Nixon, Pike & Weinberger on Alcoholics Anonymous and Public Health

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All right, Secretary, how are you?

Good to see you, sir.

This is Dr. Norris.

How are you, Congressman?

Good to see you, sir.

First of all, I wanted to ask a question here.

When it's time for our issues, the gentleman is your president.

I'll be happy to answer your questions.

And I have a presentation with you, sir.

All right, let's go over here so we get a proper picture here.

Let's go over to those points.

Yes, sir.

I'd like to present to you on behalf of these members of the Republican National Committee,

I'll tell you, Governor Tom Pike, one of the greatest advocates, Tom is a judge, a wonderful man, he served his country, worked in my campaigns.

I don't know if you realize it or not, but I'm going to take you to get my brawl.

I read that book for the first time and took my last drink about a month and a half before I met you for the first time in 1946.

I didn't believe we had a drink and we're trying to keep up with you.

Fast-paced.

That's a very, that's a very weird.

I told you I'm not talking about this.

I was in bad trouble.

I got sober and I haven't had a drink since August 1946.

Thanks to that book and the fellowship that goes with it.

So I'm very thrilled working with the rest of the man who did drugs in the country.

Ha ha ha!

But you demonstrate, I don't think that no person who founded this organization, Mr. President, demonstrated that it is possible for a good man to be down and go down.

You've talked about this many times.

It's happening to you, but now, not to the moon, not to the moon, but it's always alive.

And then it's a glorious thing to see a man go down to the count and get up and walk again and march.

It's so many valuable things for us to do, quality of life.

and so forth, but one of the great fellows, you know, one of the groups that I just probably want to trust is, because they live such an empty life, and I don't know how they write, but one of my great friends is Lord Edwards, remember Lord Edwards?

He just retired.

I think there's more of a tendency for people to vote.

but basically creating types to be destroyed by the fall, and guiding them out there, you know, having this fear, you know, and that's really quite true.

They're talking about it because they get in, they work like the dams, and then they do that.

And that, and they go on.

Although, of course, you'll find in some of the work, especially if you go down to Skid Row, and they are creating

And this is the reason we need, and also there's the arms problem.

One of the more exciting things that's happened to me recently is in Europe, with the Air Force, talking with the physician and the social action people, and people are recovering and getting better in the military.

The big model unit under Captain Joe Sussman, in terms of language, is President, that is just amazing.

He was there for a minute.

You've got a couple months for us.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

You have no idea, Mr. President, what a magnificent thing this is for the nine-minute alcoholic who don't know what's his yet, don't know where to go.

I mean, it's incredibly deceivable that this little kid has approved of the work of this magnificent stuff.

As a matter of fact, you know, my heart's so old, I probably, you know,

I don't have a problem.

You don't agree with us.

You already called out.

I don't know why it is that now I have to get past a certain point to get into a routine.

I mean, it's very hard.

It's a very tough line, the social drinking and the alcoholic.

That's right.

I mean, social drinking, though, but I have smart rules.

I take my trips and campaigns or trips abroad.

Or, for example, I noticed former presidents could sit

dinners, and so forth.

And when I have to make a call, I will not touch a thing.

Whenever I have to do anything important, I don't touch a thing.

Did you notice that?

I'll drink a little wine.

I mean, I have to because that's part of it.

That supports California.

Well, I get it now.

I can do that.

That's so modest.

It's very wise.

I'll never drink a champagne.

So when I need to get out and talk.

Well, but when there are others, most people I know.

They'll have a couple of scotches and then go to a dinner and make a speech.

I don't want to do that.

You know, at the end of the day, when I was with you, I was personally, you never, you never do this.

I've worked with you, Mike.

Today, this one, you got it.

I would never, never, never take a drink if I got to make a speech.

Never.

That's why you make good speeches.

Well, you know, the test is, Mr. President, if you need a social drinker, you're not a social drinker.

It's a terrible problem, and I wish you the best.

Thank you very much.

Nixon, Pike & Weinberger on Alcoholics Anonymous and Public Health

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on April 16, 1973

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