Nixon on abortion
New tapes have been released — always illuminating. The New York Times reports:
On Jan. 23, 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down state criminal abortion laws in Roe v. Wade, President Richard M. Nixon made no public statement. But privately, newly released tapes reveal, he expressed ambivalence.
Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases, such as interracial pregnancies.
“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding: “Or a rape.”
Makes you feel better about the state of the debate today, doesn’t it? There’s more, of course, on most of the 1970s’ other hot topics. You have to keep reminding yourself that the president knew he was being taped.
I want to recommend to anyone who hasn’t seen it, “Frost/Nixon” and Frank Langella’s superb portrayal of RMN.
Heklps insight his character nicely.
At first I thought the imbroglio regarding the invitation to John Dean to speak at the Nixon Library on the 37th anniversary of the Watergate break-in was just funny and surreal, but after reading the NYT article Mollie linked and refreshing my memory about Nixon’s racism, anti-Semitism, and hubris, I think the Dean invitation is just desserts.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/15/nixon-library-invites-john-dean/print/
William, it’s true — transcripts of conversations like the one above are as good an answer as any to Ms. Naulty’s question in the opinion piece you linked to: “Why does hostility toward Mr. Nixon continue unabated on the left?”
Andrew Sullivan makes the poignant observation: “So the 37th president would have aborted the 44th.”
Thanks for the “Frost/Nixon” reminder, Bob Nunz. I must see it.
To me the most disturbing is the part about “when you have a black and a white.” This sort of racism is disturbing, madding, and still exists in our politics and nation.
Jim–
The black/white remark is even more disturbing when one considers that the President of the U.S. made such a remark six years after the Supreme Court unanimously decided in Loving v. Virginia that Virginia’s anti-miscegenation statute was unconstitutional. The aptly-named Loving case effectively ended all race-based legal restrictions on marriage throughout the U.S.
The aide who added “or a rape” to Nixon’s comment (the phrase “or a rape” was then repeated by Nixon) was Charles Colson. Colson’s done a lot since then to change his life. I have to believe he must regret his tacit agreement with Nixon’s racist comment.
IIRC, President Nixon nominated Justice Stevens to the Supreme Court, where he resides solidly in the pro-choice bloc to this day. Perhaps this gives us some insight into the President’s thinking!