Conversation No. 772-11

Date: September 7, 1972
Time: 12:37 pm - 1:38 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

            The President's schedule
                -Previous meeting with James and John A. Roosevelt
                    -First families
                         -Reputations
                              -Celebrity value
                         -John S.D. Eisenhower
                              -Belgium
                              -Chiang Kai-shek
                         -Idea of American royalty
                    -John B. Connally
                -James Roosevelt
                    -Haldeman’s view
                -James and John Roosevelt
                    -Working together


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                                          30

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. Oct-06)


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 12s     ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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          Clark MacGregor and Frederic V. Malek
              -Suggestion
                  -A meeting between the President and Maurice H. Stans
                      -Encouragement to Stans
                          -Dinner
                          -Suit in District Court

          Speeches
              -Length
                   -Haldeman's conversation with Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                       -American Legion speech
                       -The President's position
                       -Content of speech
                           -Length stipulations
                               -Effect on content
                       -American Legion speech
                           -Number of words
                               -Effect on content
                       -Number of words
                   -Number of words
              -Price
              -Form
                   -Number of words
                       -Supplementary material
              -Price
                   -Understanding of speech writing problems

          Polls
              -Charles W. Colson report
              -Louis P. Harris poll
                      31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

               Tape Subject Log
                 (rev. Oct-06)

-Vietnam
    -Bombing and mining of harbors
          -Percentage points
    -Communist control of Vietnam
          -Percentage points
    -Coalition government in Saigon
          -Percentage points
-Shift in American opinion on Vietnam War
-Campaign tactics by Nixon toward George S. McGovern
-McGovern’s policy
    -Earlier poll results
    -Current poll results
          -Declining confidence in McGovern
              -McGovern’s comments
                 -Poll results
-McGovern's victory
    -Possible effect in Vietnam
          -Nguyen Van Thieu and coalition government
          -Poll results
-Credibility of R. Sargent Shriver’s comment
-Henry A. Kissinger's trip to Paris and Saigon
    -McGovern’s view
    -Poll results
    -McGovern’s reaction
-Poll results
-McGovern and Kissinger's negotiations
    -Pierre Salinger’s trip
-W. Ramsey Clark and investigation of US bombings
-The President’s 1968 promises
    -Earlier poll results
          -Current poll results
-US troops in Vietnam
    -The President's position
    -McGovern's position
          -Poll results
-William P. Rogers
    -Speaking out on Vietnam
    -State Department
          -Bombing statements
          -Withdrawal statements
                                               32

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Oct-06)

             Vietnam
                 -Communist takeover
                     -US public opinion
                     -Kissinger's opinion
                     -Liberals in US
                         -Joseph R. McCarthy
                     -Kissinger
                     -Rogers


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 12m 8s     ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 1:03 pm.

             Press relations
                 -Tax increase issue
                      -Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford statement
                           -Tax increase
                                -Spending ceiling
                                -Congress responsibility
                           -Press questions
                                -Tax issue and duration of administration
                      -The President's position
                           -Statement by Ziegler
                                -Tax increase
                           -Possible Congressional action
                                -Possible effect
                           -Submitting tax increase and budget cuts
                           -Tax increase
                                -Numbers
                           -Statement by Ziegler
                        33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                Tape Subject Log
                  (rev. Oct-06)

         -Tax increases
             -Duration of administration
-Forthcoming press conference
    -Ziegler appearance with John D. Ehrlichman
         -Tax issue
    -Press questions
         -Response by Ehrlichman and administration
    -Administration's statement
         -Administration’s strategy
         -McGovern's budget
             -Amount of money
         -Tax increase
             -The President's position
         -McGovern's position
             -Administration's position
                -The President’s view
    -Ehrlichman's appearance with Ziegler
         -The President's position
             -Ehrlichman
             -Congressional leaders
             -The President's recent nomination acceptance speech
                -Tax increase issue
-Value-added tax [VAT]
    -Tax reform
         -Equitability
         -Changes
         -McGovern's position
         -The President's position
             -Reform issue relation upon tax increase
    -McGovern's position
    -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
    -Patrick J. Buchanan
         -Taxes
             -Public relations aspects
                -Nixon's tax
    -Administration's response during press conference
         -Consideration of the issue
             -Latest reports and information
         -Upcoming years of new administration
         -Reforms and proposals
    -McGovern's position
                                  34

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Oct-06)

                  -Ehrlichman
                      -The President’s view
                  -The President's schedule

James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
   -Trip to North Vietnam
        -Negotiations for the release of US prisoners of war [POW’s]
        -Harold Gibbons
             -Kissinger
             -Administration's public response
                 -Effects of response
                     -Salinger
                     -Jane Fonda
                     -Clark

Press relations with administration
    -Hoffa's trip to Vietnam and other related incidents

Propaganda
    -Administration's position
        -David Dellinger
        -Edward M. Kennedy
        -Clark and Fonda’s statements in Vietnam
        -Salinger and a negotiating position in Vietnam
             -Negotiations in North Vietnam and Paris
    -Administration's public position in press conference
        -Hoffa’s actions
             -Ziegler’s view
                 -Hoffa’s conduct
        -Role of private citizen
             -Clark and Salinger
        -Analysis
        -Press
             -The President's position
                 -The President’s view
    -White House position on Salinger
        -Hoffa’s conduct

Forthcoming press conference
    -Economic issue
        -Tax increase issue
                                  35

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. Oct-06)

             -VAT
                -Meeting between George P. Shultz and the President
                    -Recommendations
                -Ehrlichman

Republican congressional leaders
   -Ignorance of McGovern’s welfare plan

Press corps
    -Communications
    -Press conferences
         -Types of questions
             -Distortions of facts on the President's previous statements
                 -Tax issue
                      -VAT

Economic issue
   -Press stories
   -Afternoon press conference
       -Ehrlichman appearance with Ziegler
            -Time
            -Tax increase issue
                  -VAT
   -McGovern
       -Budget
            -New York speech
            -Amount
                  -Percent of tax increase
   -Tax increase
       -The President's position
            -Second term
            -Size of government
            -Tax reform
                  -VAT
            -Equity
                  -Package to Congress submitted in 1969
                      -Minimum tax
                        -Income threshold
                  -Shultz
                      -Recommendation before 1972 election
                      -Minimum tax
                                 36

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Oct-06)

                         -Equity
                           -Income
                       -Property tax reform
    -Tax reform and tax reduction
        -Changes
             -Connally
        -Significance
        -Acceptance speech
        -Administration's actions
             -Individual taxes
             -Corporate taxes
             -Excise tax
             -Tax roles
                  -Type of people
                  -Salaries
                       -Reductions in percentages
    -Press reactions to economic message
        -Camera
        -Ehrlichman's statement
             -Presentation of statement
                  -Tone
                  -The President's position
                       -Shultz
                       -Property tax reform
                       -1972 election
                       -VAT
    -Hypothetical questions during press conference

Press relations
    -Party for the press
         -Reactions
              -Effect
              -Accessibility to press
                  -The President's appearance
                       -Effect
                  -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                  -Press attitude
         -McGovern
              -Answering the President's challenges
         -The President's appearance
         -Campaigning
                                37

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Oct-06)

             -Hors d'oeuvres
                 -The President’s view

Ziegler’s schedule

White House staff
   -Ronald L. Jackson
       -The President’s view
       -Type of manager
       -Lucy A. Winchester
            -The President’s view
   -Menu items
       -Ziegler’s view
       -The President’s view
   -Jackson
       -Philippine staff
            -Black people
            -Type of workers
                 -Comparison to blacks
   -Henry Haller
       -White House Chef
            -Haldeman’s view
                 -Desserts
       -Type of food prepared
            -Fish
   -Camp David and Sequoia's chef
       -Victorio M. Dela Cruz
   -Zosimo T. Monzon
       -The President’s view
   -Pedro A. Baylon
   -San Clemente chef (Dela Cruz)
       -Type of food
            -The President's visit
                 -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                 -Menu
            -Warmth of food

Comparison of White House kitchen to the President's residence kitchen in White
House
   -Redecorating
       -The President's conversation with Mrs. Nixon
                                               38

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Oct-06)

                           -Kitchen
                               -Compared with San Clemente kitchen
                               -Remodeling

              White House staff
                 -The President’s view
                 -Fred Mayfield
                 -Jackson
                     -Type of staff
                          -Blacks

              Press conference
                  -Administration's position and response to questions
                       -Tax increases
                           -Shultz
                           -VAT
                           -McGovern

Ziegler left at 1:27 pm.

              White House staff
                 -The President’s view

              Press relations
                  -Administration's position
                       -Congressmen and senators

              White House staff
                 -Ehrlichman's staff
                     -Knowledge
                          -Public statements
                     -Writer for Ehrlichman
                          -Lee W. Huebner
                          -John K. Andrews, Jr.
                          -Buchanan
                 -Buchanan
                     -Response speeches


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                                              39

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-06)

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 49s     ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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             Awards by the President
                -Republican National Convention
                -Certificates
                    -Letters
                    -Watches
                -Shultz
                    -Watch as a gift

             Vietnam
                 -Casualties


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 39s     ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Haldeman and the President left at 1:38 pm.