Presidential Recordings Program

In pursuit of an interview with President Richard Nixon^∇'s chief domestic policy adviser, John D. Ehrlichman^∇, CBS News Correspondent Daniel Schorr went as far as to show up in the studio of a rival network, ABC, which had the top Nixon aide on during the final days of the 1972 presidential campaign. Ehrlichman turned Schorr down--not for the reason he gave, but because Schorr had a relative working on the presidential campaign of Nixon's Democratic opponent, Sen. George S. McGovern^∇ of South Dakota. 

 [Excerpt begins at 14:20]

John D. Ehrlichman: I had great satisfaction in turning Daniel Schorr down.

President Nixon: [Unclear.]

Ehrlichman: Bastard. He came right into the ABC studio just as I finished, they were taking the microphone off, and there was Daniel Schorr! 

President Nixon: On the mic?

Ehrlichman: No, no, no, he says, "I have a crew outside and I want to tape an interview with you." 

President Nixon: Oh, Christ, what the hell . . ?

Ehrlichman: And I said, "What about?" And he said, "Well, the same sort of stuff." I said, "No." He said, "No?" And I said, "That's right." He said, "Are you adamant?" And I said, "I'm pleasantly negative." 

President Nixon: [Unclear.]

Ehrlichman: And he crept away. 

President Nixon: Well, of course, you can always put it on the basis--"I just did this shit [unclear] ABC." [Unclear.]

Ehrlichman: That ran through my mind, but the real reason, of course, is his brother being in the McGovern campaign. 

[15:13]