Nixon, Haldeman & Ehrlichman on 1972 election and Vietnam War

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And then we can restate it in New Jersey, which is the other big why we canceled New Jersey.

I mean, we put it back in New Jersey today.

That gives him a platform, and he uses it to hit the government.

He used him as the guy he hit today, and he hits him directly.

We'll work up the thing on the, you know, where he's wrong.

Don't change your line from yesterday at all.

So that they can't find any little even nuance that says the president is stumped by the governor's attorney's opinion.

And then Rogers follows up on his... Well, I think Rogers will.

Chuck says he's sure he will.

Well, you didn't get that feeling in Washington, did you?

No.

You see, you may have... You may have that old...

I don't see the fact that we're handling bills that way.

We can't even admit it to himself.

I just can't.

It's a little embarrassing for anybody and all that sort of thing.

I've got to be very, I've got to be safe in pushing him.

I don't know what he's going to say.

He's going to do it.

Well, he's got rushes on TV tomorrow, so all we can do is get him.

I know.

She isn't in the mood to know whether he can do it tomorrow, I don't know.

And it's questionable as to how much, to the extent that I know he can go on because he's confident, and to put the lead right off the bat.

We can cancel that move right now.

I told Chuck to do that last night, so I think that should be good.

And we can set the ship under no circumstances to be shipped on the ground if they're having a big one.

Then we go, okay, then we put it back in the pierce.

We write the thing, we get that, and that should do our response for today.

We're getting to put it out ahead and get it written around.

No, I, I told the...

The other thing is that Henry will not do it well.

Mr. Henry, all of his good intentions in particular justify what he said, which we do not want here.

And that isn't the point.

And he'll get in all of our business about what he did.

There are some issues to be worked out.

There are concrete issues to be worked out.

central issues.

It's not the details of the central issues that are still in dispute.

Where is that?

That's what the governor said last night.

He's wrong.

I didn't say that.

And if he's talking about them, you've got to pick him up on the language because that's not said.

Let me explain.

Go back and get me to tell him.

Let's say he's wrong.

He's central.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

He's actually wrong.

Actually wrong about that.

So you've got to pick him up on time.

I said these are detailled.

That's a term I can throw all the way through.

But it's important to have the details.

The word sample was never used any time, any place.

And nobody bothered to check the speech on scene.

Well, I'm sure they have, but I'm not sure.

But it hasn't been used.

I don't want to talk to him anyway.

His thing is better not to talk to me.

He may have to, especially if we put the other thing back.

Well, let's do it at the end then, right?

Yeah, that's the point.

He was sober.

Instead of all these problems.

You can tell him, if you get him on and say, the president found out about this, he's taking him off this and then you can send him back to New Jersey.

Now, if you can get him on the little boy, check on the word center later.

It's a nitpick, but it's not a nitpick.

It's not a nitpick because the governor, that's basically the key to the governor's case.

So if they need to get us, if we can't get them on that, that's going to be the second place they're going to go to.

We've got our tactics established.

We've got the substance abuse.

I'll let you know when we're ready in a little while.

What is it?

Are they ready?

In a little while then.

You can come back in and let me know, huh?

If this is a problem.

Come on, you can take it out there and I'll take care of it.

All right, I'm back in.

Do you have the order of these?

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

I'll check it.

See whether he's gonna lie and tell me immediately, right?

That's wrong.

And if you get him on that, say,

Tom, I just wanted to call you on this Saturday morning to ask you to extend to all of our friends in Connecticut my deep appreciation for your support.

I'm sorry I couldn't get there personally, but I know that everybody's working hard.

Connecticut will be that first state to come in, and also I know all those house seats are up there, and we're just counting on that great organization of yours, Tom, to pull us through.

I'll be back later.

Whenever you are up by, we'll be there.

How do you think you're doing up there?

On the contrary, let me say this to all the people who, first, we want to get out a good vote, take nothing for granted, and it's going to help us with all the tickets.

The second thing is to keep talking about, to be very confident about, where there's peace, there's honor, there's strength, and we're going to get it, and we're right on the policy there.

That's the way it looks at this point.

The day I'm going into that, it's an art fair where we have a Senate candidate in Mexico

Well, listen, when you sit, all right, when you do this, in your speeches today, you can say that I spoke to you.

I spoke to the fact that you've been such an enormous help to us in working with the governor in Congress and sharing those things.

And that I enthusiastically endorse the candidates, not only for Congress, but for Republicans.

I know they're always been strong enough.

that's the issue of the report.

And we're also going to have, after that, we haven't had this present item on the present,

Okay, bye.

Bye.

Good morning, Wes.

I know this is going to be a long day of campaigning for you, because you will be campaigning all day today.

And I truck right up to the election today.

But I want to wish you the best.

I'm sorry that I couldn't get there, but you know, I couldn't get to all the states, but New Hampshire is the state that I have such a very, very warm recollection of.

I remember, too, how you worked so hard for me in 1956 when we had that write-in program.

Vice President, and I just want to say that the voters in New Hampshire will realize that I appreciate their support in the past, and I will appreciate it this time.

And I also appreciate their electing you to the United States Senate, so that we'll have a good, strong man, for a strong American, and for peace, for honor, and for peace forever and ever.

Really?

I, well, we're delighted to hear it.

And let me say this to you, Wes, that all the people that are in that room and as they go out, that, well, I couldn't, I, of course, was in Nashville, and I'm impressed that I couldn't get there during the campaign, although most of the members of my family were.

Let me say that after this election, one of the things I'm going to do

I think that's true.

Oh, your wife's an assassin.

Blah, blah, Lynn, I won't take a bit more of your time.

Sure, sure.

How are you, Beverly?

I just said that you were a great help to your husband, and with that team, we think it's going to be close, but we need your help.

Yeah, I just wish I could be there in person, but I know you'll all make up.

Yeah, this is good.

Well, thank you, Wes.

Just work hard and don't get up.

Bye.

I heard it.

Thank you.

Bye.

Well, we've only got two days left.

Gail, I just want you to know that while I can't get there in person, that my thoughts are with you.

You've been a power of strength in the United States Senate in these next four years.

We need you here.

And I just want you to know that my hopes of orders from Delaware will not break up the theme of bottom connections.

It's been a good one for over the years.

We want to keep it going for four more years.

you give them all my best there and uh all might have such good memories of my vacations in delaware and the many good friends my many appearances in wilmington

Let me say, I'll come back at a time, Kale, when I'm not asking for votes, but just to say thank you very much.

Sure, I'll stay with you.

Sure.

And I just hope that you and Kale come through with flying colors because we're going to look forward to working with you over these next four years.

And of course, with the governor, the governor too.

Yeah, well, we want it for all of us, including our senator, congressman, governor, the whole chain.

Thank you.

I'll be over in North Carolina in a few minutes, or a few hours, a couple hours, and then over to Mexico and California for the rest of the day.

Senator, I just called with only two days, three days left to wish you the very best, to wish my best to our other candidates there on our day, but particularly to say that in that United States Senate

very much need you in these next four years, because you stand for peace with honor, you stand for a strong America rather than a weak America, you stand against those who would have us isolate ourselves from the world, who would have us surrender around the world, and you also stand for

strong kind of leadership which we all want to be sure that we have a justice with law and order.

Yes, sir.

But I say you just keep right on working because I think you can win.

It's a tight race.

And you say that after that marvelous welcome that people never forget in Atlanta, I think that the Thompson next campaign will come true on November 7th.

because of the primaries in the past but i know with the marvelous organization you have uh which is good support we have in that state and so many communities that we're going to come through an election day the purpose of my call is to thank you and we all over express my

Everybody needs to get out and vote on Election Day because the issues are bigger than party.

They involve peace with honor rather than peace with surrender, and a strong America rather than a weak America, and prosperity without war and without inflation.

Those are causes worth fighting for and worth voting for today.

And I hope that you're doing well, too, John, and those other house members there.

that if Wisconsin is a tougher state for it because of the opposition within there, that it's getting a primary.

But on the other hand, I think from what I've heard, you have solidified the thing in the last three or four days.

Isn't it good?

Well, okay, John, we count on you.

I remember how we counted on you back in 68.

And you came through.

Bye-bye.

Next one will be Joe and one of us.

Baker, Stephen, Harry, and this is our last one.

There never was one, so we didn't cancel it.

We just didn't go ahead and sell something at all.

So, it doesn't have to be the journey, in other words.

That was the first that we put it somewhere else where we can let it just call the president of the state.

I didn't even call the president of the state.

He won't do that, and I'll never let him try to have me back in Canada working on the state and work with that stuff.

On the way he gets to the central issue pitch,

The line he says is, there is no reason to never watch for it.

It's not the details, but the central issues that are still in dispute.

And then he says, later, there's been a fatal breakdown on the central issues, and now the transfer of information is gone.

That's what he says.

The way that he goes at it is that you did say, in your speech,

but we can let us do it very carefully.

Since we agreed substantially on the implementation of the site, there are still some issues to be resolved.

Provisions need to be clarified so that all any new duties will be removed.

The details can make the difference between a group and a class, since the people in Christmas Square understand at all times what those details are.

We are not going to repeat the same mistake question about the group.

That is why I am insisting that the central points be clearly settled so that there will be no misunderstandings between the two of us right now.

It's not central issues.

It's central points of the detail.

That's right.

And that's referring all along to detail.

That's right.

This is not the point.

The point is, and the only thing that ever gets thrown is this.

That's right.

That's right, it doesn't make that much of a difference.

What do you guys think about how you handled the whole thing?

Well, I didn't try to brush it.

If the individual in the front, don't let him get back to that person.

The wrong way is that he does actually get a huge back.

Let me just spit it out.

It's pretty good, really.

What you said yesterday really answers it the way we ought to answer it.

All right.

And therefore, you're in a position to say nothing but what we're saying.

Very soft, but instead, we have made a major breakthrough.

We have reached a substantial agreement, right, on most of the terms of the settlement.

That's what I'm saying.

The settlement we are ready to conclude, as a firm you should agree, would accomplish the basic objectives I have laid out.

However, there are still some issues to be recalled.

What it is versus the tradition, right?

Which is, I'm going to try to clarify.

I am such a lady-son.

There you go.

And if I were you, I'd say that's it.

I'd say that's it.

That's not it.

That's it.

Central point.

All right.

Yeah.

I only wish I could come to South Dakota because South Dakota is a very, very demeaning state that I have never lost.

And let me say I hope.

That's right.

Let me say that we need a team there.

We need you in that United States Senate because you stand for the things that I stand for.

You stand for peace with honor rather than peace with surrender.

You stand for a strong America rather than a weak America.

You stand for prosperity without war, without inflation.

We stand for it, and we stand for the kind of progress that will build this country in a way that we can all have the opportunity we want.

And I think it will be a – there will be a power of strength in the Senate, and we want you there, and I wish you the very best.

And also I want you to know that you just pointed out that my wife is in no state where she could almost say a granddaughter or something because her parents were married.

So we're very proud of you.

Good luck to you.

Work hard.

Bye.

Hello?

Hello, Cam?

I just called to wish you the very best for on Tuesday, to urge you to work right up to the last time, to say that I'm sorry I can't get to Idaho, but when you go around these next few days, we can express my appreciation for the support I have told people that gave me a plan here, and also Donald, that I told you that we need you in that Senate.

We need our Republicans running for the House and Senate and House.

and I look forward to working with you in the next four years.

As you go today, you can point out that I called in to get to one of the reasons that I know from him, from the work that we've had together in the House, is just how strongly you have supported the administration in working for peace with honor, not surrender, a strong America, not a weak America, and also working for an economy that will provide full employment without inflation, without war, and all those needs, a great deal.

That was supposed to do Idaho's all.

Great, great.

I'll invite you home all together and win, okay?

All right, we'll see you in January.

Bye.

All right.

Hello?

I hired for the purpose of my call just to three days before the election.

I know you've got a lot of campaigns, but all the reports on them are excellent.

I know you're going to win.

I look forward to working with you.

How does it look up there, Michael?

I don't believe that.

But let me tell you on that subject, if it comes up, I'm going to say, well, I've heard it, you can say, wherever people are, I'm going to say, we have made a breakthrough, and I've reached agreement on three main points.

One, her return to her field as a ceasefire, and the right of the South to be able to meet people.

But we're not going to be hurried in a bad settlement.

Am I the opposition?

Yes, this is the focus of the fight.

Many people thought we cared about China.

Many people thought, including the Soviets, some of them come off.

I mean, I don't underestimate what we might be able to do here.

When you tell them I heard that you brought the name and that I am insisting that we're going to end the right kind of peace, that we have made the breakthrough, but now, on the details of our plan, we're not going to do what we had to do.

We're going to bomb it all, but I agree with you.

We're going to write it with the best intention, but this week, peace.

This time, we want real peace, and that's why I made progress.

Okay, that's good.

Great, great.

Well, and also, because of your kind of cross-camera of the armed services, let's stick to that idea that we never want America to be second.

I'm joining the states where they're very close.

The main point is that I made this call and I'll get to Maine in the next four years.

Thank you.

Bye.

Thank you.

Bye.

Let us pick a win.

We'll see you in January.

No, no, no.

You see that?

Oh, great.

Let me see it.

Give me the agreement.

I'll go out for it.

It's a matter of time.

Okay.

Bye.

Now, the purpose of my call is very simple, to wish you the very best on Election Day.

All of our candidates, the very best, can go around the campaign and tell the people of Tennessee that I regretted I couldn't get there, but that I remembered all of my visits in my next four years.

I'll be back just to thank you for supporting me.

And also he, I hope you will say too, that he can go around and he stands for peace with honor, not surrender, but for a strong American, not a weak American.

And therefore, I need partners to create prosperity, not for another place.

I think too, these issues can be an exercise of, well, we have decided to put it up and make it a breakthrough.

And we should bring it on the missions of the sea fire, and the return of our prisoners of war, and stuff.

that we are not consistent with the details.

We nail down so that we won't have kind of a breakdown.

I believe we need to burn one.

Don't you agree with that?

Our brain is trying to say it's all hoax.

It's all hoax.

How are you going to be sure of that?

in Tennessee.

Okay.

All right, well, good luck.

And would you, however, I will not call the house back right now.

Would you personally call every house in the neighborhood and tell them that I've handed them to you by name?

Okay.

We're a little ahead of time.

Alec, Alec, we're a little ahead of time.

You should be ready in 10 minutes.

How about Billy Mills?

Good name for him.

I don't really know him.

He's not on my list.

Okay.

We'll do that in a minute.

Billy Mills.

He is the Los Angeles City Council.

Billy Mills.

Nixon, Haldeman & Ehrlichman on 1972 election and Vietnam War

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on November 4, 1972

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