Nixon's Tapes Reveal His Reservations and Motivations

Dec. 2, 2008— -- Just as the new movie "Frost/Nixon" opens around the country this week with a possibly Oscar-nominated portrayal of President Richard Nixon, we get to hear Nixon himself and read his actual words.

Nearly 200 hours of tapes and 90,000 pages of text released today by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and the National Archives offer a glimpse into Nixon's views on the Vietnam War and his colleagues.

The tapes, which include more than 1,300 conversations, were recorded between November and December 1972, after Nixon was re-elected president and months after the first few arrests were made in the Watergate scandal. The collection of texts is from November 1968 -- when Nixon was elected the 37th president of the United States -- to January 1969.

The records reveal discussions that took place between Nixon and Henry Kissinger about the Vietnam War and how and why they decided to escalate the already-unpopular conflict.

In conversations taped on Dec. 12, 1972, just weeks before the Christmas Day 1972 bombing of North Vietnam, Nixon was told by his Deputy Asst. for National Security Affairs, Alexander Haig, that Vice President Spiro Agnew disagreed with Kissinger, then serving as national security advisor, about some diplomatic and political strategy regarding Vietnam.

Nixon said he thought Agnew "was on board," but that he "is a goddamned fool" who "doesn't know a goddamned thing. He bores the hell out of me. Christ ... I'll have to have him come in here."

In a later conversation, Nixon discussed the upcoming, and unannounced bombing with Kissinger.

Nixon expressed irritation with Agnew for not getting on board with some of the administration's Vietnam policies.

He asked Kissinger who else could be president at such a tough time.

As for Agnew, Kissinger said, "He can't be president. No. Absolutely not."

Nixon asked, "Some of the others?"

Both concurred that John Connally, Nixon's former treasury secretary, and Ronald Reagan would be strong candidates.

Kissinger added, "I actually think (Nelson) Rockefeller would be the best except for his age."

Kissinger had worked for Rockefeller as an advisor before joining the Nixon administration.

Less than a year later, Kissinger would share the Nobel Peace Prize with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam for his contribution in ending the war.