Conversation: 457-005
Prev: 457-004 Next: 457-006Start Date: 24-Feb-1971 12:34 PM
End Date: 24-Feb-1971 1:24 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:00:23
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:42:58
NARA Description:
On February 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:34 pm to 1:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 457-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 457-5
Date: February 24, 1971
Time: 12:43 pm - 1:24 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Radio statement by the President
-Speech draft
-William L. Safire
-Henry A. Kissinger
-President’s view
Press
-Television coverage
-Laos military operation
-Kissinger
-Bipartisan leadership meeting
-Newspaper editorials
-Chalmers Roberts
-Kissinger
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Safire
-Speech draft
-Length
Personnel
-Kissinger
-Rose Mary Woods Conv. No. 457-9 (cont.)
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-William P. Rogers
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Harry S Truman
-Allocation of the President’s time
-Kissinger
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-General John W. Vogt, Jr.
-Briefing
-Safire’s speech draft
-Kissinger
-Allocation of the President’s time
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Edwin L. Harper
[The President talked with the White House operator at 12:47 pm]
[Conversation No. 457-5A]
Call to Haig
[End of telephone conversation]
Personnel
-Ehrlichman
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:47 pm and
1:24 pm]
[Conversation No. 457-5B]
Haig’s schedule
[End of telephone conversation]
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Personnel
-Haig
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
Forthcoming briefing
-Kissinger
-President’s view Conv. No. 457-5 (cont.)
-Kissinger
-Vogt
-Safire
-Vogt
[Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 12:47 pm and 1:24 pm]
[Conversation No. 457-5C]
Briefing for the President
-Vogt
-Scheduling
-Speech preparation
-Safire’s role
[End of telephone conversation]
The President’s schedule
-Kissinger
-Role in speech
-Safire
-Attendance at briefings
-President’s view
-Speech preparation
-Safire’s role
-National Security Study Memoranda [NSSMs]
-President’s view
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 12:47 pm
Vogt
-Present location
-Press briefing
-Meeting with the President and Kissinger
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Safire
-Speech
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 1:24 pm
Rogers
-Previous trip with the President
-Walker’s Key Conv. No. 457-5 (cont.)
The President’s schedule
-Kissinger
-Role in briefings
-Melvin R. Laird
-Bureaucratic position
Cabinet officers
-Communication
-Laird
-Ehrlichman
-President’s position
-Kissinger
-John N. Mitchell
-Staff participation
-Rogers
-Middle East views
-Kissinger
-Middle East views
-Paperwork
-Compared with Ehrlichman
-National Security Council [NSC] staff
-State Department
-Staff work
-Allocation of President’s time
-”Paper route”
-Rogers
-Allocation of President’s time
-Meeting with the President
-Connally
-Mitchell
-Laird
-Rogers
-Moorer
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Kissinger
-Safire speech draft
-Rogers
-Cabinet officers
-Access to the President
-Kissinger
-Rogers
-Laird Conv. No. 457-5 (cont.)
-Mitchell
-Staff versus Cabinet
-Ehrlichman
-George P. Shultz
-Kissinger
-Compared to Ehrlichman
-Cabinet officers
Southeast Asia portion of speech
-United States’ interests
-Wording
-Safire
-Length
Democratic proposal on Vietnam
-Possible Administration response
-Robert J. Dole
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-President’s position
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Dole
-Hugh Scott
-Differing proposals within Democratic Party
-White House strategy
-Muskie
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-Withdrawal
-Compared to Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Support for President
-Muskie
-Administration response
-Kissinger
-Rogers
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Laird
-Rogers
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Administration response
-Democratic caucus
-Withdrawal proposal
-Intra-party opposition
-Dole Conv. No. 457-5 (cont.)
-Buchanan
-Franklyn C. (“Lyn”) Nofziger
-Charles W. Colson
-Safire
-Haldeman’s role
-Rogers
-Laird
-Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Possible press questions
-Need for Administration response
-Buchanan
-Dole
-White House strategy
-News summary
-Dole
-Rogers and Laird
-Ziegler
-Withdrawal
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Effect of Democratic proposal
-Jackson
Campus activity
-May Day demonstration
-Problems
-Students for a Democratic Society [SDS]
Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Charlton Heston
-Foreign pornography
-Hollywood unemployment
-President’s position
-General quality of movies
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President’s view
-Haldeman’s view
The President’s schedule
-Eisenhower dinner
-Hope
-Speech preparation
-Meeting Conv. No. 457-5 (cont.)
-Attendance
-Kissinger
-Vogt
-Moorer
-Old Executive Office Building
Haldeman left at 1:24 pm