Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 468-012
Date: Tuesday, March 16, 1971 at 12:35 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); McCarthy, Jack; Cashen, Henry C., II; White House photographer
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/468-012
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417176199 (NAID 417176199)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] I live in New York.
[0:17] President Jack Parker, how are you?
[0:18] This is my first day here.
[0:18] We got to see you here a day early.
[0:19] Well, I had a little bit of a run in the day.
[0:20] I had a little bit from Gil Crush, Jackson, Indiana, Seattle, Harris, and Atlanta.
[0:22] How did you like that place?
[0:22] It's a little bit, a little bit from the small side.
[0:23] No, it wasn't.
[0:24] It wasn't.
[0:30] And now they've got two sons.
[0:51] And they walk you down.
[0:52] I did.
[0:52] And I didn't dislike Jack because he had a son before.
[0:53] And he tried to counsel us.
[0:54] So I'm going to think Jack would probably look at all of his houses.
[0:55] Good to see you.
[0:55] He goes, Bob's great.
[0:56] Well, he, you know, he kept, you know, I'm going to be like, what are you doing?
[0:57] He just sit there.
[0:58] And that's all part of the saints.
[0:59] But you have to remember, I'm jumping into the cold pool with him.
[1:03] He just takes a little bit more of a shot.
[1:15] That won't do it.
[1:16] No kidding.
[1:16] Just a shot.
[1:16] Just a shot.
[1:16] And it's the same.
[1:17] Just a shot.
[1:19] Tell me, how many years have you been here?
[1:43] 23.
[1:44] 23 years.
[1:44] Yeah, how did you happen to start this service here?
[1:45] Well, I was hired as a sports announcer for WKX.
[1:46] And they came up the spring and they had the equipment to cover baseball.
[1:47] And they said, look, let's see what happens when we go outside.
[1:49] So they decided to do a one-hour parade.
[1:49] So I stopped to do the parade for an hour, about three quarters of the hour.
[2:05] I've gone by the coast of the P.O.C.
[2:06] for an hour.
[2:06] I'll be on the P.O.C.
[2:07] in a minute.
[2:07] Oh, yeah, shut up and sleep.
[2:08] So I'm listening to this thing, and I'm exhausted by now.
[2:09] And then they said, what?
[2:09] Please, if you can, would you hold it?
[2:10] Well, anyway, I had four more hours.
[2:11] But as long as my mother taught me, you know, my father was involved with the rebellion.
[2:21] You know what I mean?
[2:23] and it all came back, you know, and Emma's speech at the docket, and all these things.
[2:45] It was like, I don't know, Mr. President, it seemed like it just came down.
[2:47] I don't know how it just appeared.
[2:48] It just seemed like it was sent down.
[2:48] I had no trouble finding the words.
[2:49] As our poetry came, and it all came with itself from there on in.
[2:50] Now, I've done six heavyweight championships in France.
[2:51] I've done football, 25 years of racing for NBC.
[2:52] And in New York, again, I'm not going to show you here.
[2:58] That show.
[2:58] That's right.
[2:59] I mean, that's right.
[3:00] That's what I believe.
[3:01] And you were over there.
[3:09] You went to Jack's other places, too.
[3:11] Oh, yes.
[3:12] Oh, you are.
[3:17] That's right.
[3:17] And I didn't know the others, but I...
[3:18] I hear a lot of them are supposed to be going somewhere.
[3:19] A lot.
[3:20] Yes.
[3:20] He's going to be building a big hotel there.
[3:21] Yes.
[3:21] When he's coming over there, I'm going to steal this, but it's still really exciting.
[3:23] It's not fantastic.
[3:23] You know what I mean?
[3:23] He loves the people.
[3:36] That's why he's a great, good-hearted man.
[3:37] Always.
[3:37] That's because I think there are many wealthy people, some wealthier than he is.
[3:39] That doesn't mean he isn't like that.
[3:40] He's not having more fun around the world.
[3:42] He's got more.
[3:42] He doesn't care about the young kids.
[3:44] No, he's got more.
[3:44] He doesn't care about the rich kids.
[3:46] I told him about my son.
[3:59] I actually wrote a letter.
[3:59] I have a son that's an honor student down at the United States Air Force Academy.
[4:01] This is an American.
[4:01] I was telling him, you know, I'm honored.
[4:02] He said, you know,
[4:02] You know, this is my country.
[4:19] And, you know, he comes in there and looks around and...
[4:21] I'm the luckiest man.
[4:42] I've got a wonderful wife from the Midwest.
[4:43] I've got... What's your marriage?
[4:44] Well, it's just advertising.
[4:45] She gave me up to make her career in advertising.
[4:46] And now, she had to... She said, now that I'm in this... At that time, I was an Irish guy.
[4:47] I was doing sports.
[4:48] I was doing sports at a station.
[4:48] Yeah.
[4:49] And I was walking by one of these things.
[4:49] You had a good life.
[4:50] I'll try it.
[4:50] Yeah.
[4:50] Sports, you know, it was a great life.
[4:58] It wasn't disappointed.
[4:59] It was a glorious American Odyssey.
[5:00] My family came as immigrants.
[5:01] My mother is 86 years of age.
[5:13] And one of the big things is when I bring in your picture and put it in your hands, because she's really, oh yes, yes.
[5:16] When your wife went to me, oh, they don't know you, they don't know you, they don't know you, they don't know you, they don't know you.
[5:21] You're very busy, and I want to thank you for taking this time.
[5:44] I appreciate it.
[5:45] You're very welcome.
[5:45] Right here.
[5:45] You've been a poet.
[5:46] Very good.
[5:46] That's the official present.
[5:47] That's just how your son probably is, too.
[5:47] Yes, thank you.
[5:48] Now for your mother.
[5:48] She gets all the wonderful boy in your life.
[5:49] Thank you.
[5:49] Now for you.
[5:50] That's the present.
[5:50] Thank you.
[5:50] Now for your son.
[5:51] Well, I have a younger son, but the younger son, yes, he is 18 years of age, but I think I'll take him.
[6:09] I'll take him.
[6:09] Thank you very, very much.
[6:09] But you might lose that dog also if you want more.
[6:10] You don't have to ask me.
[6:13] You have a nice view, aren't you?
[6:21] You're that funny.
[6:21] You ever heard these singers before?
[6:22] Yes, they're great.
[6:23] You know, they put on a real show, a little show of standing so straight.
[6:24] You know, they're straight.
[6:25] Yeah, that's what I have.
[6:28] They're blocking the water.
[6:30] It's okay.
[6:33] We stopped at a plumb place.
[6:34] Plumb now for a little while.
[6:35] Oh, I see.
[6:35] Oh, I see.
[6:36] Yeah, it's sort of believed to then give them tea.
[6:37] Yeah, yeah.
[6:37] And I believe this is just a fraction.
[6:38] They want to criticize it.
[6:39] I can't get water.
[6:46] And one fellow told me, I said, gee, he's a hard man.
[6:56] He's a hard man.
[6:57] He's a hard man.
[6:57] I said, is he a hard man?
[7:01] He said, is he a hard man?
[7:02] He said, the softest part of that man is his teeth.
[7:03] I thought it was a real thing, sir.
[7:03] What did I say?
[7:09] Back in 1966 on O'Connell Street they had that.
[7:33] Well, yes, the Nelson Pillar disappeared.
[7:46] I have a fellow that is purely a figment of my imagination and what I said.
[7:50] I was talking to Pierce Tiernan the other day, and it appears I was quite a bit of action when I got there on O'Connell Street the other day.
[7:55] He says, no, I should know.
[7:56] I said, I want you to describe it.
[7:57] He said, that was a couple of fun-forming Irish women with a load of dynamite, building themselves an empty space.
[8:01] Thank you, Mr. President.
[8:05] I'm Paul Parker.
[8:05] God bless you.