(Have to hurry here to make the obvious joke before everyone else does …)
Just in time for Christmas, the National Archives has released another 240 hours of White House tape recordings from then-President Richard Nixon.
The juicy bit concerns Nixon's thoughts on another former California governor — Ronald Reagan:
Talking politics with his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, at Camp David, Md., in August, Nixon switched the conversation to two Republican governors: Reagan and Nelson Rockefeller of New York. Both unsuccessfully sought the 1968 Republican presidential nomination that Nixon received.
Nixon described Rockefeller as "sort of bouncy and upbeat," while Reagan "just isn't pleasant to be around."
"No, he isn't," Haldeman said.
"I don't know. Maybe he's different with others," Nixon said.
"No, no, I don't think so," Haldeman said.
"He's just an uncomfortable man to be around — strange," Nixon said.
Responding to pressure from Republican activists upset over the criticism of their beloved Gipper, the National Archives has relented. Instead of being released directly to the public, the tapes will air on Showtime. (rimshot)
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