Conversation: 658-003
Prev:  658-002 Next: 658-004Start Date: 27-Jan-1972 9:10 AM
End Date: 27-Jan-1972 10:05 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:19:20
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:17:22
NARA Description:
On January 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:10 am to 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 658-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 658-3 Date: January 27, 1972 Time: 9:10 am - 10:05 am Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Vietnam negotiations -Henry A. Kissinger -Recent press conference -Schedule -Opposition -Clark M. Clifford -Unknown person’s comment -Ceasefire -Terms -Reaction by the North Vietnamese -George S. McGovern -Nguyen Van Thieu overthrow -Kissinger’s recent briefing Middle East -Rogers view -Airplane delivery -Haldeman’s talk with Rogers -Political signals -Joseph J. Sisco -Schedule of delivery -Israeli view -Kissinger’s view -Memorandum -Problems -Sisco -Bargaining chip -Bargaining chip -The President’s conversation with Golda Meir -Israeli’s conferences with Arab nations -Timing -US participation -Anwar El-Sadat participation -Student uprisings 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -US strategy -Use of conferences -Soviet Union -Kissinger’s view -Haldeman’s briefing -Rogers -Overreaction -Plane deal Media conference by Rogers -Kissinger -Television -John A. Scali’s skill -Kissinger -Scali -Clark MacGregor -View of questions Dinner, January 26, 1972 -The President’s telephone call to Kissinger during dinner -The President’s talk with Kissinger -Effect -Impression -Tape -News coverage -The President’s possible presence -John D. Ehrlichman’s view -Gridiron-type dinners -Women’s view -Frank F. Church’s comments -Kissinger’s comments -Paul W. Keyes -Delivery -Accent -Church comments -Kissinger references -Forthcoming People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip -Kissinger’s comments -Protocol Forthcoming dinners 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -Gridiron -Attendance -Herbert G. Klein -Edgar Allan Poe -Barry M. Goldwater -White House photographers -White House correspondents -Ronald L. Ziegler -Gridiron -Poe -Loyalty -Previous dinners -Democrats’ behavior -Press relations -The President’s attendance -Drop-in appearance -Poe -Show Rogers’s briefing Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am. -Timing Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am. Kissinger’s recent press conference -Advisability -Television appearance -Pros and cons -Necessity -Rogers -Impression of Kissinger -Public perception -Bryce N. Harlow’s view -Television -Press coverage -John B. Connally -Kissinger delivery -Pros and cons of television appearances -Direct answers 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -Compared to the President Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am. Rogers -Schedule Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am. -Kissinger -Vietnam -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew Oval Office -Position of sun Agnew -Ehrlichman’s view -Criticism of administration policy -Congressional leaders meeting -Input to policy making -Role with administration -Congressional relations -Harlow -Agnew’s view -Presiding over the Senate -The President’s experience -Vice President’s job -Outlook -Associates -Patrick J. Buchanan -John Birch Society members -Republican Governors Dinner -Attendance -White House staff -Ehrlichman -George P. Shultz -Cabinet -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger -White House staff compared to Cabinet -Rogers 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am. Unknown request Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am. Personnel management -Partisanship -Unknown person -Transfer -Donald H. Rumsfeld Senate action on equal opportunity bill -The President’s memorandum to Ehrlichman -House of Representatives -Possible veto -Radicals -Rev. Theodore S. Hesburgh Commission -Business harassment -Black reaction -Votes -Leonard Garment -William L. Safire -Ehrlichman -MacGregor -Possible veto -Compared to 18 year old vote amendment -Liberals -Frank L. Rizzo The President’s schedule -Graham A. Martin meeting -Kissinger’s view -Future meetings with members of Foreign Service officers, prime ministers -Reasons for Martin meeting -Vietnam -Presidential elections Kissinger entered at 9:30 am. 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) Dinner, January 26, 1972 -Telephone call from the President -Church comments -PRC trip -Herbert J. (“Jackie”) Gleason -Keyes -Partisanship -Crowd reaction -Kissinger’s theme -Call for national unity -Art Buchwald -Today show -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] news Distribution of Questions and Answers [Q&A] sheet -Completion -Distribution -Rogers -Timing -MacGregor -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s telephone call to Theodore L. Elliott -Briefing -State Department responsibility -Haldeman’s talk with Rogers Kissinger’s recent press conference -Television -Media coverage -Rogers briefings -Compared to Kissinger’s Vietnam -Ceasefire demand -Clifford’s proposal -North Vietnamese position -Point Seven -Kissinger’s briefings -Timing of ceasefire -Settlement -Accuracy of criticism -Administration rebuttal 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -Ziegler -Rogers’s responsibility -Telephone call from Kissinger -News summary -Part in overall plan -North Vietnamese position -Edward M. Kennedy attack -Prisoners of War [POW] return for withdrawal -Rogers’s possible rebuttal -Ceasefire -North Vietnamese position -US proposal of May 31, 1971 -Rogers’s possible rebuttal -Ziegler -US offers -Negotiating tactics -New York Times editorial -Washington Post article -Inaccuracy -Current proposal -Compared to October 7, 1970 -Nguyen Van Thieu -Ceasefire -Timing -Electoral commission -Deadline -Mutual withdrawal -Compared to unilateral withdrawal -Possible letter to Washington Post -Authorship -State compared to Kissinger -Rogers -Marshall Green -Kissinger’s preparation -Content -Administration initiative -Washington Post -Alternative to the Washington Post -Washington Star editorial -Smith Hempstone, Jr. -New York Times 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -Editorials -Benjamin C. Bradlee -Representation on PRC trip -Consequences of invitation Reporters on PRC trip -Ziegler effort -The President’s friends -Nicholas P. Thimmesch -Richard (“Dick”) Wilson -Exclusion of Washington Post -Washington Star -Hugh S. Sidey -United Press International [UPI], Associated Press [AP] -Instruction for Ziegler -Instruction for Ziegler -Unknown reporter -Marquis Childs -Washington Post’s policy -Notification of reporters -The President’s approval of list -Criticism -Fairness -Television -Exclusion of Washington Post -PRC view Vietnam -Terms of settlement -Rogers -North Vietnamese reaction -Request for surrender PRC -Interest at dinner, January 26, 1972 -Washington Post -Entertainment -Theme -Soviet Union trip compared to PRC trip -Substance 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) Q&A prepared by Rogers -Staff meeting -News summaries -Vietnam ceasefire -Clifford -Negotiating point -Kennedy’s criticism -North Vietnamese position -POWs for withdrawal -Ziegler -History of proposal -Military and political issues -Linkage -New York Times -Kissinger’s telephone call to Rogers -Forthcoming briefing Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:30 am. List of reporters on PRC trip -Delivery -Ziegler -Haldeman Bull left at an unknown time before 9:52 am. Vietnam -Opinion of the President’s program by news community -January 26, 1972 dinner reception -The President’s efforts -Tone -The President’s efforts -The President’s talk with Charles W. Colson, January 26, 1972 -Colson’s view -David Brinkley -James Doyle of the Washington Star -Unknown captain’s comments -Sacrifice for POWs -South Vietnam -Communism -Kennedy 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -Possible administration counter-attack -Attack on Democrats -Surrender -Michael J. Mansfield -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson -Robert J. Dole -Communism in South Vietnam -Need for initiative -Advantages -Audience size -Media support -Hubert H. Humphrey criticism -Edmund S. Muskie criticism -Ceasefire terms -Negotiating point of North Vietnam -Clifford criticism -Overall plan -POWs -Administration strategy -North Vietnam, Vietcong, Democrats -Nancy (Hanschman) Dickerson -Talk with Kissinger at dinner -Press Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 9:52 am. -Response to Washington Post editorial -Ziegler -Marshall Green -Dictation of letter -Authorship -State Department Kissinger left at 9:55 am. Press list for PRC trip -Washington Post -Stanley Karnow -Review Butterfield left at 9:55 am. 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) Vietnam -Kissinger -State Department reply to Washington Post editorial -Haldeman meetings with Colson, Ziegler, Scali -Analysis of and responses to coverage -PRC trip -Foreign policy line -Camp David -Politics and peace -Administration critics -Partisanship -POWs -Written statement -Buchanan -Noel C. Koch -Colson -Buchanan -Lee W. Huebner Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:55 am. The President’s schedule -Signing ceremony -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins -Press -Announcement -Maurice H. Stans Bull left at an unknown time before 10:05 am. -Haldeman’s attention to scheduling -Bull -Ziegler Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:52 am. -Signing ceremony -Details of photograph session -Time limit -Removal of photographers 13 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 658-3 (cont.) -January 26, 1972 event Bull left at an unknown time before 10:05 am. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 9:52 am. -Peter G. Peterson replacement -Knowledge by Cabinet -Notification -Announcement -Peter M. Flanigan Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:05 am. Vietnam -Counter to Democratic criticism -PRC trip -Surrender, communism, defeat -Sustaining attack -Washington Post -Administration supporters -Mailings -Kissinger -Public confusion Press list for PRC trip The President and Haldeman left at 10:05 am.