Operator: Congressman [Edward P.] Boland [D-Massachusetts], sir.
President Nixon: Hello.
Edward Boland: Mr. President, how are you?
President Nixon: Well, I just wanted to call you to tell you how grateful I am for your just fine work on this SST.1 I know that you take a lot of heat, you know, from people who are on the other side. But without your help, we could have never done it.
Boland: Well, without that group down there we couldn't have done it, I'll tell you that.
President Nixon: And I must say that, no, you went in there, and you took the leadership on your side. And I'm very grateful, and we're going to do our best to try to see if we can turn the Senate around. If we can't, we're going to make those conferees do their best.
Boland: Well, that's fine.
President Nixon: But I think from the standpoint of the country, that's the main thing, is that--”
Boland: I agree.
President Nixon: That's what's really involved here.
Boland: Sure.
President Nixon: Apart from whether we can go faster to Europe, you and I don't care about that. But my God, we don't want the United States to be number two in a place where we've been number one around the world.
Boland: Exactly. Exactly
President Nixon: Right.
Boland: I appreciate you calling me, Mr. President. Thank you very much.
President Nixon: All right. OK.
1 The House had voted 201--“197 to resume financing the supersonic transport. New York Times, 13 May 1971, --œRoll-Call Vote in House on Financing of SST Project.-- (↑)