Is it me, or does Nixon become more racist with every release of White House tapes? Ironically, the latest batch show him embracing moderate ideas for racist rationales.

For instance, it turns out that he supported a woman's right to have an abortion...in order to avoid those horrible mixed-race babies:

There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white.

I guess that Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, didn't get the memo.

Despite his reputation, it seems that Nixon was also quite concerned with a rise in antisemitism...which he blamed on the Jews.

Anti-Semitism is stronger than we think. You know, it’s unfortunate. But this has happened to the Jews. It happened in Spain, it happened in Germany, it’s happening - and now it’s going to happen in America if these people don’t start behaving...It may be they have a death wish. You know that’s been the problem with our Jewish friends for centuries.

Nixon was also surprisingly keen on elevating women to positions of power...at least good-looking women...not of course because he believed in women's rights or anything silly like that.

When I spoke to the South Carolina Legislature, I noticed a couple of very attractive women, both of them Republicans, in the Legislature...I want you to be sure to emphasize to our people: God, let’s look for some. Understand, I don’t do it because I’m for women; I do it because I think maybe a woman might win someplace where a man might not.

Nixon also noted that he didn't want to "go through with a Lenore Romney thing." Lenore Romney, a.k.a. Mitt's mom, lost a Michigan Senate challenge in 1970. It's not clear whether the problem with the "Lenore Romney thing" was the loss or whether the Senate was not what Nixon had in mind for women.

It makes you wonder what we might have one day heard if Bush-Cheney had taped their conversations.

Transcription by the New York Times