Nixon, Bush & Timmons on 1974 Midterm Elections and Candidate Recruitment

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All right.

There's a big crisis, Mr. President, and that is with Michael, with his awesome responsibility to continue his annual party on the Hill.

Well, you know, I was talking to him, and I said, I'm sorry to hear of Bill's...

uh...

It's candidate selection, not the dope.

The dope will come.

The second part is the candidate selection.

Well, I pleaded with him several times, and again, right before the vote, I said, these are two different things, and you just shouldn't feel that way.

And then yesterday, and afterwards, and with a very nice, cordial note.

Again, I think Bob has to feel comfortable.

There's a slight opening about time in the door, and Bobby, he's hung up on staff, and he's hung up that this was a repudiation of him on liberal versus conservative, and all that.

Bob can handle it.

Absolutely.

And he also, he got blasted.

He said, sir, by some of these fellows.

He said, well, you know, he clanked Jerusalem.

He's got wanting to lay off Democrats.

And Bob doesn't agree with that.

I mean, that's what happened.

He's kind of hurt feeling caught, but the door is slightly ajar.

But it may be the chairman might be pushed too much to ask him.

And I told Bob what you told me, that you'd be willing to tap it, not to...

Thank you.

Well, let me say this.

Don't let me get into this.

time's a waste don't just take an old hand don't take an old hand don't go over a real piss cutter who's trying to prove something prove something really even though he's controversial picture so a mean bastard really has to pick him to do big games because this candidate business

As far as I'm concerned, I don't know.

without any difficulty on the fire plan.

Thank you.

uh... uh...

particularly with the new guys.

Now, let me try again.

Some of the worst offenders with regard to requiring, demanding, insisting upon, not only money, but speakers, are your colleagues that nobody would be.

Nobody.

Now, you stop them.

You can't stop them, but try.

My point is, let's go, let's go for the new guys.

That's it, everybody.

Right.

If it's a new candidate, forget it.

The guy's got to be, you see, he's going to be worth a damn for 20 years.

You know, he can't be out of the leadership.

So what's the reason for it?

And don't you have anybody in here that's over 40 on it?

Yeah, that is a good example to make your point.

I got a letter from a guy that ran Pennsylvania this year.

And he said, you know, right from the head of the Senate, everybody's out of the Senate.

Why?

He said, the party helped me and I've got it dead.

And if I want to run again, he said, I remember when I first voted for her,

Scott was running for candidate to be a freshman.

I forget his name.

It's a long, funny term.

And he voted for Hoover.

He was our candidate.

Why the hell is that party up on this guy?

Come on.

I think the thing that you've got to do, you ought to come in like a freshman.

Now, don't worry about Bob Wilson.

He's a wonderful guy.

He's a close person.

You just tell him, say, now, Bob,

Well, I see someone this year.

I wonder what the hell that is.

Thank you.

Don't go too long.

He's going to go.

You've got to get a guy.

But don't just take some fellow that's supportive of you and would like to have the job.

Glory to hell with glory.

You understand?

You've got a great opportunity here.

You've got all the assistance in the world.

Now, what we would like to do, though, and this is my own concern, and I noticed all this crap to be effective, reeds.

Somebody says the reeds are selected.

I think he's a damn able foe.

Anybody can turn the youth around so that instead of getting 25% of the mood, we've got 50% that must be quite a guy.

So he must be good.

So I think he's able.

My point that I make to you is that you've got to make that change.

You've got to do it.

If you don't do it, you're just going to waddle along as Bob has for years with 100 guys that are incompetent.

As far as we're concerned,

However, we've got this situation with George, but we want you three to be a crowd.

We want you to work together.

We want you to have a common research staff.

You should do common polling.

You should not have everybody out doing the same damn thing.

I think that you three should sit down and work it out, and it will help you.

We can help you with a lot of research.

We should have a little dough, I mean, government dough that can be used for issues.

But if you fellows ought to get together, and I say the three of you ought to get together, and once you have a top administrative system that each of you trusts with your administration, once a week for lunch or breakfast, once a week, starting like tomorrow, what do you think, George?

I think what I would do is that I would bury it.

I have a good place for it.

Well, George and I are going to do it.

Yeah?

We're all going to do it.

I'll do it.

and all that sort of thing.

You have to remember, as far as the White House is concerned, they say, well, who is trying to cut food or anything like that?

But we're just trying to help you.

As far as, let me say it to you, as far as you're going to come, as far as you're concerned.

The governor, sir, I would like to say, if you have to bear in mind, there's quite a different situation.

Governors do run on heroin.

They must run on heroin.

But they like to think, and we, of course, will allow them to think, that their situation is about the same as yours.

But let your... Like, for example, in New York, you can't go to the can without a book.

You'd be foolish to not have anybody in New York write about it.

But in California, you'd be foolish to nominate somebody simply because Reagan is likely to approve somebody who's going to get the hell out of them in certain districts.

And yet in another district, he's just right.

See, the state's there.

You've got to study that out right down the line.

Don't let the governor call shots in some states.

In New York, essential.

Like in New Jersey, Kale's going to have a program and so forth.

God damn it, stay out of it.

Right.

Thank you.

about your encouraging people to run.

I've got three guys that want to retire.

Do you want to?

For a different reason.

Oh, these are coming.

Oh, they're coming.

Yeah, I encourage them to come.

Who are they?

Arnold Cook.

Oh, sure.

Kevin Bellman.

Sure.

Yes, sir.

I think we're going to get a lot of people.

I'm more concerned about Henry Flannery than the other three.

Because Henry's going to make up his mind before he needs to recess.

He's told his friends in the Senate privately that he just can't stand the job.

He really wants to go home.

Dr. Denver again?

Yeah, we haven't got a candidate in the Senate that can win our fairness.

I don't agree.

is a very decent, sincere, wonderful person.

He needs a lot of attention.

I don't know.

I'm saying I don't have anybody.

I wouldn't rule out of this instance.

If he could brush him off, I wouldn't rule out of this instance.

If he doesn't, why not?

He came awful close.

He's a hell of a decent guy.

He still may have enough credibility to go with him.

He'd have to go against that jackass Hall or

Oh, yeah, his name, I can't remember.

Oh, he's a bad guy, actually.

He wouldn't be easy to meet.

He's not really the Arkansas guy I'm talking about.

Well, I just asked him to travel.

He told me I was going to do something.

I gave him away.

I don't think you have to wait.

He called me and said Bill's already talking.

He called me and said he wanted to come over and chat.

He and I are working on some energy thing.

Maybe out of that we can get a little feel of it.

I'll see if he wants to come over.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

But this will give the traditional break to the House Committee.

And then, you know, there will be, we're talking about the possibility of a full thing.

Bill knows what we're going to have to do to see what this is.

I read the sketch of it.

Well, we were talking about it.

And then what very big country it is in our history.

be across the country and would be if it works out and yes that's taking a little head attack the president i haven't talked about it but the point would be whether we can there would be something in there for the for the house center how can we do it and also with the state that the europe would be nationwide for

for a new majority and winning, you know, getting control.

But there's nothing in any of our discussions about the downgrades or makes the role of the normal House money-raising thing.

Well, the point is, the point is, I think, for example, it's a great spot in the national public service.

All right.

Yeah, senators should be able to raise their own money.

Don't finance them.

House members, you've got to get that out there.

And don't just give it to the incumbents.

I'm not going to select anybody with a $25,000 check anyway.

Well, I can't give you $25,000.

It won't work.

You've got to age them.

$250,000.

$250,000. $250,000.

Did Margaret do the wrong things?

Fox?

No.

So you give me, as I said, if you're going to elect candidates like that, you're going to elect anybody.

I appreciate what you've done.

Good to see you.

You're a disaster to me.

I appreciate it.

Other than that,

Nixon, Bush & Timmons on 1974 Midterm Elections and Candidate Recruitment

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on March 22, 1973

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