Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 411-018

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Start Date: 22-Feb-1973 2:35 PM

End Date: 22-Feb-1973 4:04 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")White House operatorTimmons, William E.Albert, Carl B.Kissinger, Henry A.Bull, Stephen B.Dean, John W., III

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

411-018a.mp3

411-018b.mp3

411-018c.mp3

NARA Description:

On February 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, William E. Timmons, Carl B. Albert, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and John W. Dean, III met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:35 pm to 4:04 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 411-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 411-18

Date: February 22, 1973
Time: 2:35 pm - 4:04 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

**********************************************************************

[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

       Weather
             -Washington, California

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]

**********************************************************************


       White House social affairs
             -Sammy Davis, Jr.
                     -Evening at the White House
                     -Astronauts
             -Irving Berlin tribute
                     -Lawrence Welk
                     -1973 inauguration
                     -Les Brown
                                            -24-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                            Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


                              -Orchestra
                     -Ethel Merman
                     -Ray Bolger
                     -Stephen B. Bull
                     -William H. Carruthers
              -Evening at the White House
              -Church services
              -Events for contributors
                     -Attendance by Administration staff

       Watergate
             -John W. Dean, III activities
             -Charles W. Colson’s staff
             -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
                     -George D. Webster
                            -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
             -Senate investigation
                     -Minority Counsel
                            -Fred D. Thompson
                     -William E. Timmons
                     -Baker
                            -Proposed action
                            -Meeting with the President
                            -Dean, John D. Ehrlichman
                     -Work with Dean, Wallace H. Johnson
             -[Samuel Dash]
                     -Georgetown University
                     -Connection with Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
                            -Dean
                     -Ehrlichman

The President talked with Carl B. Albert between 2:45 pm and 2:47 pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18A]

[See Conversation No. 43-219]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                              -25-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                            Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)



       Watergate
             -Baker
             -White House staff contact
             -Forthcoming meeting with President
             -President's schedule

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:00
pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18B]

       Requested Timmons be called

[End of telephone conversation]

       Maurice H. Stans's hearing

Haldeman talked with Timmons at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18C]

       President's meeting with Baker

[End of telephone conversation]

       Stans's hearing
               -Timing
               -Compared to L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III

       Watergate
             -Jeb Stuart Magruder
                    -Dean
                    -White House position
                    -Bicentennial Commission
                    -Vulnerability
                    -Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.
                    -John N. Mitchell
                                               -26-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                           Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


                      -Perjury
              -Patrick J. Buchanan
                      -Kenneth W. Clawson
                      -Ronald L. Ziegler
                      -White House spokesman during hearings
              -Richard G. Kleindienst
              -Mitchell
              - Henry Peterson
              -Length of stay as Attorney General [AG]
              -Justice Department
              -John B. Connally
              -Meeting with President
              -Dean
              -Ehrlichman
              -Baker
              -Buchanan
                      -DeVan L. Shumway
              -Richard A. Moore
              -Ervin Committee
                      -Television [TV] coverage
                      -Viewer interest

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 3:00 pm.

       Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
              -Congressional leaders meeting
                      -Attendance
              -Meeting with Kissinger
                      -Briefing

       Laos
              -North Vietnam’s action after cease-fire
                     -Seizure of town
                     -Souvanna Phouma
                     -Bombing
                             -US reaction
                     -Civilian population
                     -Cease-fire violation
                                      -27-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                      Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


               -Plantation

Press relations
        -Kissinger’s meeting with Joseph W. Alsop
                -Vietnam settlement
                       -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                       -[Unintelligible name]
                       -Meg Green field
                       -Column
                               -Liberals
                               -Aid
                               -Sources
                -Telephone call by Alsop to Ziegler
                -Book [?]
                -Washington Post
                -Reactions to President’s policies
                       -Soviet Union
                       -PRC [?]
                       -Vietnam settlement
                       -Soviet Union
                               -Meeting with Leonid I. Brezhnev

Agnew
        -Congressional leaders meeting
                -Hugh Scott, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                -Questions, anecdotes
        -President’s experience as Vice President
                -Trips
        -Superficiality
        -Kissinger’s telephone call
        -Jerry Persons, Sherman Adams

US-PRC relations
     -Eugene Ormandy announcement
             -Ormandy’s press conference
             -Scott
             -Pittsburgh
     -Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
                                             -28-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                              Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


               -Ice shoe

       Agnew
               -Briefing regarding Kissinger’s trip
               -Compared to President’s vice presidency
                       -John Foster Dulles
                              -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
                              -Cabinet meeting

       Air strikes
               -Laos and Cambodia
                      -Order

Kissinger left at 3:15 pm.

       Watergate [?]
             -Kleindienst

The President talked with the White House operator at 3:16 pm.

[See Conversation No. 43-173]

[Conversation No. 411-18D]

[End of telephone conversation]

       Watergate
             -Ervin Committee Hearings
                    -Donald H. Segretti
                          -Investigation

The President talked with Bull between 3:16 pm and 3:17 pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18E]

[See Conversation No. 43-174]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                        -29-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                         Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)



President's schedule
       -EOB
       -Ehrlichman
       -Camp David
       -George P. Shultz
       -President’s dinner preference

Watergate
      -Ervin Committee Hearings
             -Duration
             -Report date

President’s schedule
       -Richard M. Helms
               -Meeting
       -Executive privilege statement
               -Timing of release
                      -Press conference

Congressional relations
      -Republican leaders
              -George H. W. Bush
              -Robert H. Michel
              -Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
              -Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown

Politics
        -Leftover campaign money
               -States
               -Bush's plan
                       -Congress
                              -New Majority initiative
               -Staff expenses
               -Districts
               -Senate campaign committee
               -Scott
               -William E. Brock, III
                                           -30-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                          Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


                     -Incumbents
                     -Governors

       Personnel appointments
              -Defense Department
                     -Congressional liaison
                           -Elliot L. Richardson
                           -John O. (“Jack”) Marsh, JR.
                           -Democratic “hawks”
                           -Timmons

       Watergate
             -Appearance of witnesses
                    -Executive privilege
                           -Dean
             -Baker
                    -Minority counsel
                           -Dash
                           -Thompson
                    -Dean
                    -Wallace H. Johnson
                           -Mitchell

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 4:04
pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18F]

       Call to Timmons

Haldeman talked with Timmons at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 4:04 pm.

       Thompson

[End of telephone conversation]

       Timmons
            -Webster
                                               -31-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                                Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


              -Thompson
                    -Baker

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 4:04
pm.

[Conversation No. 411-18G]

       Call to Dean

Haldeman talked with Dean at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 4:04 pm.

       Background paper on Watergate
             -Timmons
                    -Baker

[End of telephone conversation]

       Politics
               -Bush
                       -Districts to receive Nixon campaign money
                       -Brock

       Personnel appointments
              -Robert H. Finch
                     -Patricia R. Hitt
                              -ACTION
                     -Future candidacy in California
                              -State Department position
                                       -Presentation of President's foreign policy
       accomplishments
                                   -PRC announcement
              -Ehrlichman
              -Robert J. Hitt
              -Anne Armstrong's position as Counselor to President
              -Rose Mary Woods

       Watergate
                                              -32-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                          Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


               -Ervin Committee Hearing
                      -Timing
                      -Mitchell

       Personnel appointments
              -Richardson
                     -Congressional liaison
                           -“Hawks”

       Agnew
               -Invitation to event
               -Conceit


**********************************************************************

[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

       Connally
             -Colson

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]


**********************************************************************

       President's schedule
              -Press conference

       Public relations
               -Speech by President
                      -Ehrlichman
                      -Atlantic City
                              -Philadelphia
                              -New York
                      -Convention hall
                      -Previous American Medical Association [AMA] experience
                              -Crowd
                                       -33-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                          Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


                     -Frank Farley
             -School administrators
             -Human resources
             -Budget cuts
             -Moore
             -Educators’ group
                     -Michigan
                     -Ehrlichman as surrogate for President
                            -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
             -Helicopter
       -Agnew’s attendance at reception
             -Receiving line

Watergate
      -Hearings
      -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.

Press relations
        -Press conference

Personnel appointments
       -Veterans Administration [VA]
              -American Legion
              -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
              -Fred B. Rhodes
                      -Colson
              -Raymond Gallagher
              -Arthur F. Sampson
              -[First name unknown] Stella
              -Robert Lonigan
              -Donald E. Johnson
                      -Ehrlichman
                      -Cutbacks
                      -Loyalty
              -VFW
                      -Support for President’s policies
                             -Budget
                             -Vietnam War
                                              -34-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                              Conversation No. 411-18 (cont’d)


                      -Ehrlichman
                             -VA
                             -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
                             -Donald Johnson’s political future
                             -VFW
                                    -Rhodes
                                    -Colson

       Agnew
               -Briefing by Kissinger
               -Ziegler
               -Attendance at Congressional leaders briefings, breakfasts
               -Compared to the President's experience as Dwight D. Eisenhower's Vice President
                       -Role of Vice President as President of Senate

Haldeman left at 4:04 pm.