Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 487-005
Date: Friday, April 23, 1971 at 10:40 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Safire, William L.; Bull, Stephen B.; Woods, Rose Mary
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/487-005

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:25] Well then we just stop and say
[2:18] I feel it.
[2:25] I mean, I have an intuition.
[2:32] And I'd like to have an answer.
[2:36] Now, the answer, I know they'll say, well, why use the blanks?
[2:37] I say, listen, I didn't ask.
[2:38] We don't do secret service.
[2:38] That's their business.
[2:39] They didn't do it.
[2:39] They didn't do it.
[2:40] They didn't do it.
[2:40] All that.
[2:40] We are going to pay what we would have to pay for private citizens.
[2:42] We're not going to have to have them do that.
[2:43] The answer is, that is my answer.
[2:46] The answer is that that is not going to be big enough.
[2:48] to one, the cost to you.
[2:53] See, that's $2,000 for six months.
[2:57] That's $8,000 a year at the rate of the last six months.
[3:07] Of course, the only is raising it if you're interested.
[3:21] thing is not going to do any good because they're going to say well Christ so he pays $20 and the cost of the trip is $3,000 so what good does that do I guess for instance it wasn't going to go over the story on that
[3:50] back to Anderson.
[3:55] Anderson said, you're right, there isn't any story.
[3:56] Then he didn't use any word of that.
[3:57] He ran one paragraph.
[3:57] Facts are that the Secret Service has said that they are flying military aircraft.
[4:04] This is on the recommendation of President Johnson.
[4:30] I don't think, let's assume that you're not worried too much about the money, what would you do?
[4:45] To make contributions to us, there's a lot of people, I'm okay if there's been caddy contributions.
[4:50] We'll find a way to, and let's just look at it frankly as a political contribution, it's necessary.
[4:57] You go after the California campaign and you probably forget what the hell you might be reimbursed for all the expense of that everything.
[5:18] I just never worry about it.
[5:18] I think it's part of the drill here.
[5:19] And you kind of have to assume that that is, and then we'll just work out a rough way of .
[5:22] The way you put it is, is really, if the money didn't make any difference,
[5:29] I liked the idea when you said you'd do it.
[6:10] Well, but maybe it's paid off because we haven't had any problems.
[6:18] I think I'll say this, but let me say, you just worked out a way where I compensated.
[6:25] Basically, we're paying it for political reasons.
[6:30] It's paid for the balance of the account.
[6:31] We can do the ocean.
[6:33] You know that, you know.
[6:33] I have to.
[6:51] to Johnson and Steele and Higgins, and nobody, even he didn't take on that promise.
[6:58] That's just, you know, we go down to Williamsburg there, and Humboldt's like, I just can't understand.
[7:03] We won't come down as his guests.
[7:05] You should.
[7:06] Oh, we won't.
[7:06] Not as well.
[7:07] Sure.
[7:08] And he said, you guys are out of your freaking minds.
[7:13] And we said, no, we won't.
[7:13] Everybody else can't pay.
[7:14] And he said, well, that isn't the way it's been done.
[7:16] You see, that's the way it's
[7:24] It's a personal thing.
[7:27] There's no reason for them to extend anything personal.
[8:56] better about it.
[8:58] You don't have to worry about is somebody going to catch it.
[9:04] He just felt good about it.
[9:08] And I didn't let him pay.
[9:08] I paid him all the way.
[9:09] It's like the kids came out here from Long, Rio Grande High School.
[9:12] That's right.
[9:12] Well, we can go ask the merchant.
[9:30] It's a...
[11:49] the meaning of this culture is very strong here.
[11:52] You should know about it.
[12:38] Oh, my God.
[13:03] may have saved the welfare reform in the House.
[13:14] And also, I would say, in that speech, you can go back and read it, but don't read what they prepared.
[13:22] Read the idea that I talked about with my mother.
[13:26] You know, they managed to grant high schools and that, but, you know, instead of taking the money and giving it to the foundation to pay the taxes they were on.
[13:37] It's a lot easier.
[13:42] We want everybody to have a heart, but the point is that it doesn't come.
[13:47] If you do it all the way through,
[14:52] enormous reaction from that man.
[16:26] and help themselves reduce the utility costs.
[16:33] So they say that stuff is not great.
[16:36] They use the line, for example, we had one that caught their attention.
[16:39] It was the idea that the well-bearing woman, the well-bearing extreme said, we won't do those machine jobs.
[16:43] And I said, now what the hell
[17:56] that the construction period people were here last week.
[18:31] And I want to tell you why.
[18:37] You might say guaranteeing an income.
[18:50] It seems to be that greatly.
[19:57] Take care of the American.
[22:36] It is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be, it is to be.
[23:26] I saw people there at Christmas, and they had no hope of ever getting well.
[23:35] And they were better off than many in that state, through the dues and charity that they received.
[23:41] But we should do better by then.
[23:58] I think
[24:48] It was.
[24:49] That used to be true.
[24:50] I used to believe that.
[24:53] But, uh, after checking those figures in California, good guys become goddamn right.
[24:59] And I don't mean disorders and bumps.
[25:03] I mean, they're just a hell of a lot of people that, that are likely late and say, well, I'm not gonna work.
[25:06] It's, uh, it's mean.
[25:06] They're, uh, they're just nice.
[25:07] They don't take the welfare.
[25:08] It's become a way of life.
[25:09] I, I don't, uh... Yeah, I'm worried about that counterattack, though.
[25:48] Don't worry.
[25:50] I got the baby, sir.
[25:52] Childcare, anything.
[25:54] Mainly, you know, we're all about having the whole speech about it.
[26:03] That's the problem.
[26:06] But you take a look at the full text of it.
[26:09] Are you sure you got the campaign?
[26:10] Other than the kids saying, let's get them off the wall, put them right on the ground.
[26:13] That's right.
[26:14] That was simple.
[26:14] The doormat got more than that.
[26:15] The doormat got more.
[26:39] If you've got the, if there's anything else you want to drop, maybe just, we could go to, if you go to 2,500, that's 20 minutes.
[26:59] Maybe you're right.
[27:00] I'd like to get to 2,000.
[27:03] I'll get it back here.
[27:04] There's nothing for me to hold.
[27:05] I would have nothing to add now.
[27:05] But I'd like to see it.
[27:06] I'd like to see it drop.
[28:32] We'll talk about that later.
[29:30] All of this out here will
[30:03] I've told you, I've given equipment.
[30:15] I've given you any equipment.
[30:17] I've given you enough.
[30:17] This is the energy we need.
[31:12] And so we didn't find out.
[31:17] We found that it was chair-to-chair.
[31:19] It was proposed by them.
[31:23] It was prepared that every president, the next one by everybody who got it all, the president said, fine, send it out to the regions.
[31:33] Because he understood that.
[31:51] have to have been Bill or somebody who was traveling with him who hadn't seen him.
[31:57] Because the objection and the leak and the market cow business, all that came after Bill got back, a week after the release had been put out.
[32:06] Think about their pain.
[32:48] that we want to do here.
[32:51] I think you heard that idea here.
[32:53] We suggested that.
[33:39] It's a very funny movie.
[34:54] We're going to start an attack.
[36:26] Okay, you might need to put it on.
[37:39] in the Booger Goats this year.
[37:44] You could put John in.
[37:46] Don't you have to put John in as a character.
[37:51] Hold on.
[37:52] No.
[37:52] And you need John here, I think, through the election.
[37:55] But I could put a character in after the election.
[37:58] John wanted FBI.
[37:59] Or we wanted CIA to put him over there.
[38:00] He'd be all good with CIA.
[38:00] He might be a lot smarter to take CIA than FBI.
[38:03] FBI is not an interesting job.
[38:05] CIA could be a fascinating job.
[38:12] both BCIA director or PI director.
[38:58] This week.
[39:29] and she turned it down and I wrote her a note
[42:57] Here's the original TV documentary
[44:23] I'm going commercial.
[44:33] I'm going, actually.
[44:40] I suppose he did.
[44:42] Well, I'm going, the Yeagers invited me and the Governor, but they're friends with Governor Nunn.
[44:49] Well, we do check, you check, you tell John that's where you're going.
[44:57] It may be that you can hold it up enough to take a plane.
[44:59] I don't know whether John may use it.
[45:01] Talk to Don Hughes.
[45:03] Don Hughes, maybe they don't want to take it.
[45:04] Maybe they feel it's not proper to take it up.
[45:07] I'll find out, because I know I'm invited, and I'm sure that if the Mitchells are going, they are, to the Cornelius Vanderbilt-Whitney Big Dinner Dance on Thursday night.
[45:20] And the Governor's Derby Breakfast.
[45:23] And the only reason I agreed to go, because it is work, it's like Massachusetts, you know, but if you can talk to some of these
[45:31] That's great.
[45:32] P-Boys.
[45:33] That's great.
[45:34] So you do that one, and do the other.
[45:38] You're gonna do the thing tonight.
[45:40] Go to the big dance, and all the rest, and you know, get jazzed up, and see you the next morning.
[45:54] And, uh, I'd be glad to call you, but you just called on.
[45:55] You just don't raise a subject in the cities.
[45:56] But if, if, for example, if you ship, uh, Metro on, uh, a government plane, and you go down and make a speech there or something,
[46:00] Yes, I think she may be going.
[46:09] I don't know if she's going to all the events, but I'll ask her.
[50:10] Well, the reason I wanted to see you, I don't usually ask, was because I didn't want to wait in the last minute and tell them I couldn't go.
[50:21] It's an amazing interest, like in Massachusetts, as I told you, all those people want to know, and it's good to talk to a lot of those people.
[50:34] They appreciate what you're doing, and you don't see a lot of, it's too bad you can't see a lot of it.
[51:33] is so infected by the damn universities.
[51:40] Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Smith, Holyoke, you realize all those lousy universities are there, and they produce bad people, and they have bad people around them.
[51:52] That's all there is to it.
[51:54] Boston U and Boston College, in terms are, it's really terrible.
[51:58] The universities in that area, the school system produces a bunch of left-wingers.
[52:00] They're the worst, you know?
[52:03] They are the ones who really want to ruin this country.
[52:09] They really do.
[52:16] Diane just made a good comment about the veterans once in a while, you know, that I had on the news.
[52:24] And she said, well, if they're turning them back in now, why did they take them?
[52:28] If they felt that way.
[52:29] See, this shows people are working on these.
[52:32] You know, they've done radical work on these.
[52:34] If they didn't feel that that metal was on, they shouldn't have taken it in the first place if they really felt that way.
[52:41] Then they act on a couple of miles.
[52:45] For the most part, they're a pretty motley bunch.
[52:48] They could be easily worked on.
[52:49] That's why they're here.
[52:50] Look at the many of them who are back who are...
[52:54] out working and have done their duty.
[52:58] I don't dare go around these people because I just want to hit at them.
[53:11] Oh, of course it is.
[53:14] Look how hard you spell Abzerk or whatever that terrible beast name is.
[53:19] Look how hard she's working on it.
[53:21] And all the
[53:22] These congressmen and senators who are out shouting and encouraging these people, I tell you, if it's... Kennedy, Kennedy, Mathias, Hartke, or Hartke, all these people are encouraging them to show up, be here on the 24th.
[53:39] They're, you know, urging these people to come here.
[53:43] Somehow or other, we have to be able to mow every one of them down in the next election.
[53:48] Too bad some of them are in for six years already.
[53:51] We hope at least we can.
[53:52] Carl Curtis' statement last night on the radio anyway was good, after those senators.
[54:02] I didn't see those senators.
[54:04] But I did hear, I had my radio on, and he sounded very good on the radio saying,
[54:11] Where were all these people?
[54:13] They were very quiet all through all this time of the escalation of the war.
[54:18] And now, and he recited how much you had done.
[54:21] And now, why now?
[54:24] Why now are they talking when we are anything?
[54:26] And he really did a good job.
[54:27] I was very proud of him.
[54:31] Yeah, well, Tad was very good, too.
[54:32] Tad's just been very good, amazingly good.
[54:35] And Saxby.
[54:36] Well, and Saxby.
[54:36] I've been absolutely shocked at Saxby doing something for us.
[54:40] Well,
[54:42] But we're not going to lose them.
[54:47] That's the other thing.
[54:48] You see, these people want to get it over and let it go communist.
[54:50] They don't care what happens.
[54:52] And then if everything goes communist and then eventually it's going to react and ruin this country, then it won't be because they hollered and they said this.
[55:02] Who is it?
[55:02] It's you.
[55:03] And basically it's the country.
[55:06] I think a lot of people know that.
[55:08] Of course they're tired of the war.
[55:09] Everyone's tired of the war.
[55:10] No one could be more tired of it than you.
[55:12] No one.
[55:14] That's what I always tell them.
[55:15] There isn't a soul on earth for one's peace in Vietnam anymore than you do.
[55:22] They're terrible phonies.
[55:26] They holler about, you know what else the Democrats think we so mad?
[55:29] They talk about how they had this big dinner, $500, and of course they weren't like the wealthy Republicans, having it be $1,000.
[55:38] And they are in debt.
[55:40] They owe everyone.
[55:41] You know that they don't want them back in Chicago because they haven't paid for that convention yet.
[55:45] So Jim Worthy told me anyway.
[55:50] And they don't pay anyone.
[55:53] And when they get in, they steal, and they start invading Johnson.
[56:06] Of course, they talk about Fowler, Belder, Henders, Kennedy, and Johnson when they started that.
[56:14] They shut them down real good.
[56:15] Well, and they even had them right in their own...
[56:16] I think it was... Of course, the real...
[56:16] They're one of the real... Goddamn presses.
[56:17] So it's...
[56:17] It's unfair.
[56:18] They don't do hard to the Republicans.
[56:19] They're out trying to ask these people, and they put them off.
[56:20] Apparently, the guy that's really good, and only good on that damn veteran's group, I mean, good from a PR standpoint, is Kerry.
[56:23] Do you ever see it?
[56:27] No.
[56:27] Well, I hardly ever see this.
[56:33] Well, they don't.
[56:34] And the thing is that a few people have tried to say it.
[56:38] Well, even these veterans and all this.
[56:41] They just have given them way too much space on time in newspapers and everywhere.
[56:48] But they always do.
[56:50] Rose Press.
[56:52] It's not worth saving in this country.
[56:59] It's corrupt.
[56:59] And basically, left.
[57:01] And that's 90% of them.
[57:08] Only 10%, but I can say the worst thing.
[57:10] Not one bit more.
[57:11] One thing he asked me the other day, whether I got annoyed when George and I said...
[57:15] He said, I said, well, I don't know if this is funny.
[57:18] He said, you know, annoyed isn't the right word.
[57:20] I said, I just, I failed to understand.
[57:23] He said, I can understand there'd be a difference of opinion if you go around.
[57:27] He said, you know, sometimes reporting people get different opinions.
[57:30] And I went, I said, that kind I can understand, but when a fact is known, and a well-known fact, and you read it in someone's column or hear it on the air, then I can't understand that.
[57:41] You know, I said, I can understand when it's speculation or somebody else, but when it's a well-known fact, it's just beyond me how anyone can get up and say something.
[57:50] Oh, he was very nice.
[57:54] So I hope they put it on sometime.
[57:58] They will.
[58:01] Yes, we have to get it.
[58:04] You said a traditional story that behind every good executive there's a secretary.
[58:23] What's a secretary?
[58:23] Do you know that something is the best secretary?
[58:24] Is there only one?
[58:25] I mean, no, I can't say that.
[58:25] All I can say is that I think he's a tremendous man, and I'm very lucky to have had a chance to be a secretary.
[58:28] But it's very scary.
[58:29] Oh, it's hard.
[58:30] It's very scary.