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Conversation: 621-043

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Start Date: 22-Nov-1971 9:10 AM

End Date: 22-Nov-1971 10:22 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Colson, Charles W.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.Goldwater, Barry M.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 04:29:37

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:44:33

621a.mp3

621b.mp3

621c.mp3

621d.mp3

NARA Description:

On November 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and Barry M. Goldwater met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:10 am to 10:22 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 621-043 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 621-43

Date: November 22, 1971
Time: 9:10 am - 10:22 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

     Colson's previous meeting
          -Donald H. Rumsfeld
          -Pay Board
          -Peter G. Peterson
                -Reaction to the President's speech to American Federation of Labor-Congress
                     of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO] convention

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -George H. Boldt
          -The President's previous conversation with George P. Shultz
                -George Meany

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am.

     Boldt
             -William Proxmire

     National economy
          -The President's program
                -Rumsfeld
                     -Boldt and C. Jackson Grayson
                     -Role
                -Shultz
                     -Views
                     -Conversations with Colson
                -Pay Board
                     -Meany
                                        47

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)



Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
     -Press coverage
           -John B. Connally’s comments
                -Meany
           -Hubert H. Humphrey
     -Administration reaction
           -Gerald R. Ford
           -Ronald W. Reagan
           -Cabinet
     -Press coverage
           -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                -High school students
                      -News summary
                -Roger H. Mudd
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
           -The President's conversation with unknown man
                -John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
                -Stephen B. Bull
                -Wire services
                -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
     -The President’s opponents
           -The media
     -Meany, Hubert H. Humphrey and Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson

Vietnam
     -Military dispositions
           -The President's previous conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
                -Cambodia
                -Press coverage

Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
     -Press coverage
           -The President’s appearance
           -Shultz
           -The President's intentions
     -Administration response
           -William E. Brock III and Ford
           -Robert J. Dole
           -Ford
     -Press coverage
           -The President's “Checkers” Speech in 1952
                                        48

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


          -White House response
                -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
     -Connally's view
     -The President's reaction
     -Connally's forthcoming press conference
     -Administration’s relations with labor
          -The President's conversation with Connally
                -Pay Board
          -Shultz's views
     -Krapow's [David Kraslow?] views

The President’s opponents
     -Humphrey, Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr. and Edmund S. Muskie
          -Tactics
          -Veracity
                -White House response
     -Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
     -White House response
          -The President's opponent's veracity
     -"Big Lie" technique
          -Adolph Hitler
          -1948 campaign
                -Harry S. Truman's veracity
     -White House response

Kissinger's schedule
     -Barry M. Goldwater

AFL-CIO convention
    -Humphrey's telegram
         -Content
    -Muskie and Jackson

Colson
     -Attacks by the President's opponents
          -Murray M. Chotiner

Public relations
     -Franklyn C. (“Lyn”) Nofziger
            -Republican National Committee [RNC]
            -Role
                                              49

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


           -Patrick J. Buchanan
           -The President’s view
           -Nofziger
                 -Relationship with Dole

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -Press coverage
                -White House response
                     -Albert E. Sindlinger poll
          -Frank J. Lausche's conversation with the President
          -Press coverage

Kissinger entered at 9:29 am.

     Goldwater

Kissinger left at 9:30 am.

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention

Kissinger and Goldwater entered at 9:31 am.

     Congress
         -Senate
               -Goldwater
         -Ford
         -Goldwater
               -Colson's view

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -Meany
                -Public reaction
                -Response
                -Senate
                     -Cabinet
                           -Connally
          -Goldwater
                                         50

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


         -Attendance at Cowboys reception
               -Meany’s daughter
     -Congressional response
         -Dole, John G. Tower, Peter H. Dominick, Brock, Howard H. Baker, Jr. and
               Hugh Scott

Campaign finance legislation
    -Goldwater’s view
         -Theodore Roosevelt
         -Possible veto

John F. Kennedy-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. Labor Bill
     -Goldwater
          -Vote
          -Conversation with Dwight D. Eisenhower
          -Analogy to current campaign finance legislation

Vietnam
     -Casualties
     -Opponents of the President's policy
     -As issue
           -Prisoners of war [POWs]
     -Lyndon B. Johnson's bombing policy
     -Michael J. Mansfield Amendment
           -The President's possible speech
     -Public reaction

National defense
     -Goldwater's conversation with Melvin R. Laird
     -Defense budget
     -The President's efforts
           -Weapons systems
                -Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles [MIRVs]
                -Aircraft
                      -B-1, F-14, F-15

Conservatives
    -Reagan group
    -Goldwater's possible efforts

Amchitka test
                                       51

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


     -Telegrams to White House
     -Environmentalists
     -Supreme Court
          -The President's conversation with Kissinger
                -Reasoning
                      -Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs]
                      -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
     -Conservatives' reaction
          -Goldwater
          -William F. Buckley, Jr.

Conservatives
    -Attacks on the President
          -Human Events
          -Defense
          -PRC
          -Domestic policy
    -Supreme Court nominees
          -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
               -James J. Kilpatrick, Jr.
    -The President's efforts for national defense
          -ABMs and MIRVs
    -The President's conversation with Reagan
    -Goldwater's previous conversation with Buckley
          -Buckley, Goldwater, Franck Lausche, and Dean Manning [sp?]
               -Board membership
          -Support for the President
    -Possible attacks
          -Meany
          -Humphrey, Muskie, George S. McGovern, Edward M. Kennedy
    -Eisenhower's presidency
          -1960 election
    -Possible attacks by Republicans
          -Charles H. Percy, Jacob K. Javits and James B. Pearson
          -James L. Buckley, Brock, Baker and Paul J. Fannin
          -Goldwater
               -Publicity
                      -Washington Post
                      -Human Events
                      -Buckley
                                             52

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


     Thomas G. Wicker

     Theodore Roosevelt

Kissinger and Goldwater left at 9:46 am.

     Conservatives
         -Senators
         -Possible attacks on the President's opponents
               -Dole
               -The President’s view


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 16s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


     White House staff
          -Congressional relations
               -Bryce N. Harlow and Clark MacGregor
          -Colson
          -Cabinet
               -George H. W. Bush and Elliot L. Richardson

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -Popular reaction
                -Wire service reports
                -Sindlinger poll
                     -Meany's daughter

     Meany
         -Possible White House Response
         -Wire service report
                                            53

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


              -Horse race in Miami
         -Actions
              -White House response
              -1972 election
              -Possible White House response
                     -James D. Hodgson
         -Pay raise issue
              -Meany’s salary increase
              -The President’s salary
                     -Congressional action
              -The President's possible action
                     -John D. Ehrlichman's view
              -Meany’s position
                     -White House response
         -Possible White House attacks
              -Meany’s salary and benefits
              -Limousine
              -Cigars


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 17s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


              -Possible photograph
                   -Colson’s efforts

    Photographers

    Public relations
         -The President’s previous meeting with students
                -Press coverage
                     -CBS
                                              54

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


                     -Jo Anne Haldeman's views


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 25s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


     Public relations
          -Colson and staff
          -Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin's staff
                 -News summary
                      -CBS
                      -Lausche and George D. Aiken

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -Meany
          -Effect
          -Victor Riesel
                -Actions
          -Press coverage
                -Associated Press [AP] story
                -Frank Cormier
          -Possible effect
                -The President's economic program
                -Shultz, Connally and Rumsfeld
                -Ehrlichman
                -Shultz, Rumsfeld and Connally
          -Polls

Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 9:46 am.

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with PRC officials
                                              55

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


                -Location
                     -Helms
                     -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                -Logistics

Kissinger left at an unknown time before 10:22 am.

     The President's opponents
          -White House public relations efforts


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 19s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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


          -White House efforts

     Previous speech to AFL-CIO convention
          -Popular opinion
                -Connally's view
          -Shultz, Connally, Rumsfeld, Colson, and Haldeman
                -Pay Board
                -Meany
                     -Shultz

     Earl L. Butz
           -Confirmation
                -Aiken's call to the President
                -Possible vote
                -Harlow
                -Jack R. Miller's previous meeting with Butz
           -Role with administration
           -Senators' views
                                             56

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


         -Previous conversation with MacGregor
               -White House support
         -MacGregor's previous conversation with Miller
         -Confirmation
               -Miller
                    -The President’s view
               -White House support
               -Forthcoming vote
               -Possible White House action
         -Alternate candidates
               -Harlow
                    -Conversation with John C. Whitaker
               -Louie B. Nunn
               -John A. Love
               -Henry L. Bellmon
                    -Harlow’s view
                    -Laird
                    -Experience


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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


              -Search for candidates
                     -Donald E. Johnson
                           -Possible confirmation
                           -Relations with Miller
                           -Robert D. Ray
         -Miller's efforts
              -White House position
              -Soviet Union grain shipments
         -White House support
                                               57

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 621-43 (cont.)


                 -MacGregor

     John N. Mitchell
          -Tenure in office
               -Richard G. Kleindienst

     Connally

     Shultz

     Connally

     Kissinger

Colson and Haldeman left at 10:22 am.