{"conversationCode":"619-021","tapeNumber":619,"conversationNumber":21,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-619-021","startDateTime":"1971-11-16T17:20:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-11-16T17:22:00.000Z","startDate":"16-Nov-1971","startTime":"12:20 PM","endDate":"16-Nov-1971","endTime":"12:22 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Smith, Kenneth M.; Buchanan, Patrick J.; Allin, Lyndon K.; Bull, Stephen B.; White House photographer;","description":"On November 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Kenneth M. Smith, Patrick J. Buchanan, Lyndon K. Allin, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 619-021 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 619-21\n\nDate: November 16, 1971\nTime: 12:20 pm - 12:22 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Kenneth M. Smith, Patrick J. Buchanan and Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin;\nStephen B. Bull and the White House photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.\n\n     Introductions\n\n     [Photograph session]\n\n     Buchanan\n\n     Allin\n             -News summaries\n                 -William H. Rehnquist\n\n     Rehnquist\n         -Confirmation hearings\n\n     Lewis F. Powell, Jr.\n          -Confirmation hearings\n               -American Bar Association [ABA]\n\n     Rehnquist\n         -Confirmation hearings\n               -Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.\n                    -William O. Douglas and William J. Brennan, Jr.\n                    -Hugo L. Black\n               -Liberals\n\n     Presentation of gifts by the President\n\nSmith et al., left at 12:22 pm.","filename":["619-021.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:20:35","tapeEnd":"02:22:57","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Smith, Kenneth M.","Buchanan, Patrick J.","Allin, Lyndon K.","Bull, Stephen B.","White House photographer"],"prevCode":"619-020","nextCode":"619-022","transcript":[{"start":0.39,"end":2.87,"text":"President Kemp said that."},{"start":2.89,"end":3.07,"text":"Yeah, yeah."},{"start":3.09,"end":4.45,"text":"Well, he's still with us, though."},{"start":4.47,"end":6.42,"text":"He didn't cross the street, right?"},{"start":8.6,"end":14.04,"text":"He's over here again, so."},{"start":15.66,"end":20.79,"text":"I guess he's got to be a fan of that car, yeah?"},{"start":20.83,"end":21.65,"text":"Very good, sir."},{"start":21.75,"end":21.97,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":21.99,"end":24.03,"text":"What would you tell them?"},{"start":24.07,"end":25.33,"text":"What would you tell them?"},{"start":25.35,"end":26.45,"text":"What would you tell them?"},{"start":26.63,"end":26.85,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":29.34,"end":32.76,"text":"Yeah, I don't think I've ever been in a room like this."},{"start":32.8,"end":36.12,"text":"There's been a lot of stuff about why Redwood's being a right-winger."},{"start":36.2,"end":39.42,"text":"I think Redwood's a little bit more of a right-winger."},{"start":39.46,"end":41.1,"text":"He's a pretty good baseman."},{"start":41.12,"end":43.53,"text":"Do you know how to do that?"},{"start":43.59,"end":46.27,"text":"No, do you know how to do that?"},{"start":46.33,"end":46.91,"text":"No, I'll tell you."},{"start":47.21,"end":48.79,"text":"They are having one hell of a time."},{"start":48.81,"end":50.81,"text":"I don't think so, Mark."},{"start":51.63,"end":52.47,"text":"I'll let you say it."},{"start":53.31,"end":55.27,"text":"I'm like, there is an issue."},{"start":57.67,"end":59.83,"text":"But it points up to Harper and Spies, I believe, by now."},{"start":59.85,"end":62.85,"text":"I mean, with Powell, they can't take him on, of course."},{"start":62.87,"end":63.37,"text":"And, boy, he's a sweeper."},{"start":63.39,"end":64.31,"text":"Only the New Yorkers, yeah."},{"start":64.39,"end":67.93,"text":"I mean, you know, you know, you know, Powell, you know, you know, that damn American party."},{"start":68.17,"end":77.9,"text":"Redwoods, you know, they can't put him in this class."},{"start":77.96,"end":79.74,"text":"And Spanford, you know, Green, and Abel, and so on."},{"start":79.76,"end":80.48,"text":"So they're against him, why?"},{"start":80.5,"end":81.64,"text":"Because of what he believes."},{"start":81.66,"end":81.94,"text":"Oh, God, yeah."},{"start":83.06,"end":88.85,"text":"Did Joe Ralph, where was his voice when they appointed William O. Douglas to the court?"},{"start":89.77,"end":91.01,"text":"Or Grant to the court?"},{"start":91.25,"end":94.36,"text":"What was his voice when we appointed Black?"},{"start":94.38,"end":99.38,"text":"The same as you know, the same as Professor Robinson."},{"start":101.86,"end":110.54,"text":"He may turn out to be the strongest man in the world."},{"start":110.96,"end":121.03,"text":"He's young enough, healthy enough, smart enough, and tenacious enough to make it."},{"start":121.05,"end":123.45,"text":"He'll outwork those other guys."},{"start":129.53,"end":129.75,"text":"Sure, I know"}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with Patrick J. Buchanan, Kenneth M. Smith, and Lyndon K. Allin for a brief Oval Office session that included a photo opportunity and gift presentation. The discussion focused on the ongoing Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees William H. Rehnquist and Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Nixon and his advisors particularly addressed liberal opposition to these appointments, specifically criticizing the double standards of critics like Joseph L. Rauh, Jr. regarding past judicial selections.","topics":["William H. Rehnquist","Lewis F. Powell Jr.","Supreme Court confirmation","Joseph L. Rauh Jr.","Judicial appointments"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-07T00:59:40.215Z"},"topicSlugs":["william-h-rehnquist","lewis-f-powell-jr","supreme-court-confirmation","joseph-l-rauh-jr","judicial-appointments"],"audioDurationSec":141,"audioFiles":[{"file":"619-021.mp3","bytes":5665228,"durationSec":141.49,"bitrate":320322,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:51.997Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/619-021.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/619-021","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/619/conversation-619-021","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}