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Conversation: 400-011

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Start Date: 22-Jan-1973 3:40 PM

End Date: 22-Jan-1973 4:05 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Colson, Charles W.Price, Raymond K., Jr.White House operatorZiegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

400-011a.mp3

400-011b.mp3

NARA Description:

On January 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Raymond K. Price, Jr., White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:40 pm and 4:05 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 400-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 400-11

Date: January 22, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:40 pm and 4:05 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

       1973 Inauguration
            -Success
            -The President’s Inaugural speech
            -Press coverage
                  -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
                  -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                  -Church service
                  -Inaugural ball
                  -Dan Rather
                        -The President's demeanor
                  -Bias
            -The President's Inaugural speech
                  -Foreign policy
                  -Nixon Doctrine
                  -John F. Kennedy supporters
                  -Isolationism
                  -Effect on public
                  -Memorable lines
                  -May 8, 1972 speech
                  -Nixon Doctrine
                        -State Department, William P. Rogers
                        -Meaning
                              -US role in world
                              -Liberal position
                  -1972 election
                        -Popular vote
                  -Compared to George S. McGovern
            -Press coverage
                  -American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
                  -Church service
                                     -8-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                     Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)

                  -William F. (“Billy”) Graham, Edgar Magnin
           -Switch to McGovern's statements
     -Church service
           -Mormon Tabernacle Choir
     -President's Inaugural speech
           -Friend of Colson’s report
           -Government responsibility
           -Compare to John F. Kennedy's Inaugural speech

Public relations [PR]
      -Patrick J. Buchanan
      -The President's opponents
             -Draft resisters
             -Doves
      -Hugh Scott
             -Statement about diplomacy
      -Strategy against the President's opponents
      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
      -Henry A. Kissinger
      -John A. Scali
      -Herbert G. Klein
      -Kenneth W. Clawson
      -Compared to Kennedy administration after Bay of Pigs
             -Press relations
      -Kissinger
             -Briefings
                    -Success
      -Scali
      -Klein
      -Buchanan
      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
      -Kissinger
      -Letters
             -White House, editors, Congress
             -Commentators, columnists
      -The President's press relations
      -Congress
             -Post-Inauguration treatment
             -Political orientation
                                       -9-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                       Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)

Press relations
      -Differing beliefs
      -Bias
      -1972 election
             -Ronald L. Ziegler
                  -Response to the President's margin of victory
                         -Helen Thomas
             -McGovern
                  -Polls
                         -Late gains
      -Opposition to the President
             -Enemies

Watergate
     -Response
     -John Davies [?]
     -John N. Mitchell
     -John D. Ehrlichman [?]
     -Mitchell
     -Haldeman
     -Possible law suit
           -Hearsay
           -Malice
           -Wire services
           -Editorial apology
           -Deposition
           -Damages
           -Press release
           -Retraction
           -Drew Pearson
           -Editors’ response
     -The President's knowledge
           -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
     -Responsibility

Inaugural parade
     -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
     -Motorcade incidents
     -Secret Service
           -Unknown person's actions around the President's car
                                               -10-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                            Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)

                          -The President's response
                               -Prosecution
                               -John W. Dean, III
                               -Ehrlichman, Haldeman

Raymond K. Price, Jr. talked with President between 4:05 pm and 4:06 pm.

[Conversation No. 400-11A]

[See Conversation No. 36-42]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Price
               -The President's inaugural speech
                    -Reaction
                    -Drafting

       Inaugural parade
            -Motorcade incidents
                  -Items thrown at the President
                  -Unknown person's actions around the President's car
                        -Prosecution
                  -Demonstrators
                  -Youth
                  -Colson’s reaction
                        -Patricia Colson
                  -Demonstrators

       Press relations
             -CBS
             -Time story
                    -Possible retraction
                    -The President's response
                          -Lawsuit
                    -Hunt
                    -Ehrlichman
                    -William O. Bittman [?]
                    -John J. (“Jack”) Caulfield [?]
                                             -11-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                             Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:06 pm and
4:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 400-11B]

[See Conversation No. 36-43]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Time story

The President talked with Ziegler between 4:13 pm and 4:14 pm.

[Conversation No. 400-11C]

[See Conversation No. 36-45]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Time story
            -Jerrold L. Schecter

The President talked with the White House operator at 4:14 pm.

[Conversation No. 400-11D]

[See Conversation No. 36-45]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Time story
            -Schecter

The President talked with Ziegler between 4:15 pm and 4:16 p.m.

[Conversation No. 400-11E]

[See Conversation No. 36-46]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                         -12-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                  Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)


Press relations
      -1973 Inauguration coverage
      -Washington Post
             -Washington Star
             -Reporter
             -Rogers
             -Television [TV]
             -Washington Star
             -Ziegler
             -Administration strategy
                   -Journalists
                         -Cohesiveness

Charitable organization

Unknown person
    -Physical description

Haldeman [?]

Unknown person
    -Loyalty
    -Political leanings

Buchanan [?]

Nelson A. Rockefeller

John B. Connally
     -Age
           -Compared to the President

Press relations
      -Ziegler
      -Washington Post
             -Ehrlichman

Politics
       -Governors
                                             -13-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                         Conversation No. 400-11 (cont’d)

             -Republicans
             -Congressional relations
                   -Democrats
                          -Carl B. Albert
                          -Thomas P. (“Tip”) O'Neill
                          -Hubert H. Humphrey
             -Governors[?]
             -Unknown group
                   -Compared to Republicans
             -North Carolina
             -South Carolina
             -Segregation
                   -Blacks
                   -George C. Wallace supporters
             -Haldeman
             -Ziegler [?]
             -Governors [?]
             -McGovern
             -Eugene J. McCarthy [?]
             -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
             -Inaugural parade
             -McGovern

       The President’s schedule
            -Weekends

Colson left at 4:35 pm.