On June 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:49 am to 10:01 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 935-006 of the White House Tapes.
Transcript (AI-Generated)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.
I saw it.
Right.
Interested column by Alsop this morning on wallowing in Watergate, which underpins what I have sensed about Dean, where he points out that the contradictions in the stories
by Dean, his frantic effort to receive immunity at whatever cost is an attitude being reflected amongst the Congress.
And the general judgment of Dean's character in a negative way has been reached by many members of the Congress, which in many ways has already prejudged his testimony as not too relevant.
And then he quotes one congressman to say, we'd all be crazy to
to go into conclusions regarding the president in this case on evidence given by the likes of a man like that.
And then also goes on to say that this is a judgment that he had gathered in a cross-section of the leadership of the Congress, which generally leads him to these conclusions about Dean.
So I think by letting him run astray, he's just going to be
Oh, yeah, they're working on it again.
When he does slap around.
to do their worship, and he decided, and so forth and so on.
I think that I must have, I'm weak to this case.
It is his word, I think, he's very sure, and the doctrine is right.
He's very sure of the recordings.
Apparently, he didn't have the sense at all.
He didn't know at the time.
the economy is good.
That's coming into the, we don't know whether we've got
That's basically the news of South Vietnam to focus on the economy.
Some of the Watergate stuff, but nothing really, what I consider a significant matter.
And they build up, and that's definitely shifting in the news to the... You mean that's what I'm worried about?
You know, I don't know.
Get on the mountain top and look at the thing.
Well, the shifting in the news, I think, is going to last.
a successful appearance on the floor and is being recognized.
The announcement today, which we will make on the other hand, is that about showing the other high on the floor.
The shifting of the discussion about the mayor, the reorganization of the White House staff, and so on, is very positive.
It shows action in the United States.
Kelly is very well received, which is a good point to make.
So there is a shifting of the news away from the concentration on the Watergate to more concentration on the substance.
And I think on the part of the newsmen, they're beginning to think about other things, the White House, the staff, the economy, Vietnam, energy to a great extent.
And a very definite recognition, as I mentioned to you on the phone last night,
that I think has fitted and solidified itself over the last few weeks.
The Christian mix of the president of the United States is not a fountain to back away from the office, and is in their function.
And this is reflected, I think, in the office.
It certainly is.
Well, I think it's beginning to catch on.
In other words, I think the excess on the part of the communications group in this town, particularly, is beginning to come back now into perhaps more normalcy than it had over the last months.
And I feel very good about that.
I think this week, again, will be a good week to brush up things.
So that's fine.
Mm hmm.
in Florida without a statement that
And it's also something that is not going to happen with the music.
But we simply are not going to comment any further on John Dean type stories, which are obviously using the national media to create false impressions for self-serving purposes, which is a slight start at that point.
But absolutely.
But in the final analysis,
It's got to be done.
I prefer to, but it's got to be done in a brutal slam bang, duck by the way, you know what I mean?
He draws the sword.
He's got to draw the sword on him.
I understand.
Yes, I agree with that.
And he must be destroyed and absolutely attacked.
We can't count on anybody else because they all have their own problems.
They all defend themselves.
No, he comes out in the open, and we know what he's doing out in the open, which he's not there yet.
And then I agree totally.
If he draws a sword, we draw it and win, and I don't think there'll be any problem about that because of the point I referred to earlier.
I mean, also...
Buchanan's play quite well today, too.
He shoved it right up the craft Washington Post top shelf.
He had a column in the New York Times.
He pointed to the conclusion of the piece is let's knock it off the crafts in the Washington Post who suggests that there should be a coalition government who suggests that the bipartisan government should be shared by the
the liberal establishment who did not come close to fielding the team in 1972.
And then he says, at the end, he says, when the craft post point of view can field a team that will achieve more than 9% of the vote in the Florida primary, then perhaps their point of view can be considered.
In other words, he was making the point that who are these people?
who were totally rejected by the American people at 72, who they feel that now they should share in a government where there was a mandate of substantial proportion.
And he pointed out that if it had not been for Watergate, Watergate didn't hurt the Democrats, Watergate hurt the Republicans, and that if it had not been for Watergate, President Nixon would have probably won by 65 to 35.
So it's a good way to end the annual speech today.
a good, positive motion.
He's speaking, I don't know the exact time, but he's speaking at noon today and he's gonna list out the difficulties of the urban committee approach as it affects the court system and so forth.
I'm not gonna take him on in a basic way, but just point out, I'm quite below the fact that MSNN can get rid of that.
Take a shot this week, even though it's
Okay.
Okay, good.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
We'll read the table on the present.
We'll read the real essence.
We'll read the table on the present.
The real essence.
There's nobody else on there.
There's nobody else on there.
There's nobody else on there.
There's nobody else on there.
There's nobody else on there.
I didn't hear you yesterday night in Florida without a statement.
I didn't hear you yesterday night in Florida without a statement.
But we essentially are not going to come beyond these type of stories any further, which are beyond the term.
Obviously, using the national media, obviously, using the national media false impressions for self-serving purposes, which is a false impression for self-serving purposes, which is a slight start at that point.
But absolutely, by the end of the fight, it's quite a start at that point.
But absolutely, by the end of the analysis, it's a really good show for the fighter.
He started at the bottom of the analysis.
It's a really good show for the kid.
Rod, it can't be done in this sort of osmosis way.
It's got to be done, and I think it's referred to, but it can't be done in this sort of optimal situation.
It's got to be done in a brutal, slam-bang, duck-like way.
You know what I mean?
It's got to be done, and I think it's referred to, when he starts, you know, he draws the sword, but it's got to be done in a brutal, slam-bang, duck-like
I agree with that.
I agree with that.
I agree with that.
I agree with that.
I agree with that.
No, he comes out in the open.
No, he comes every day.
If he draws a sword, we draw a sword.
And when I'm in the open, and we
You know what he's doing down in the open, which he's not there yet.
There'll be any problem about that because of the point I referred to earlier.
I mean, also, then I agree totally.
If he draws a sword, Buchanan's played well today, too.
He's done that right.
I don't think there'll be any problem about that because of the craft-washing post-Ferrisian.
That's the point I referred to earlier.
I mean, also...
Buchanan's in the New York Times.
He pointed quite well today, too.
He shoved it right up the craft Washington Post.
The conclusion of the piece is, let's knock it off the crafts in the Washington Post.
He had a column in the New York Times who suggested that there should be a coalition government who suggested that the...
He pointed, the conclusion of the piece is the bipartisan government should be shared by the, let's knock it off the crafts in the Washington Post, who suggests that there should be the liberal establishment who did not come close to a coalition government, who suggests that the bipartisan, the team in 1972.
And then he says, at the end, he said...
government should be shared by the liberal establishment.
When the Krasnopoulos, who did not come close to the point of view of a team that will achieve more than 9% of the vote in the Florida primary, then perhaps they're a team in 1972.
And at the end he said, in other words, he was making the point that when working to craft post people,
who were totally rejected by the American people that will achieve more than 9% of the vote and they feel that they're in a government perhaps where there was a mandate to be in support.
In other words, he was making the point, of course, who are these people?
And he pointed out that if it had not been totally rejected by the American people, it certainly didn't hurt the Democrats.
It certainly didn't hurt who they feel that now they can share in the Republicans, and that it had not been in a government where there was a mandate to support a problem of substantial support, which was formed by 1965 as a precaution.
It's a doubt that if it had not been for Watergate, Watergate didn't hurt the Democrats, Watergate hurt the Republicans, and that if it had not been for Watergate, President Nixon would have probably won by 65 to 35.
So, it's a good, I mean, the idea of the speech today, I mean, the idea of the speech today, I mean, the positive.
First motion, positive.
He's motion, I don't know the exact time, but he's speaking at the end.
He's speaking, I don't know the exact time, but he's speaking at the end.
He lists out the difficulties of, he lists out the urban committee difficulties of the approach that affects the courts.
Urban committee approach that affects the courts.
I take them on in a basic way,
It's not going to take them on in a basic way, but just point them quite well to the fact that, point them quite well to the fact that you can't hurt another person.
Point them quite well to the fact that you can't hurt another person.
So she goes, yeah, I don't expect anything to happen to her.
10 shot this week, even though I'm trying to make a shot this week, even though I'm trying to make a shot, make a shot.
And I've got better tools, and I've got better tools to act, to act, to act, to act, to act, to act, to act, to act, to act.
Okay, okay.
What?