Conversation No. 799-17

Date: October 16, 1972
Time: 11:24 am - 11:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

         Watergate
            -Ziegler's response to the press
                 -White House involvement
                      -Innuendo
                      -Smear tactics
                      -The President's veracity
            -Campaign practices
                 -Violence, obscenities
                                  19
         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. Nov-03)

    -George S. McGovern
         -San Francisco
         -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
         -Tricia Nixon Cox, Edward R.F. Cox
    -Republican tactics
         -The President’s instructions
    -Personal attacks compared to attacks on issue stances
    - [Donald H. Segretti]
    -Dwight L. Chapin statement on [Washington Post] story
-White House involvement
    -Opposition charges
    -Indictments
    -Grand jury proceedings
    -Lack of proof
         -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
         -Government Accounting Office [GAO]
    -Opposition charges
         -Innuendo
         -Hearsay journalism
-Campaign practices
    -Espionage
    -Heckling
         -Obscenities
    -Violence
    -Firebombing of campaign headquarters
    -New Left tactics
-White House involvement
    -Staff
    -Unidentified sources, charges
         -Refusal to comment
    -Washington Post
         -Chapin photograph
              -Possible questions to Ziegler
-The President’s view
    -Issues
         -Vietnam, taxes, jobs, peace, narcotics, defense, amnesty
    -Smears
    -Campaign practices
    -White House staff
    -McGovern
    -Call for opposition to speak out against violence, obscenities, disruption of
    meetings
                                             20
                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Nov-03)

                 -Responsibility for campaign practices
             -Press and media techniques
                 -Hearsay statements, innuendo, guilt by association
                      -Comparison to charges against Joseph R. McCarthy's tactics
                 -Washington Post
                      -Number of editorials
                      -Double standard
             -White House involvement
                 -The President's view
                 -Investigation
             -Campaign practices
                 -Chapin, Gordon C. Strachan
                      -Involvement
                 -Double standard
                 -Espionage, surveillance, sabotage charges
                      -Proof
                 -Chapin hiring of Segretti
                      -Possible questions to Ziegler
             -Response by White House to hearsay, character assassination, smear by innuendo,
             and guilt by association
             -Ziegler's role
                 -The President’s advice
             -Press and media relations
                 -Reaction to the President's lead in polls tied to stories
                      -George H. Gallup

         The President's schedule
             -Radio speech
                 -Timing
                      -Announcement
             -Philadelphia, New York
                 -Leak

Ziegler left at 11:40 am.