Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 369-013
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 1972 at 6:16 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/369-013

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] So, so, what have you got to report before I talk to the leaders in a couple of minutes?
[0:10] The assholes are supposed to call me, but I've been waiting here for an hour.
[0:14] And now they were supposed to have coffee at 4 o'clock.
[0:20] And they knocked it off by 30 in the morning.
[0:27] So they didn't want to have a break or something.
[0:30] And they didn't serve it anyway.
[0:32] It's the worst.
[0:36] It's the most irresponsible Congress to bring it in.
[0:41] But it isn't particularly mine.
[0:45] I don't think it's going to be particularly helpful to us.
[0:48] I will if it will help, but I don't want to mobilize, frankly, Connery's friends.
[0:53] That's the problem I have.
[1:14] Well, we're going to do as much as we can, but I won't do it.
[1:30] I'm going to have to... Yeah, yeah.
[1:45] I think it's so confusing, though, to the public.
[1:55] It's not going to get through.
[1:57] We ought to be able to do a little on our side.
[2:02] But we'll play along.
[2:02] We should have the right to make those protections.
[2:04] Yet I don't want to say they're going to be attached.
[2:16] That's the line.
[2:39] That's the line.
[2:39] That's the line.
[2:39] That's the line.
[2:40] That's the line.
[2:40] That's the line.
[2:42] That's the line.
[2:46] Thank you for what I said about the work they had done.
[3:17] You know, we had an interesting thing on that with John Hurt when he was talking about that.
[3:37] and yesterday was the event that John Conlon and all of these have had to play with.
[3:56] And one of the messages he raised was one about the earth, which, of course, Don has been telling us, but he doesn't mean this for himself.
[4:00] I mean, it's a part of the economy.
[4:01] And what I said was very good.
[4:07] It was important.
[4:08] And of course, Holland, of course, you know, he was very lucky.
[4:10] Erwin had a very good view.
[4:10] He had a very good view of this.
[4:11] And not that he suffered, but his people are.
[4:13] And also, for Christ's sake, the best thing that happened was what he said about amnesty.
[4:20] And what he said about, we're not going to leave a few of us to the mercy of our enemies.
[4:26] And that amnesty line, believe me, we just don't realize how powerful that is.
[4:32] Our surrogates aren't missing out on that, are they?
[4:37] Are they?
[4:37] Okay.
[4:37] But the way I use it on that thing, that really puts that place apart.
[4:43] And many really get the point of it.
[5:04] Doug, politically, is one of the smartest fellows in this country.
[5:22] Oh, I know.
[5:24] Oh, I think he's great.
[5:26] They tell you the Monday night, you know, even though, so forth.
[5:28] I'm getting an atmosphere of that.
[5:29] I'm getting a bit of a feel that he's the person to where I don't know anybody.
[5:32] So those facts make the difference between me and the governor, without ever mentioning the governor.
[5:54] Don't you agree?
[5:55] Revenue sharing.
[5:56] We're going to do that.
[5:57] Everybody thinks that's great.
[5:58] I don't know.
[5:58] I think it's just fine, and it'll be a nice little picture show, but nobody gives a goddamn about it.
[6:11] You'll follow up, if you will, on the tax thing.
[6:18] And I, as I said, I'm going to take the amendment and Schultz and Wagner and what they can't say prior to going into up-directed.
[6:32] And then we'll weed that story out.
[6:35] I'm going to take all the bills.
[6:36] I'm going to veto bills all next week.
[6:38] I'm going to veto the AGW appropriation.
[6:38] And...
[6:50] Right.
[6:54] Right.
[6:55] Well, I know about all that argument.
[7:13] Well, any of that.
[7:15] Well, they should, but...
[7:19] of a miserable congress.
[7:30] I'm glad I don't have them call me that.
[7:33] Well, they're rather nice, but good in a personal sense.
[7:40] But, God, they haven't stood up for the country.
[7:45] Well, sure, sure.
[7:45] Well, they don't think what they don't like, and, you know, what to say.
[7:49] Bye.