Presidential Recordings Program

As part of a cost-cutting effort, Internal Revenue Service head Mortimer Caplin had announced a reorganization plan projected to save $5 million a year.

[The taping begins while the conversation is already in progress.]

President Kennedy: . . . Boston, which gives them a pretty good little issue.

Lawrence O'Brien^∇: Yeah.

W. Willard Wirtz^∇: Hello?

President Kennedy: How are you?

Wirtz: Good.

President Kennedy: You got a statement you might make tomorrow in connection with unemployment?

[The taping begins while the conversation is already in progress.]

Clark Clifford^∇: . . . well--

President Kennedy: You heard about that?

Operator: Ready, sir.

President Kennedy: Oh, hello, [Lawrence] Larry [O'Brien^∇]?1

• 1. Lawrence F. (Larry) O'Brien served as a special assistant to the President for Congressional relations.

At a joint news conference on February 28 with House Minority Leader Charles A.

At a joint news conference on February 28 with House Minority Leader Charles A.

At a joint news conference on February 28 with House Minority Leader Charles A.

In this telephone call, the only two men to have ever beaten Richard Nixon^∇ in elections compared notes. The call took place the day after the November 6, 1962, mid-term elections. 

Published in Philip Zelikow and Ernest May, eds., The Presidential Recordings: John F. Kennedy: The Great Crises, volume 3 (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001), pp.522-23.

Operator: Yes, sir.

President Kennedy: President Truman, please.

Published in Philip Zelikow and Ernest May, eds., The Presidential Recordings: John F. Kennedy: The Great Crises, volume 3 (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001), pp.522-23.

President Kennedy: Hello?

Operator: Yes, please.

President Kennedy: Oh, is the General on there?

Published in Philip Zelikow and Ernest May, eds., The Presidential Recordings: John F. Kennedy: The Great Crises, volume 3 (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001), pp.522-23.

Herbert Hoover: It seems to me these recent events are rather incredible.