Nixon, Ehrlichman & Bull on 1974 Budget and Congressional relations

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I want to take just one thing with you.

We talked about confirmation last night.

We're not going to acquiesce in trying to be confirmed, but we are going to be sending him to the field to testify.

I don't want you to be surprised by that, because that was off the line of what we were talking about last night.

Third, it's just that too much of a load.

And Peter can do some of the testimony on international economic policy.

Sure.

As a matter of fact, I can offer an inward testimony.

That's a good signal.

I offer.

Would you offer Ash a testimony?

Oh, sure.

You bet.

So they'll have Ash, George, and Flagler.

Yep.

Okay.

What do you think?

It's true.

There is no legitimate distinction, but we never have, and we've got the support of our corporations, such as Medicaid, that has the domestic council corporations, and we don't have the leverage.

That's one of the problems, is that if you don't get any money, it doesn't show up.

And so, honestly, if this world doesn't have power, we can't

It was an interesting psychotherapy session.

Yeah.

Mills is going to, he says, I'll never get Mayhem around.

And he says, I'll never get a sentencing through the House.

So he says, what we'll do, we'll just put a Dexium, which is paid to the President's sentencing.

Then he says, the President's got all the power.

Let's see where it goes.

Well, actually, as you know, there was both meeting times where he worked with those guys over in Kansas City.

I think we've got them in that position.

You know, it's too bad.

We can't do it.

It's because of the medicine.

In fact, it's too bad that that kind of thing couldn't be on call.

Yeah, yeah.

I said, sit in there and stand right there.

Well, I'm excited.

I started to go hard there.

I said, you guys are just going to try to be a tax increase.

If you're a tax increase, you're not going to be mine.

You know, that's the way to say it.

I'd like to do whatever I can to help this guy to do better, otherwise there's going to be a tax increase.

What would you think about giving that to Newsweek or the Times to run along with their budget story?

Sure.

David Dixon, if I talk to the Times, you've got to know about me and my car.

I think a little of that color and background is the feel of this meeting and so I'm concerned about time so they don't think you're at the day of deliberately publishing certain confessions.

So I don't want to get any content tied amongst you.

I really want Henry to stay away from it.

Okay.

I'll get this all fissured in.

Who's doing it?

What is the story?

I'm just going to get the feel of this meeting.

Sure.

If you've been talking to time people anyway and you just say thank you for talking to them, that doesn't give them the feeling that we're totally cutting them off, right?

But if you have an objection, I'll do that.

Not alone.

I won't see it in general.

News of the, uh, the, uh, yeah, but the, it is a U.S., you know, it's a great connection.

They're, they're going to do this, yeah.

But sure, they will contact us.

I don't know if they're going to do it over time.

They say, you know, it's really, uh, and also we'll be talking about it too, so.

Well, I think that the debate among the Democratic leaders is also a thing without a gate in there.

That Mahan expressed his dismay, that there was back and forth, that they obviously not... That one guy that turned out really great was Cedar Heidelberg.

Cedar Heidelberg stands right up there.

That's right.

Yeah.

But Snape just sat there like a little bump on the lawn.

Well, we're all, Schultz, Ash, and I are all working with him.

Yeah.

Well, there's one thing, in other words, there's one that we're having redone, and Snead is working on it, and he's working to our specifications.

And we can tell him that it isn't in final form and that it will be up in a few days.

And it will be.

You're saying that the President asked for it.

Yeah.

We want to really get it over with for this.

Right.

It gives us a chance to do the right thing.

Right.

Yeah, he's very much into that.

I feel a little better.

I feel a little better to, uh, to do the machine test.

I think the letter I gave, I tried to give it to Bob in between meetings, sending my little call back, because it makes these simple points.

I want the Congress to get in position by fighting on a hard ground.

Isn't that interesting how when you take a firm, tough position, outfits like the R.E.A.

begin to fold.

And the agriculture guys begin to fold on the disaster relief and Mills offers a bill correcting the defects.

Can we, I don't think we could buy that.

We support what Mills said.

Right.

Yep.

And Isabella, Harry, isn't that up?

Sure.

Fine.

Sure.

Absolutely.

Well, we won't have to give very much.

You see, that takes all the financial pain out.

So we can buy some of those things.

And I think we'll see some motion.

This current meeting is painful, not painful, but it's, you know, you have to agree.

But they won't take it, John.

It's clear to anybody but the President.

I was going to say, I mean, what happened didn't very well.

I think George did their own work.

But they've got to hear the Panthers.

Oh, my gosh.

You're going to have this fight both as I was, as you know, I was tracking both.

That's right.

You want those names of those people that see me, sir, to see me again?

Oh, that's me.

Oh, they already have it?

Yes, sir.

This is the first time I've decided to just open it up to the public.

Wherever you want to raise it.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Nixon, Ehrlichman & Bull on 1974 Budget and Congressional relations

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on January 26, 1973

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