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Conversation: 413-028

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Start Date: 26-Feb-1973 4:50 PM

End Date: 26-Feb-1973 5:15 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

413-028.mp3

NARA Description:

On February 26, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:50 pm to 5:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 413-028 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 413-28

Date: February 26, 1973
Time: 4:50 pm-5:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       George P. Shultz's appearance
             -Ziegler's evaluation

       Shultz's statement
               -Wage settlement [at 5.5 percent inflation]
               -John T. Dunlop
               -Policies
                       -Flexibility
               -William L. Safire

       George Forman
             -Championship
             -Athletes for Nixon
             -Talks with Ziegler
             -Ghostwritten article
             -Public statements
             -Rose Mary Woods

       Clark R. Mollenhoff
              -John D. Ehrlichman
              -Fitzgerald case
                     -Testimony before Civil Service Committee hearing
                     -Outcome

              -Mollenhoff’s letter to President
                     -Air Force investigation of Fitzgerald
                             -Timing
                     -Testimony before Civil Service Committee
              -Executive privilege
                     -Mollenhoff’s opinion
              -Meeting with John W. Dean, III
                                     -45-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                   Conversation No. 413-28 (cont’d)


                -Fitzgerald case
                -President’s opinion
         -Bryce N. Harlow’s role
         -Fitzgerald
                -Employment
                -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]

Rule case
       -Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.

Mollenhoff
      -Meeting with Dean, Harlow, President
      -Written statement
              -Delay
      -Call to President
              -Kent Cook’s analysis
      -Legal defense
              -State Department
              -Willard Edwards
              -Firing
                      -Tucker case
      -Fitzgerald case
              -Dean
              -Executive privilege
              -Harlow
              -Air Force

Press briefing by Ziegler
       -Aid to Vietnam
       -Food prices
       -Dollar
       -Wage-price issue

Safire memo

Budget
         -Limits
         -Increases
                                         -46-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                     Conversation No. 413-28 (cont’d)


       -Statements
       -Testimony

Food prices
       -Decrease stability
       -Shultz’s statement
               -Grocery store prices
                      -Decrease
                      -Farm prices
                      -Impact
                      -Increase supply
       -Dunlop
               -Breakdown of prices
               -Statement
       -Press reactions
       -Wage settlement
               -Arbitrary ceiling
               -Publicity

Shield laws
        -Responses at press conference
        -Press reactions
                -End of war
                -Prisoners of war [POWs] return
                -Anti-Americanism
                -Frustration
        -Attorney General
                -Administration’s position
        -State and local courts compared with federal courts
        -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration
                -Jimmy Hirsh [?]
                -Compared with President’s administration
                        -Requests by press
                        -Background materials
        -Administration positions
                -Press conference
                -1972 campaign
                -Letter to Freedom of Information Committee
                                             -47-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Mar.-09)
                                                             Conversation No. 413-28 (cont’d)


                       -Guidelines
                              -Enacted 1970
                       -Balance between First Amendment and courts
                       -Use of shield laws
                              -Exceptions
               -Justice Department’s role
               -Dangers
                       -Criminals as news sources
                       -Protection of criminals
               -Attorney General
                       -Testimony
               -Administration’s position
                       -Local and state law compared with federal law
                       -Attorney General
                       -Freedom of press compared with national security or law enforcement
               -Federal shield laws
                       -Opinion
               -Network dominance
               -Erosion of free speech
                       -Perceptions compared with reality
               -Press conference
                       -Question
                       -President’s position
               -Guidelines of administration
               -Administration’s position
                       -Legislative compared with legal solution

Ziegler left at 5:15 pm.