Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 465-002
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 1971 at 9:33 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Safire, William L.; Butterfield, Alexander P.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/465-002

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[2:51] Oh, right.
[2:54] I was wondering, have you... Actually, it's a little shorter than the last draft.
[3:12] It's about 3,100 words.
[3:14] The last speech you gave, you gave it about 116 words a minute.
[3:20] Well, I thought I made a couple of cuts.
[3:23] Two questions.
[3:24] What about the national history?
[3:39] Has that reached you far?
[3:43] Well, it didn't offend Chief Justice Krueger.
[3:48] Basically, the missile didn't get thrown by the... Well, look at the way it's handled.
[3:59] I know it's handled all right.
[4:02] I'm just wondering if the lead was picked out.
[4:09] Let's talk finally.
[4:11] And if you...
[4:17] National tragedy, I think, could have more sorrow than anger in it.
[4:24] Disaster.
[4:47] A deep national concern?
[4:52] Deep.
[5:14] And that reform, the years of neglect, have been the years of neglect.
[5:20] The ones that made reform have been the years of neglect.
[5:26] And now the demand for reform of the American system is going to be the first national crime in the United States.
[5:43] That was a good kind of describing the problem there, therefore we should have .
[6:29] That's striking.
[6:31] How about using the first part of that as the lead to benefit?
[6:34] Next page.
[6:36] Lead to hard work and dedicated joy is something that's important.
[6:39] It's just something that's in the news.
[6:45] That's right.
[6:51] Well, I would make it seem like this is the conclusion.
[6:56] The next barrier is essentially one point.
[7:03] I'd modify it by saying many hard work.
[7:20] That puts, that leads entirely in terms of your idea of protecting the community.
[7:29] That's what the hell we're talking about.
[7:30] This paragraph was created by Patrick J. Buchanan.
[7:39] Okay, let's just let it go now.
[7:42] The only other thing, I know it's a nice balance, but I notice we break the eight-gallon law back here.
[7:51] Do you... Can we really slow down?
[8:01] Respect the law.
[8:05] Respect the law.
[8:06] Well, I know that it doesn't balance with your hate law.
[8:10] I see what you're down to say.
[8:14] We've got hate law and love law.
[8:16] Respect is what I have to say.
[8:21] Maybe we can get another balance then.
[8:22] We live in a time of headlines and maybe we're those who show an act of disrespect for all institutions.
[8:28] By those who show an act of disrespect for all institutions.
[8:32] By those who
[8:41] What's the matter?
[8:43] Are we using these radicals as a ploy?
[8:47] Well... My word is that we're mostly using the term, love the law.
[9:10] We lawyers understand that, Bill.
[9:11] I don't think people love the law.
[9:16] They either love the law, or lawyers, or cops, or anything.
[9:19] You know what I mean?
[9:21] Right.
[9:21] Is it within the professional term?
[9:23] It's within the professional term.
[9:24] You say, I love the law.
[9:25] Well, I don't know.
[9:28] You see what I mean?
[9:28] Right.
[9:29] That's what concerns me.
[9:31] The fact that it's fine for lawyers, but not for folks.
[9:35] What about doing both?
[9:36] but only if accomplished by those who, by the people who respect the law, and the professionals who love them, or led by those who love them.
[9:47] No.
[9:47] I don't think we'll follow the law again at all, either use it like this or not use it at all.
[9:56] I'd like to defy the law and respect the law.
[10:12] Garment and Krogh will both want to add one sentence about legal services.
[10:33] I think it will be criticized if you don't say something about, I approve in principle the idea of legal services.
[10:40] I don't care.
[10:48] All right.
[10:50] You've got this new thing coming out with the spitting it off as a separate corporation.
[10:56] And I thought that since you're going to do that, go in that direction.
[10:59] You ought to say something about it.
[11:01] I'm all for legal services for the poor.
[11:05] I'm going to do something in that direction.
[11:08] I'm going to do it at the right time.
[11:10] It's not subject to this one here.
[11:14] But I don't mind being criticized for that.
[11:17] It's a good one.
[11:19] Definitely in one way or another, you just put the whole pop over this.
[11:26] That's fine.
[11:27] That's fine, John.
[11:28] That's good.
[11:28] This photo I just received is...
[11:30] I'll send this down to Helicopter Wicked.
[11:32] This is the Berger and Mark for the same thing.
[11:36] It's a dull speech.
[11:38] He has to be going.
[11:40] He's a remarkable man.
[11:41] He really worked on this.
[11:42] But I spent a lot of time in your speech on weighing every word.
[11:51] Has this been the final line of the war?
[11:54] No.
[12:07] Do you want to last crack it this way?
[12:09] No, that's just fine.
[12:11] I did it last time.
[12:13] Okay.
[12:15] Okay.
[12:16] Fine.
[12:16] Fine.
[12:17] Good.
[12:18] Oh, yeah, that's right.
[12:20] We did another one.
[12:22] There you go.
[12:25] I thought it was a, I thought it was a good initiative.
[12:27] I thought it was, recently I did a little interview with you, but it's all very like, I've given them to various people.
[12:35] I've had Stuart Alsop and,
[12:42] various others and so forth.
[12:44] And I thought he was doing one for the Times.
[12:47] It's not a bad idea to take it with a sigh.
[12:50] Because he's the only one that's got any damn balance up there, left, you know.
[12:54] Well, everybody can make any balance with foreign policy.
[12:58] He's balanced with foreign policy.
[12:59] Scottie and the others aren't too bad at domestic policy.
[13:02] He's not an optimist.
[13:04] He's not the greatest genius in the world, but he's a bit of a solider for it.
[13:13] I think you're right about the world, I'm sure.
[13:18] I said to him, when he asked me, he said, do you mind if I use this?
[13:21] I said, no.
[13:21] I said, it's nice if you want to.
[13:29] Yes, sir.
[13:30] I want to sign it, then.
[13:31] Where's that due?
[13:32] Well, it'll be in two parts, and Mark Griggs is going to come in and just give you a...
[13:35] I'm not going to do anything on television, so that's, uh... Well, what if he tells I'm on television?
[13:39] Yes, sir.
[13:39] Yes, sir.
[13:40] This is a debate.
[13:41] You have to come in for individual handshakes, with all the actors taking the photograph, and then signing over there.
[13:48] I'll let you take a look for the photograph.
[13:50] See?
[13:50] I'll just...
[13:52] I have to check.
[13:53] I thought I was going to sign it.
[13:55] Do you have the, uh...
[13:57] Bring me the, bring me the talking paper, please.
[13:59] I have it there.
[14:04] Mail it to this man, I'm gonna say it.
[14:10] He asked that question because he thought we'd be glad to submit it to you for correction.
[14:15] I said, of course not.
[14:17] You know, I can correct anything in my life.
[14:21] He was surprised.
[14:21] That's the foolish thing ever to do, though.
[14:25] If you don't trust your court, and if your court isn't good enough, your court's your life.
[14:31] I treated it as an enormous compliment.
[14:33] I'm handling that sentence.
[14:34] Is there?
[14:35] Have you been writing the story yet?
[14:39] No, we don't.
[14:40] I never.
[14:41] I never.
[14:41] Any such story has been heard.
[14:47] Just play along.
[14:49] I just went off.
[17:22] We're not going to bother much with this because I'm just going to stop it so you don't need to
[17:28] It's a very simple setup.
[17:30] It's just, you bring it right in, and I'll march it out.
[17:34] I've got some people waiting here to speak to us.
[17:36] We can enter the Rosenthal's office and Alex's office.
[17:40] Well, I may not be safe in there.
[17:42] There's a desk immediately to the left of the microphone.
[17:46] And that when you finish, just pocket the pen, and Steve will pass out the ceremonial pens for people.
[17:58] All right.
[17:59] All right.
[18:00] OK.