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Conversation: 566-007

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Start Date: 17-Aug-1971 1:32 PM

End Date: 17-Aug-1971 2:12 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ford, Gerald R.Griffin, Robert P.Butterfield, Alexander P.Colson, Charles W.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ziegler, Ronald L.Shultz, George P.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:47:50

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:25:58

566a.mp3

566b.mp3

566b_i.mp3

NARA Description:

On August 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Robert P. Griffin, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:32 pm to 2:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 566-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 566-7

Date: August 17, 1971
Time: 1:32 pm - 2:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Gerald R. Ford, Robert Griffin and Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's previous meeting with Oakland A's

     Charles W. Colson's schedule

Butterfield left at 1:33 pm.

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Leslie C. Arends, John W. Byrnes, Hugh Scott
                -Scott’s location
                -Momentum
                      -Public psychology
                -Possible Congressional action
                      -President’s recent meeting with Congressmen
                -Interest rates
                      -President's instructions to John B. Connally
                -Taxes
                      -Investment tax credit, excise taxes, personal income tax exemption
                                             16

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


                           -Possible Congressional action
                -Democrats' possible response
                     -Republicans' possible reaction
                -Reaction
                     -Detroit Free Press
                     -Denver Post
                           -Interviews
                     -Government employees
                           -Wages
                                 -Prices
                                       -1965-1969
                     -Allen J. Ellender
                     -Ford's comment to Wilbur D. Mills
                           -Forthcoming hearings
                                 -Russell B. Long
                -Possible Congressional action
                     -Timing
                           -Amendments

Colson entered at 1:36 pm.

                -Possible attacks on President's opponents
                     -Colson's to Ford
                     -George Meany, George S. McGovern
                     -Hubert H. Humphrey
                     -Partisanship
                            -Compared to national interest
                -Reactions
                     -Colson's conversation with Louis P. Harris
                     -Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. Kennedy
                            -Silence
                            -Muskie
                                  -Dallas speech
                                        -Wage and price freeze
                -Press briefing after President's meeting with Congressmen
                     -Michael J. Mansfield, Mills
                                  -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Mills's role
                -Possible attacks on President's opponents
                -Reaction
                     -News coverage
                                          17

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


                          -Compared to People’s Republic of China [PRC] announcement
               -Possible attacks on President's opponents
                     -Humphrey
                     -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                     -James D. Hodgson
                     -Mills, Jackson
                     -Muskie, Kennedy, Humphrey
               -Ford’s previous comment
               -Timing of forthcoming Congressional action
                     -Mills and Byrnes
               -Need for Republican unity on tax bill
                     -Jacob K. Javits
                     -Wage and price freeze
                          -Letter from unknown person
               -William Proxmire
                     -Republican strategy
                          -Delay
                     -Possible repeal of accelerated depreciation rate [ADR]
                     -Lawsuit
                     -Reaction


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 13s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


    Congress

    Griffin's schedule
          -Michigan

    Colson’s memo
                                                 18

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


     National economy
           -President's program
                 -Possible attacks on President's opponents
     Griffin’s schedule

Ford, Griffin, and Colson left at 1:47 pm.

Colson and Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:47 pm.

     Republicans

     President's schedule
          -Barber

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:51 pm.

     Republicans
         -Compared to Democrats
               -PRC
         -Reaction to President's economic program
               -Javits, Nelson A. Rockefeller

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Possible attacks on President's opponents
                      -Ford
                      -Meany
                            -Hodgson
                            -Virginia H. Knauer

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 1:47 pm.

                      -Labor
                      -Partisanship
                 -Forthcoming statement by President on automobile rollback

Colson left at 1:51 pm.

                 -Reaction
                       -Stock market
           -President's August 15, 1971 speech
                                               19

                               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


               -Television ratings
                     -Viewing audience
           -Housing starts
               -Paul W. McCracken

     President’s schedule
          -Possible telephone call

Ziegler entered at 1:53 pm.

     President's forthcoming speech
          -Draft
                 -William L. Safire

     National economy
          -President's program
                -John W. Byrnes's statement to press
                -Mansfield and Byrnes
                      -Quotes

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 1:53 pm.

     President's forthcoming speech
          -Draft
                 -Safire

Butterfield left at 1:54 pm.

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Statements by Congressional leaders
                      -Action
                -Ziegler's forthcoming conversation with Safire

Ziegler left at 1:54 pm.

                 -President's previous meeting with Congressmen
                       -Ellender
                       -Long
                 -Momentum
                       -Housing
                                                20

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


               -Political effect
                     -Haldeman's conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
                           -Compared to Vietnam policy
               -Relevance

    President's schedule
         -President’s forthcoming trip
                -Charles H. Percy
                -John N. Mitchell
                -Donald E. Johnson
                     -Dallas to Los Angeles
                           -Veterans Hospital
                -Rides

    Thelma C. Nixon's schedule
         -Staff work
               -Constance M. (“Connie”) Stuart
               -Size of crowds

    President's previous visit to Bangor, Maine
         -Crowd


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


    National economy
         -Difficulty of problems
         -President's program
               -Unemployment
               -Prices
               -Public psychology
                                                 21

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


                      -Unemployment
                      -Attitudes
                            -Vietnam

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.

     President's schedule
          -George P. Shultz

Bull left at an unknown time before 2:06 pm.
      President's forthcoming speech
             -Schedule
             -Drafts
                  -Safire

Shultz entered at 2:06 pm.

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Arnold R. Weber's possible role
                      -Duration
                            -Wage and price freeze
                      -Office of Emergency Preparedness [OEP]

     OEP
           -Personnel
                -Weber
                      -Gen. George A. Lincoln
                -President’s program
                -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger's possible role
                -Charles D. (“Tex”) Thornton's possible role
                -Desirable background
                      -Business
                      -[Forename unknown] O’Bannon [sp?]
                            -Possible abolition of agency
                      -Political aspect
                            -Meany
                -Donald H. Rumsfeld's possible role
                      -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
                -Weber's possible role
                      -Lincoln
                                                22

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 566-7 (cont.)


                        -Rumsfeld's possible role
                        -Lincoln, Rumsfeld
                -Role
                      -Cost of Living Council [COLC]
                           -Connally
                -Rumsfeld
                -President’s program
                      -Decision
                      -COLC
                      -Weber

Haldeman and Shultz left at 2:12 pm.