Conversation: 389-019
Prev: 389-018 Next: 389-020Start Date: 4-Nov-1972 11:15 AM
End Date: 4-Nov-1972 12:25 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Colson, Charles W.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)];Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On November 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 12:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 389-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 389-19
Date: November 4, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:15 am and 12:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 campaign
-James J. Kilpatrick, Jr. column
-Predicted figures
-The President’s margin of victory
-Pollsters
-Charles W. Colson
-26-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Questioning the President’s judgment
-Candidates
-The President’s radio speech
-The President’s trips
-California
-Burbank
-Stopover
-Headquarters
-Itinerary
-Remarks to public
-Crowd control
-Length
-Location
-Republican candidates
-Herbert F. DeSimone
-Issues
-Public interest
-Amnesty
-Busing
-Voter turnout
-Problems
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
1972 campaign
-George S. McGovern’s speech in Chicago, November 3, 1972
-Charges
-Response
-McGovern’s credibility
-Watergate
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-The President’s involvement in campaign
-The President’s reaction to knowledge about Watergate
-Investigation
-Donald H. Segretti
-Activities
-Timing
-27-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-John W. Dean, III
-Clark MacGregor
-Dean
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Henry A. Kissinger entered at 11:40 am.
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 campaign
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Response
-Colson
-Report
-Agnew’s statement
-Ziegler’s review
-Agnew’s style
-Wording
-McGovern’s credibility
-Vietnam negotiations
-McGovern’s proposals
-Surrender
-The President’s settlement
-Drafting
-Release
-Press conference
-Time
-Agnew’s schedule
-Face the Nation
-Cancellation
-George P. Shultz
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Strike
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
Ziegler and Colson left at 11:45 am.
Kissinger’s schedule
-Unknown Canadian
1972 campaign
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Response
-Press coverage
-New York Times, Washington Post
-Media coverage
-McGovern’s credibility
-Timing
-Media coverage
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am.
Refreshment
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:25 pm.
-North Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Charade claim
-Settlement agreement
-Details
-Importance
Vietnam negotiations
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Message
-Bui Diem’s conversation with Charles Whitehouse
-Whitehouse
-Stewart J. O. and Joseph W. Alsop
-North Vietnamese army [NVA] in South Vietnam
-Paris
-Advisers
-Vietcong [VC]
-29-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Economics minister’s conversation with Bunker
-Saigon bankers
-Investments
-Diem
-Political orientation
-Economics minister
-Jim Deakin [?]
-North Vietnamese
-Strategy
-Effect of US bombing
-Military action
-Recent story
-North Vietnamese forces
-Tanks
-Cease-fire
-Offensive
-Number of divisions in South Vietnam
-Settlement agreement
-Hanoi’s posture
-1972 election
-The President’s unknown speech
-Signing
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger’s draft message
-Saigon
-Diem
-Recent activities
-Effect on 1972 election
-US posture
-Settlement agreement
-Details
-Firmness
-Hanoi, Thieu
-National interest
-1972 election
-National interest
-1972 campaign
-Settlement agreement
-Timing
-30-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Corruption issue
-McGovern’s Chicago speech
-Effect
-Watergate issue
-Prices issue
-Timing
-Concessions
-Thieu
-US posture
-Hardline
Press relations
-Journalist
-Identity
-Washington Post article
-1972 campaign
-McGovern
Thomas W. Braden’s Los Angeles Times article
-Hecklers
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 campaign
-Hecklers
-Response
-Time
-Agnew
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-R. Sargent Shriver
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-Vulgarisms
-Comparisons with Donald H. Segretti, Watergate
-31-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Press coverage
-Deprivation of free speech for the President, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew,
[Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon Cox,
[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II, Edward R. F. Cox]
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
-McGovern’s campaign
-Comparison to 1964 election
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Press coverage
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-1960 election
-The President’s concession speech
-John F. Kennedy
-Goldwater’s concession speech
-Johnson
-Support for the elected President
-McGovern’s refusal
-Statements
-National unity
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Vietnam negotiations
-Undermined confidence
-The President’s settlement
-Refusal to sign
-Effect on negotiations, campaign
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam War
-The President’s “Silent Majority” speech, November 3, 1969
-Richard A. Moore
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-32-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Advance men
-Vignette
-Oklahoma City
-Tulsa
-Response
-Demonstrations
-White House staff
-Response
-November 4, 1969
-May 8, 1972 decision
-Difficulty
-Compared to the President’s Cambodia speech, April 30, 1970
-Difficulty
-Impact on US
-Demonstrations
-Presidency
-Impact on US presidency
-Announcement
-Timing
-Advice of Cabinet, staff
-Demonstrations
-US troop withdrawals
-Pace
-Church going
-Impact on US
-Historical importance
-Compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s declaration of war
-Pearl Harbor
-Impact on US
-Article
-Tone
-Compared to McGovern’s Chicago speech
-McGovern’s Chicago speech
-Viewing by Kissinger, Haldeman
-Delivery
-Writing
-Irresponsibility
-33-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
-McGovern’s campaign
-McGovern’s views
1972 campaign
-The President’s campaign
-Predictions
-Victory margin
-Colson
-Radio speeches
-Amnesty issue
-Predictions
-Victory margin
-Number of states
-Losses
-Massachusetts
-Michigan
-Wisconsin
-Oregon
-Hawaii
-Michigan
-California
-Michigan
-Poll
-Labor unions
-George C. Wallace vote
-Robert P. Griffin
-Thomas F. Eagleton
-Wisconsin
-Polls
-John K. MacIver
-Indiana
-Catholic vote
-Importance
-Massachusetts
-The President’s campaign
-McGovern’s campaign
-34-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Statements
-Effect
-Projections
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Schedule
-Senior citizens
-Miami Beach, Florida
-Massachusetts
-Gerry E. Studds
-Association of American Medical Colleges
-Fontainebleau Hotel
-Senior Citizens for McGovern
-Miami
-Ohio
-Warren, Ohio
-United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of
America
-Charles J. Carney
-Reception
-Montgomery County, Maryland
-Connecticut
-Maloney High School
-Montgomery County
-Hartford
-Claiborne Pell
-Rhode Island
-Connecticut
-Studds
-Massachusetts
-McGovern
-Projections
-New York
-Projections
-Polls
-California
-Michigan
-Ohio
-Vermont
-Ohio
-Cleveland
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-Illinois
-Chicago
-California
-The President’s lead
-Level of organization
-Wisconsin
-Texas
-South
-Changes
-George H. Gallup, Louis P. Harris
-Democrats
-Undecided votes
-Texas
-Analysis of voting
-Harris poll
-Press reports
-Impact on North Vietnamese
-Support for the President
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-Press relations
-Journalists’ frustrations
-Peace terms
-Quality
-1972 campaign
-1972 campaign
-Corruption issue
-Signing
-State Department
-News summary
-William H. Sullivan’s view
-Thieu’s tenure
-Hanoi
-Public support for the President
-North Vietnamese posture
-36-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)
Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)
-North Vietnamese forces
-Schedule
-Press relations
-Resumption of talks
-Forthcoming meeting
-Possible break off of talks
-Message
-November 8, 9, 1972
-US bombing
-Timing
-1972 election
-Message to Moscow
-The President’s posture
-Meetings
-Changes
-US bombing
-Thieu
-Residual forces
Haldeman left at an unknown time after 11:45 am.
Kissinger’s schedule
-Lodging
-Unknown place
-Haldeman
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 12:25 pm.