Conversation: 628-008
Prev: 628-007 Next: 628-009Start Date: Thursday, December 2, 1971 5:45 PM
End Date: Thursday, December 2, 1971 7:03 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; MacGregor, Clark; Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; MacGregor, Clark; Woods, Rose Mary; White House operatorRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:13:24
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:32:42
NARA Description:
On December 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Clark MacGregor, Rose Mary Woods, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 2:03 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 628-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 628-8
Date: December 2, 1971
Time: 12:45 pm - 2:03 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Earl L. Butz nomination
-Possible withdrawal
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Farm media
-Support for Butz
-Percentage
-Agri-business support
-Farm General
-Successful Farming
-Support for Butz
-Walter J. Hickel
-Compared to Butz’s nomination
-Democrats
-Possible outcome
-Farm radio in Chicago
-Orion C. Samuelson
-Letter to the editor
-Liberals
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-[Forename unknown] Hershey
-Corn price support
-“Option 2”
President’s schedule
-Heads of State meetings
-Details
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Format
-Pierre E. Trudeau
-Joint statements at airports
-Azores
-Dr. Marcello Caetano's statement
-Black tie dinner
-British
-Options
-French
-Joint luncheon
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Caetano
-Meeting with the President
-Timing
-Georges J.R. Pompidou
-Meeting with the President
-Timing
-Schedule
-Joint advisors
-Lunches
-Bermuda meetings
-Timing
-Advisors
-Key Biscayne
-Willy Brandt
-Timing
-Eisaku Sato
-Timing
-Foreign ministers
-Kissinger
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Press corps
-Reduction in numbers
-Advance men
-Taking too much of the President’s time
-Reduction
-Rose Mary Woods
-Travel
-PRC
-Kissinger
-Written statements
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Unknown writer
-Press
-Traveling with the President
-Buchanan
-Experience
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trip
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Press
-William L. Safire
-Noel C. Koch
-John K. (“Cap”) Andrews
-Safire
-Previous trips
-European and Asian trip
-Camp David
-USSR trip
-Azores
-Bermuda
-Possible press assignment
-PRC advance
-John A. Scali
-Potential travel
-Kissinger
-Advisor role
-Scali
-Justification for travel to PRC
-Potential problems
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Dwight L. Cheapen
-Scali
-Ziegler
-Comparisons
-Kissinger-Haig meeting
-Television coverage
-Importance
-Compared to press coverage
-Scali and Ziegler
-Haig
Haldeman’s schedule
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Florida
-John D. Ehrlichman [?]
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-Price speech
-President’s trip to Chicago, December 1, 1971
-Senior citizen support
-Amount of aid
-Check off
-President’ support of the elderly
-Rising costs
-Foster grandparents
-Arthur S. Flemming
-Earl Warren
Speech team
-California speech
-Speech quality
-Apparent difficulties in writing speeches
-Various reactions to speeches
-Andrews
-Haldeman’s upcoming talk with Andrews
-Price
-Old compared to young
-Style
White House Conference on Aging
-Flemming
-Warren
-Press
-Compared to the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health,
December 2, 1969
-Reactions
-Unknown elderly black man
-Emotional talk with the President
-Ehrlichman
-Price
Unknown man at Justice Department
-Work style
-Richard A. Moore
-Previous conversations with Haldeman
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-John N. Mitchell
Speeches
-Moore
-Writers
-Work
-Attitudes
-Price
-Talk with Haldeman
-PRC trip
-Buchanan
-USSR trip
-Price
-Attendance
PRC trip
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's attendance
-Media coverage
-Television
-Street crowds
-Lack thereof
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:45 pm.
Clark MacGregor
-Tax bill
-Butz confirmation
-Meeting with the President
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:20 pm.
PRC trip
-Crowds
MacGregor entered at 1:20 pm.
Butz confirmation
-Senate vote
-Result
Tax bill
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Conferees
-Agreement
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Modified check of proposal
-John W. Byrnes's call to MacGregor
-Appropriations
-Effective date
-Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
-Fund
-Amount
-Concerns
-The President's signature
-History of tax bill
-Effective date
-Tax returns
-George S. McGovern
-Mills
-Charls E. Walker and Byrnes
-Previous conversation with MacGregor
-The President's statement
-Price
-Written statement
-Ziegler
-Questions
-Check-off
-1972
-The President's statement
-Options
-Senate
-Mills
-Proposal
-Democrats
-Speculation
-President’s statement
-O'Brien
-Mills
-House of Representatives
-MacGregor’s call to George P. Shultz
-Support
Butz confirmation
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Swearing-in
-Timing
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 11s ]
ISRAEL
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
MacGregor left at 1:28 pm.
Questions
-Importance
-MacGregor
Speech
-Environment [?]
President’s schedule
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-“A Day in the Life of the President”, December 6, 1971
Press
-President of Dahomey
-Vote
-State visit
-President’s schedule
-Pompidou meeting
-Timing
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 1:33 pm.
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:28 pm.
Schedule
-Chief Justice
-Butz nomination
-Harry A. Blackmun
-Timing
-Availability
-Butz swearing-in ceremony
Bull left and Rose Mary Woods entered at 1:33 pm.
Call from unknown man
-Return call from the President [?]
[Pause]
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 6m 36s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
President’s schedule
-NBC
Painting by Mr. [Forename unknown] Johnson
-Sent by unknown doctor and wife
-The President's letter
-Dictation
-Painting
-Style discussed
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:33 pm and
2:03 pm.
[Conversation No. 628-8A]
[See Conversation No. 15-199]
[End of telephone conversation]
Call to an unknown person
-Unknown White House event
-Performance [?]
PRC trip
-[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
-Pictures
-Ziegler
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 40s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**************************************************************************
John J. McCloy
-Letter to Woods
-Appointments
-Arms Control Committee
-William W. Scranton
-Pay Board
-New members
-Christmas
The White House operator talked with the President at 1:50 pm.
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
[Conversation No. 628-8B]
[See Conversation No. 15-200]
[End of telephone conversation]
Letter from an unknown woman
-Tone of letter
-The President's possible response
-PRC
-United Nations [UN]
-Letter from Woods
-Jews
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo telephone call
-The President's instructions
-PRC
-Wars
-Korea and Vietnam
-Number casualties
-USSR summit
Schedule
-Visit to Washington Redskins football practice, November 23, 1971
-Phone calls
-[Forename unknown] Brown, building secretary [?]
-President’s availability
-Kissinger
-Timing of phone calls
-Butz
-Meeting with John B. Connally
-Brown [?]
-The President’s location
-Handling of
-Possible solutions
-Melvin R. Laird
-John N. Mitchell
-Connally
-William P. Rogers
-Meetings
-Possible solutions
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 628-8 (cont.)
-Woods
-Contact
Painting
-MacGregor [?]
Schedule
-White House Conference on Aging
-Members
-Jack Moore
-George H.W. Bush [?]
-Unknown man's office
-Bobby McMahon
-Robert L. King [?]
-President’s previous conversation with Roger E. Johnson
-Possible phone call between King and Johnson [?]
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
Woods left at 2:03 pm.