NIXON TAPES: "Get the Son of a B*tch" Ellsberg (Pentagon Papers)

John Mitchell
006-021
June 29, 1971
White House Telephone

President Richard Nixon talks with his Attorney General John Mitchell about the leaked secret government documents about the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers. They first discuss the position of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who did not want to investigate the leaker, Daniel Ellsberg, because of his friendship with Ellsberg's father-in-law. Nixon descries some of the "softheads" in his administration who want him to go easy on Ellsberg. He notes that they need to "get the son of a b*tch" or else "wholesale thievery" would happen all over the government. The president feels that the P.R. might not be bad on their part, because people don't like thieves.

(Photo: President Richard Nixon and his wife First Lady Pat Nixon walk with Gerald and Betty Ford to the helicopter Marine One on the day of Nixon's resignation from the presidency.)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• President
• Richard
• Nixon
• Tapes
• Pentagon
• Papers
• Leaks
• Daniel
• Ellsberg
• press
• Watergate
• John
• Mitchell
• J.
• Edgar
• Hoover
• Vietnam
• War
• Ellsburg

[KultureJamCollective]

This is the president pretty much putting a hit out on someone, then saying the PR might not be bad.

What a sick misreable fuck?!

[rmm413c]

I think you are reading way too much into this KultureJam. If you look at the historical context and at other conversations from this time period, I think it is quite clear that Nixon wanted Ellsberg 1) to be prosecuted by the Justice Department to the hilt (he is after all talking to his Attorney General here) and 2) to be taken down in the press as a mentally unstable, partisan thief. He liked to use belligerent language, but I've never seen any evidence he wanted anything beyond these things.

[KultureJamCollective]

"to be taken down in the press as a mentally unstable partisan thief"

Oh, ok. That's all he wanted. Thanks for clearing that up for me. It sounds much nicer now.

[rmm413c]

No, I agree it doesn't sound good! But -- really this is a big difference than putting a "hit" out on someone. Smearing people in the press is, after all, a common thing in the political world, however distasteful and unfair it might be.

[Skylab1977]

Nixon didn't start the Vietnam war but he ended it.

Second, he wasn't elected to be a Quaker, just like JFK wasn't elected to bend his knee to Rome. A president is not a religious leader.

[Jimmyhendrick2]

For a Quaker, Nixon sure curses alot.

[MrThelema24]

You don't have a real clue as to what President Nixon was even saying. How you possibly inferred that is beyound the pale of understanding. You must be mentally challanged. Please don't comment on things your mind cannot even decipher on the most basic of levels.

[forugh3]

@forugh3

Get that sonuvabitch.

[forugh3]

@KultureJamCollective

'rmm413c' & the 7 creeps who gave him thumbs up - imagine what they are saying about Julian Assange, oh Obama went to Australia recently, do you think if the president goes to Turkey it's because he wants to taste the baklava? In one of the documents leaked through WikiLeaks, Belgium was asked to take a couple of prisoners from Gitmo, in exchange they were offered a visit from Obama. Belgium refused. The president is a cheap date if you're prepared to do him a favor.

[KJHill83]

@killerxdeagles Haha. I am just quoting Nixon when he said we have to come after Ellsberg with gloves off. I knew Nixon was dead, but thanks for the fact: I forgot it happened in 1994 (I was 12 at the time, so it may be historical amnesia). Cheers.

[killerxdeagles]

@KJHill83 hes dead....... since '94....

[KJHill83]

We gotta come after that son of a bitch Nixon with gloves off.

[andrelebaron]

Ellsberg was a sanctimonious, sleazy Jew.

[shootrboy]

@MeesterCrumpet Agreed. I'm pretty sure we need to have a complete reform. I'm army and we almost got screwed out of our check. My buddies in national guard in Texas got screwed this month.

[MeesterCrumpet]

Hes calling for an assassination just as much as Palin called for Assange to be taken out

[MeesterCrumpet]

@shootrboy yeah ill never understand how someone can potentially by impeached for getting a bj and lying about it but other presidents are allowed to start wars and run our country further into the ground and are re-elected