Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 748-003
Date: Thursday, July 20, 1972 at 9:45 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operator; Acker, Marjorie P.; Rockefeller, Margaretta ("Happy"); Lovestone, Jay
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/748-003

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Point.
[0:03] Well, it's always a search risk.
[0:09] They all have the little things they want.
[0:12] Farmers for this.
[0:17] All concerned with revenue sharing, which isn't going to change.
[0:20] Five votes in the election.
[0:21] Well, that's what this meeting is about.
[0:23] But I'm on the record now.
[0:26] Or something.
[0:28] Well, you have to do it because it's ours, and it's a good thing.
[0:31] Yeah, yeah.
[0:32] It's a good thing.
[0:34] Yeah.
[0:34] It ultimately is a good thing.
[0:37] Would you check and call me?
[0:57] Okay.
[1:35] This is Nelson Rockefeller, the writer of the New York Times.
[1:39] Goddamn, your mother died.
[1:45] Nelson, you're making a trade.
[1:47] You can't take a good vision.
[1:49] Goddamn, this is not what I should be staffed to get a letter out for.
[1:54] I mentioned that Nelson and I came through.
[1:56] Do you want to be either?
[1:58] We're awfully good at this.
[2:00] We do letters and so forth.
[2:01] But Jesus used to be the wife of the governor of New York's mother.
[2:05] Nothing for the best.
[2:07] Well, it's the life's fault.
[2:09] We have too many people working on things and no responsibility.
[2:14] And things like that, I mean, it's sort of catch as catch can.
[2:22] Well, we do get very, very systematic.
[2:26] We're pretty good.
[2:26] I mean, I see letters and flowers and everybody to tell a lot of people less important.
[2:47] I'll come back to the labor thing.
[2:49] McGovern cannot do that now, Mr. President.
[2:51] He will do two things.
[2:52] If he attacks the labor bosses, he will alienate them now as a labor rank and file.
[2:58] Not because he attacks the labor bosses, but because he sucked around and tried to get them.
[3:03] And then when he couldn't get them, it was Saturday.
[3:05] That's weakness to them.
[3:07] Jesus, you just can't do that.
[3:09] You went in there on the legitimate issue, where it was the public versus me on the payboard.
[3:15] And you hit them, and you
[3:16] But you hit him fair and square.
[3:17] I wondered if you were going to have a problem with your friend about the power broker statement.
[3:24] For most of them?
[3:25] No.
[3:26] He didn't want to fall down.
[3:27] He said he couldn't see anything.
[3:29] He is.
[3:30] He was trying to set a picture.
[3:32] Okay.
[3:45] Okay.
[3:46] Shave those off.
[3:47] There we go.
[3:49] This is a shot to find his car.
[3:53] And then, Tom, I'm going to listen to you.
[3:54] I'm going to tell you that you know something.
[4:01] I'm sorry.
[4:01] I'm going to tell you that you know something.
[4:14] I was the president.
[4:15] I'm complicated.
[4:16] The president never took me on.
[4:19] The president of the interview and others, I've never been involved, never done.
[4:24] I've always shown respect for him as, you know, what a great American.
[4:27] Well, just say to the member of my institution, I'm going to try to have a great American.
[4:31] When others do not stand up on things that I told in this conference, a week after my office here, a week after he kicked me in the ass down there and there, that he was a great American.
[4:42] He stood by matters of nationality.
[5:01] is kneeling about that around because he wanted their votes.
[5:03] What are your feelings about the way it's carried?
[5:05] Bob was pleased with it.
[5:07] I didn't care.
[5:09] Most times.
[5:09] Yeah.
[5:10] Enormously.
[5:11] I couldn't have played better.
[5:13] Played better out there.
[5:15] Yes, sir.
[5:15] Only a fellow who started down for it.
[5:17] Let's...