Posted on 12/10/2003 11:15:18 AM PST by GulliverSwift
Tapes: Nixon Called Reagan 'Strange'
1 hour, 7 minutes ago
By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - President Nixon didn't think much of fellow Californian and Republican icon Ronald Reagan (news - web sites), calling him "strange" and not "pleasant to be around," newly released White House tapes show.
Talking politics with White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman at Camp David in August 1972, Nixon switched the conversation to two Republican governors, Reagan of California and Nelson Rockefeller of New York. Both men unsuccessfully sought the 1968 Republican presidential nomination that Nixon received.
"Reagan is not one that wears well," Nixon said.
"I know," Haldeman agreed.
"On a personal basis, Rockefeller is a pretty nice guy," Nixon said. "Reagan on a personal basis, is terrible. He just isn't pleasant to be around."
"No, he isn't," Haldeman said.
"Maybe he's different with others," Nixon said.
"No," Haldeman said.
"No, he's just an uncomfortable man to be around," Nixon said, "strange."
The conversations are part of the 240 hours of White House tape recordings from the Nixon administration released Wednesday by the National Archives. Covering July through October 1972, the tapes are the 10th batch of Nixon recordings, totaling 2,109 hours, that the Archives has released since 1980. In all, there are about 3,700 hours of Nixon White House tapes.
Nixon installed a secret taping system in the White House. Some of those tapes later showed a White House cover-up in connection with the 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) headquarters in the Watergate office building. The release of those tapes, which Nixon fought all the way to the Supreme Court, eventually led to his resignation in 1974 rather than face almost-certain impeachment and conviction.
The popular Reagan later served two terms as president. But like Nixon, Reagan had a scandal of his own, involving trading arms to Iran for hostages and illegally aiding anti-government forces in Nicaragua.
In 1980, Nixon told Parade magazine that he had several good talks with Reagan. "I think he values my foreign policy advice," the magazine quoted Nixon as saying. "I will be available for any assistance or advice."
Reagan had corresponded with Nixon for years. When Reagan was elected president, he sought Nixon's advice.
The disgraced former president offered some suggestions for Cabinet posts and a strategy for Reagan's first few months in office, urging him not to travel abroad for the first six months of his administration so he could concentrate on the economy rather than foreign policy. Nixon also pushed for his former chief of staff, Gen. Alexander Haig Jr., as Reagan's secretary of state.
Later, Nixon said Reagan's economic policies were unduly harsh and cautioned against giving him too much credit for winning the Cold War. "Communism would have collapsed anyway," he told Monica Crowley, a Nixon aide in his last years, according to her 1996 book, "Nixon Off the Record."
Those trades werern't illegal. The Democrats charged it was against the Boland Ammendment, but the Boland Ammendment only said money from the U.S. treasury could not be used, it did not say about raising money elsewhere. The Democrats looked hard to find money that came from the U.S. treasury but couldn't, but they they charged them anyway hoping nobody would actually read the Boland Ammendment. Unfortunatly it worked with alot of people.
The Reagan admin raised private donations, and sold anti-tank missiles from Israel to Iran to repel the Iraqi invasion (conveniently supplied by USSR and FRANCE), We also were able to secure hostages in Lebanon, and with the money raised we financed the Contra's and enabled them to win their democratic freedom in Nicaragua. A win-win-win situation.
Democratic scandals including offing your political opponents and giving U.S. technology to our enemies, Repubican scandals are trying to defend this county!
"That Christine Aguilera, is like.....so false....and everything! I mean, like---what an airhead, and stuff. She's so slutty, you know, and just has, like no talent, and everything."
Maybe my memory is going bad, but I can not recall RR runing for the nomination in 68. Reagan might have been a 'favorite son' for the California deligation, but I for the life of me do not remember his campaigning then. I recall Nixon, Rockey, Scranton of PA, and as always, Harold Stassen.
and how could I forget... Gov. George (I was brainwashed) Romney from Michigan. Poor guy did get a raw deal by the media.
The Fascist/Socialist/Leftist Elites in the media and Hollywood will never forgive him for stopping the 'spread of communism' that was well underway throughout South America.Thanks for phrasing that so succinctly.
They've done this before "Even Richard Nixon saw that...". Can't discount 99% of what someone says and claim that other 1% is where they must have been "correct".
JFK had extensive taping systems in the White House, in another 10 years we "may" be priviledged enough to hear them. LBJ had tapes made during the White House too (and they don't flatter him, they reference all sorts of shady business practices).
Besides, a person's public persona is so often different from his or her private one that we really have no idea what the basis for Nixon's judgment was.
Maybe Nixon didn't curl Reagan's toes either---in fact, we know that Reagan had political differences with Nixon over things like China, and that could have colored Nixon's opinion of Reagan.
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