Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 617-010
Date: Friday, November 12, 1971 at 2:19 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Baker, Howard H., Jr.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/617-010

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:09] If we come down to the situation after the election, Mr., what to do on state, would you feel it would be Richardson to hold an hour?
[0:31] Well, I thought it would be Richardson until his Vietnam thing, which just didn't seem to me a very...
[0:33] I mean, he should have gone to Vietnam when you asked me about it.
[0:38] There are two things that bother me.
[0:40] It's another possibility, Rockefeller.
[0:46] It's a question whether he'd play ball.
[0:51] I think he'd play ball, but he'd be over here alone.
[0:55] Okay.
[0:58] On the other hand, would Richardson get in the line if he were...
[1:03] I think Richardson would get in the line, yeah.
[1:08] Well, he'd be more established, you know.
[1:12] But Mr. President, if you told him ahead of time that you wanted a clean-up of the department and that you wanted him to work, say, with me if I were still here...
[1:24] He's been very good on ATW.
[1:25] I mean, he's been good, but he stands up for those left-wingers over there.
[1:30] I swear to God, he has not been good.
[1:33] No, no, he has been good.
[1:35] I'm not intending to make that as a disaster.
[1:40] I think we better do is to just keep our options open on that.
[1:56] I just don't want to... Rockefeller might be ready at that time to... What I want you to do is... Hello?
[2:01] Yeah?
[2:01] Hello?
[2:01] It's not here to ask you to revoke or anything, but I can't let a young man get old without telling you, so... Don't you get any older?
[2:08] Yeah.
[2:10] Yeah, you look fine.
[2:14] That's right.
[2:15] That's right.
[2:17] Well, I'm glad to see you.
[2:18] See you as one of our younger statesmen who's done all this and that.
[2:24] And you go on the line.
[2:30] OK. OK. Bye.
[2:32] I have the distinct impression that Rockefeller is most anxious to get into the cabinet.
[2:36] And I think it's .
[2:42] It would be outstanding if they had sort of dangled it in front of him because his enthusiasm in the campaign may depend on what he thinks is going to happen.
[3:14] I would also like to indicate that the President is, frankly, considering you the only man in the administration, the only one, you know, and he's got the team.
[3:38] He has confidence in your political bank, confidence in your loyalty, and so forth, and your judgment.
[3:40] And then, frankly, he just figures it's a two-man team.
[3:42] And there, as he has been, frankly, the president, I really appreciate what he wanted to do.
[3:59] He wants you to get the credit on this business.
[4:00] See, I don't want him to think that I'm just letting you be a bad boy.
[4:02] You need to look back.
[4:03] Really, I see the way you do it.
[4:04] But I want, he was the author of your economic policy, and I want him to get the credit for his great mill initiative.
[4:06] And he could get his name associated.
[4:10] But you'll get the credit anyway, too, but...
[4:17] I want him to have a feeling.
[4:25] I just don't want him to think.