Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 627 › Conversation 627-010

Nixon & Brown on Campaign Finance and Political Accountability

Wednesday, December 1, 1971 · 12:27 PM–12:37 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Brown, Clarence J.Conversation627-010 on Tape 627 (tape position 02:21:54–02:31:04)StartWednesday, December 1, 1971 at 12:27 PMEndWednesday, December 1, 1971 at 12:37 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 627-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Representative Clarence J. Brown discuss political campaign financing and the potential negative consequences of public funding systems. Nixon argues that moving away from individual campaign contributions—which he associates with responsible civic engagement—toward a system of government-funded or "painless" taxation could embolden candidates to act irresponsibly. The conversation highlights their shared concern that decoupling candidates from the traditional financial stakes of donors would diminish political accountability.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 68.7 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:21:54 into the tape and ends around 02:31:04.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:22:04But I just had him do a background check and some talking points, so that when you finish doing the end or something, you decide to do something before you walk out or something like that.
2:22:51How do we get at this speech business?
2:22:55Well, as I thought about it, that's the way that I've been thinking.
2:23:04We're the art of our time.
2:23:07The art of our time.
2:23:08The art of our time.
2:23:09The art of our time.
2:23:11The art of our time.
2:23:13The art of our time.
2:23:14The art of our time.
2:23:17The art of our time.
2:23:50I'm going to make a speech, though.
2:23:56I don't know if you'll be able to hear me.
2:23:59I'm going to make a speech, though.
2:24:09I'm going to make a speech, though.
2:24:12I'm going to make a speech, though.
2:24:21Håll på!
2:25:01Ja, ja.
2:25:03When will the conference be?
2:25:05I need to talk to you.
2:25:33Ah, right, right.
2:25:39Yeah.
2:25:43Right, right.
2:25:50Yes, sir.
2:25:51Yes, sir.
2:25:52Well, it sounded a little like election years, when you did the Chekhov and all the rest.
2:25:58That's really something, isn't it?
2:26:03Yeah.
2:26:13Ja.
2:26:15Ja.
2:26:19Ja.
2:26:20Ja.
2:26:21Ja.
2:26:23Ja.
2:26:23Ja.
2:26:23Ja.
2:26:40Sure.
2:26:41Sure.
2:26:42As far as this, as far as they're saying that this hurts us in 72, that isn't quite a problem, it isn't.
2:26:46I'm going to make sure.
2:26:48Yeah, yeah.
2:27:12Ja.
2:27:19Ja, ja, ja.
2:27:24Ja.
2:27:24Very good point.
2:27:27Ja, ja, ja.
2:27:28Even though the tax on it is too, but it's still a good thing.
2:27:53That's right.
2:27:54That's right.
2:27:55But it's a profound change for another reason.
2:27:56Basically, when we get into this country, we have to realize that when the franchise is limited, basically, the property order is only $50,000.
2:28:08We don't need to live in this country.
2:28:14But the reason for it was really to see that the decisions were made by more responsible people.
2:28:28Now, we have not sent a franchise to everybody, but on the other hand, insofar as participation in campaigns is concerned,
2:28:38Individuals who contribute to campaigns, for the most part, are the more responsible people, whether they be Republicans or Democrats, whether they care about a little money, they have a stake in the system, and they contribute.
2:28:51Once you set up a system whereby, well, the tax system painlessly takes care of it all, then the interest of the people, the responsible people, will go way down.
2:29:04The other side of the question is that as far as the candidate is concerned, he will...
2:29:11Be free as a bird, to be just as totally irresponsible as he wants to be.
2:29:15In other words, they talk about the viciousness of lobbies and so forth.
2:29:20Well, a lobby is a pretty good restraint on some irresponsible guy, as you know.
2:29:25Otherwise, you're just going to slap the bullet.
2:29:28Do you think that probably makes sense?
2:29:32It can't go itself, either way.
2:29:51Try it.
2:30:00Oh, that's true.
2:30:01Yeah.
2:30:01Yeah.
2:30:01Right.
2:30:48On a volunteer, on a basis where he himself decides to make a commitment.
2:30:53Painless labor.
2:30:54It doesn't cost him.

NARA Description

On December 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Clarence J. Brown met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:27 pm to 12:37 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 627-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 627-10

Date: December 1, 1971
Time: 12:27 pm - 12:37 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown.

[See Conversation No. 15-181]

Also recorded on December 1, 1971

  • 627-008 11:42 AM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:46 am.
  • 627-009 11:46 AM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, and James Harvey met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:46 am to 12:26 pm.
  • 015-179 12:15 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and James Harvey talked on the telephone from 12:15 pm to 12:20 pm.
  • 015-180 12:21 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:21 pm.
  • 015-181 12:27 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Clarence J. Brown talked on the telephone from 12:27 pm to 12:37 pm.
  • 627-011 12:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 627-012 12:37 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 627-013 1:15 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:15 pm to 1:17 pm.

All 19 conversations from December 1, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 627-010, December 1, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/627-010 (accessed October 9, 2026).