right?

NixonGood.

NixonI think we'd rather ask her [unintelligible] that's fine.

NixonYeah.

NixonWhat did you?

NixonOh, no. I I I I wouldn't do that, Hun.

NixonYeah.

NixonBlessing from home [unintelligible] Yeah.

NixonOkay. On the dot. All right.

HaldemanThat's good, though.

HaldemanIn the work session.

NixonYeah.

HaldemanThey should have it. Work sessions. And why don't you have somebody [unintelligible]

HaldemanEven some of the people that don't, they'll have the non-political [unintelligible] early, that's-

NixonRight. And Henry Kissinger on foreign policy.

HaldemanRight. And right as well now as at NBS, and then you have a reception-

HaldemanI have a reception.

HaldemanNow let's see, your luncheon in the that time, and they're having,

Haldemanuh they had another, another hundred by the time you're done, can't you?

Haldemanand so on, but actively working

HaldemanOh yeah, that's that's not a great problem for you. You do not have to do a lot of preparation, Nixon.

HaldemanAnd I think an hour and a half reaction is fantastic, for a start.

HaldemanDo that afterwards. If you want to reward some people afterwards, election, something like that. Next summer or something,

Haldemansetting it up in '76 with a sponsor, something, that's fine, too.

HaldemanOh, yeah. You have to give them hands up. You can't you can't have,

Haldemanwill be important to us, I mean-

HaldemanMake Make a few damn happy, instead of a whole lot slightly peeved at what they've done. A thousand's better than all of them unhappy. It's funny, the fallouts, and they pay a lot of money to get in, go a long ways and have nothing happen.

HaldemanProbably think, fantastic.

HaldemanIt may be. It's just what he needed to give him a courage boost, that he felt he needed, because Muskie did come, come across.

HaldemanNow, he didn't have the broad coverage. He got pretty pressed this morning, from that press.

HaldemanThe trouble with steel is now, other than third-circle people can touch you, you hear it, it's seeming better.

HaldemanAnd it may still hang him, which is fine, but they aren't, when you think about it, he's surprised. They're not, the point is McGovern isn't getting any surprises either.

HaldemanHe's not getting any of the ones that he wasn't expecting, yet.

HaldemanHe gets his 200 in the earlier days. He's not getting that though.

HaldemanSecond, that back then we were having very, very serious problems. I don't want you to misunderstand me, when you have those doubts, they're all lower,

Haldemanthat steady play, quite a question when you have a hierarchy to supervene.

HaldemanYou know that yeah there was uh and uh, whether you have been bucking the past-

UnknownRight.

HaldemanAnd uh

Haldemanat this point, I think, we're-

Haldemanhow best to really maintain the strength of the position is what you've got. Looking as strong as you can, because if this scare people, goes into this.

HaldemanThink this idea twice before they decided it's us.

Haldemanbureaucrats scare you're going to be here four more years. Now, at least, they won't help, but at least, you see, they won't want to get caught doing that. They'll want to be in a, in a good, good condition to make the transition.

HaldemanWhere, if they think he's got a chance, they're going to take risks that they wouldn't take otherwise.

HaldemanOh, there was no fight today, seriously capable.

HaldemanWell, if anyone walks in now, he's going to do that, uh, telephone.

NixonYeah.

HaldemanThey have,

NixonOkay.

The 18½-minute gap

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Also recorded on June 20, 1972

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The 18½-minute gap

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

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Also recorded on June 20, 1972

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