You need a team
This recording is presented as part of the Watergate Collection.
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 1971 - 1:38pm - 2:05pm
Participants: Richard Nixon, Bob Haldeman
Location: Oval Office
Editors' Note: An earlier version of portions of this transcript was published as: Stanley Kutler, Abuse of Power, p.15
President Nixon: I think you need a team. This is a big job. But you need a commander of the team and maybe--”
Bob Haldeman: Well, this was [Richard] Allen's point.1
President Nixon: Maybe--Incidentally, Allen should not be a commander, should he? All right. But shouldn't [Charles] Colson be, when you come down to it, Bob? Is this--”are we--”
Haldeman: Probably.
President Nixon: Are we putting too much of a load [unclear]? What is--”
Haldeman: Well, it's structured so he can get--”
President Nixon: He's got a lot of people working for him, hasn't he?
Haldeman: Yeah. And he's got good people. And he's--”you know, that--”
President Nixon: His instincts are particularly good.
Pause.
Haldeman: All right.
President Nixon: I think we ought to consider this fellow. I think we ought to put him over here. You know, on temporary duty for the purpose of working on this.
Haldeman: Well, the beauty of this type of CIA guy is that--”
President Nixon: USIA.2
Haldeman: Oh, you're talking about this guy now?
President Nixon: Well, either one of them.
Haldeman: OK.
President Nixon: Both sound good.
Haldeman: The CIA guy, the fact he's working outside, we can just hire him as a consultant.
President Nixon: Yeah. Right.
Haldeman: There's some merit to getting a guy from outside.
President Nixon: Right. Good. Fine.
Haldeman: If he knows his way around here.
President Nixon: Good.
Haldeman: We can get this guy, too.
President Nixon: This guy, just get him from [Frank] Shakespeare and bring him over. 3
Haldeman: Just have him assigned here.
President Nixon: I like the idea of a young bearcat who thinks there is a conspiracy. I'd put him on the conspiracy side, with the CIA guy, you know, on the declassification side.