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What Graham Said in the Oval Office

Rev. Billy Graham's newly-released comments to President Nixon have created a swirl of controversy.

Just released by the National Archives, the controversial Graham-Nixon conversation took place on February 1, 1972 in the Oval Office. Because the quality of the original recording makes portions difficult to understand, we offer notes on "What to Listen For" for each clip.

AUDIO		WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

CLICK TO LISTEN		CLIP 1: Graham and Nixon discuss a "powerful bloc" of Jews in the media. Agreeing with Nixon on all the problems the Jewish media is causing, Graham adds: "And they're the ones putting out the pornographic stuff."
CLICK TO LISTEN		CLIP 2: "This stranglehold has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain," says Graham. "You believe that?" Nixon asked after Graham used the word "stranglehold." "Yes, sir," Graham replies. "Oh boy," replies the then-president. "So do I. I can't ever say that but I believe it."
CLICK TO LISTEN		CLIP 3: Graham discusses how, under the Nixon presidency, he's had to quiet down "on just about everything that would make any news, due to the fact that I didn't want to look like I was critical of some policy of yours..."
CLICK TO LISTEN		CLIP 4: Graham says that he has friends in the media who are Jewish: "[They] swarm around me and are friendly to me because they know I'm friends of Israel." But, he confides to Nixon, "They don't know how I really feel about what they're doing to this country."

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