Conversation: 799-019
Prev:  799-018 Next: 799-020Start Date: 16-Oct-1972 11:42 AM
End Date: 16-Oct-1972 12:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; [Unknown person(s)]; White House operator; Cox, Tricia Nixon; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On October 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:42 am to 12:45 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 799-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 799-19 Date: October 16, 1972 Time: 11:42 am. - 12:54 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. The President's schedule -Use of the President for news coverage -Television [TV] -The President's recent appearance before National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia -Henry A. Kissinger -Possibility of questions challenging the President's Vietnam War policy -The President's statement on amnesty -News coverage -The President’s statement on opinion leaders -News coverage John D. Ehrlichman entered at 11:44 am. Congressional relations -Water bill -Draft for the President 22 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Quorum problems -Michael J. Mansfield -Possible return of congressmen -News coverage -Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] II announcement -Timing -Kissinger Announcements -The President's radio speech -Location -Camp David, Oval Office, Executive Office Building [EOB], Residence, Treaty Room, Map Room, Theater -Announcement -Timing -SALT II -Camp David trip -Philadelphia trip -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Donald H. Rumsfeld -Rumsfeld’s location -Chicago -Clarence D. Ward -SALT II -Conference on European Security and Cooperation -Kissinger -State Department -SALT II US – Soviet Union trade agreement -Radio speech -US – Soviet Union trade agreement -Timing -Kissinger’s schedule -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:44 am and 12:49 pm. [Conversation No. 799-19A] Haig's schedule William L. Safire 23 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) [End of telephone conversation] The President’s schedule -Camp David -Philadelphia News coverage -Kissinger Radio speech announcement Congressional relations -Social Security bill -Possible signature -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW] -Possible veto -Payroll taxes -Budget impact -Possible signature -Water bill -Veto -Timing -Senior citizens -Environmentalists -Seventy-one bills for presidential action -Ehrlichman’s view -Water bill veto -Timing -News coverage -The President’s radio speech -SALT II -Congress -Social Security legislation -Ehrlichman’s advice -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger -George P. Shultz, Weinberger, Charles W. Colson, Elliot L. Richardson as advisers -Arthur S. Flemming -Clark MacGregor -John B. Connally 24 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -The President's October 17, 1972 meeting Philadelphia revenue sharing signing ceremony -Independence Hall -Number of guests -Courtyard -Liberty Bell -Press, cameras -Declaration of Independence Room -Benjamin Franklin -Public viewing -Frank L. Rizzo -Supporters -Weather forecast Media relations -Ehrlichman's October 15, 1972 interview on American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC] -Daniel L. Schorr's interview request -Ehrlichman’s refusal -Schorr's brother's involvement with George S. McGovern's campaign -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] -George Herman interview -House Resolution [HR] 1 Congressional relations -Social Security -Water bill -Possible lawsuit -Withholding of funds -Constitutional authority -Labor-HEW -Veto -George H. Mahon -Continuing resolution -Product safety bill -Signature -Independent product safety agency -Executive branch -Second term plan -Executive, judicial, legislative salaries -Commission 25 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Time frame -Appointment by Agnew, [Warren E. Burger], [Carl B. Albert] -Pay Board -George H. Boldt appointment -The President’s view -Cabinet -Congressional staffs -General Schedule [GS] salaries -Cost of living increases -Circuit Court boundaries revision Watergate -John W. Dean's October 16, 1972 talk with Donald H. Segretti -Segretti's conversation with lawyer -Disclosure of information -Statement -White House involvement -Affidavit -Legal action against Washington Post -Sullivan v. New York Times Co. -Time Inc. v. Hill -The President’s involvement -Public reaction -Theodore Roosevelt - [Roosevelt v. Newett] -Unknown person -Time -Segretti -Allegations -Time Inc. v. Hill -Film [The Desperate Hours] -Supreme Court decision -Tom C. Clark, Earl Warren, Abe Fortas, John M. Harlan -Position of public figures -Libel -Deposition -Timing -1972 election -Democratic lawsuit -Edmund S. Muskie -Lawsuit against Washington Post -Veracity of charges 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Ronald L. Ziegler -Washington Star -Public reaction -Plea -Summary judgment -1962 legal action -Election -Possible Segretti suit -Dean -Post-1972 election action -Disbarment proceedings -Lawsuits -Maurice H. Stans's suit against Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr. -Washington Post -Building dedication ceremony -Ziegler -Job, performance -May 8, 1972 decision -Peter Lisagor The President's comments to National League of Families -May 8, 1972 decision by the President -Reaction -Opinion leaders -Media, business, universities -The President's position on amnesty -Casualties -Prisoners of war [POWs], missing in action [MIAs] -Audience reaction -Fate of POWs -Amnesty issue -McGovern October 15, 1972 statement -Veterans -Conditions ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [Personal returnable] [Duration: 5m 58s ] 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ***************************************************************** Press and media relations -Amnesty -The President’s comments to the National League of Families -News coverage -Ehrlichman’s recent CBS interview -Edits -Schorr -Ziegler -Job performance, temperament -Press conference -The President's meeting with Ziegler -The President's backing for Ziegler compared to Lyndon B. Johnson and George E. Christian -Briefings -Domestic policy -Foreign policy -Work with Kissinger, National Security Council [NSC] -Difficulties -Background -Intelligence, aptitude, competitiveness, temperament -Work with Haldeman -Competitiveness -Comparison with Herbert G. Klein -Klein's relations with press -Precision -Understanding of the press -Integrity -Washington Post, New York Times, Time, Newsweek, CBS, ABC, National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] -Post-1972 election access to White House -Washington Star, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News and World Report Appointments -Intellectuals -Kermit Gordon -Pay Board 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Shultz -William P. Rogers -Charles W. Yost appointment to the United Nations [UN] -Irena (Oldakowska) Yost -Yost -Democratic leanings -Effectiveness of White House treatment -Right compared with left -New York Times advertisement -Unknown person from Stanford University -Yale University -Government -State Department -Firings -Kissinger -The President's leadership -Connally -Possible appointment -Position as Treasury Secretary -Firings -Position as Texas governor -University education -Duke University, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles -Elite schools -Effect on character -Businessmen -Advertising agencies in New York -The President’s conversation with Beurt Servaas -Eastern establishment -Jews -Rev. Theodore S. Hesburgh -R. Sargent Shriver -Possible resignation -Civil Rights Commission -Length of term -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan -Staff -[Howard A. Glickstein] Budget -Civil Rights Commission 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Cuts -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Defense Department -Optional cuts by the President -Amounts -National debt interest, veterans benefits, Social Security -Federal bureaucracy -Weinberger -Firing of low-level jobs An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 12:45 pm. -Firing of administrative, executive jobs -CIA -State Department -Foreign Service -Defense Department -Civilians -The Pentagon -Seniority -State Department -Retirements -Agriculture Department -Frank C. Carlucci -Kissinger's view -CIA -Study of proposals -Types of cuts -Kissinger -Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt -Importance -State, Defense -Justice Department -HEW, Housing and Urban Development [HUD], Agriculture Department, Interior Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs -Opportunity to cut -1972 election's impact on cut choices Vietnam War -The President's appearance before National League of Families -Mrs. Nellie Davis -Bracelet 30 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -Tricia Nixon Cox -Ricardo Davis -The President’s view -Amnesty issue -McGovern -Canadian refuge The President's second term -Responsibilities -Effect of a forthcoming campaign -Discipline -Media and press relations -Left-wing press -White House efforts in public relations -TV -Press conference appearances -Treatment of opponents -The President’s recent conversation with Kissinger -Life editorial board endorsement of the President -Support for McGovern -Newspaper Guild -Kissinger’s Time-Life contacts -Time -Jerrold L. Schechter -Granting requests for interviews in news magazines -US News and World Report -New York Times -Robert B. Semple, Edwin L. Dale, Jr. -Ehrlichman’s refusal to return telephone calls to unknown person -Washington Post -Ziegler -Carroll Kilpatrick -White House access in post-1972 election period -Invitations -Social occasions -Christmas parties -Press conferences -Lisagor, Edward B. Morgan -Supporters -Garnett D. (“Jack”) Horner -Haldeman’s view -Semple's future 31 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) -New York Times -New York Herald-Tribune -Los Angeles Times -Endorsement -Los Angeles Times and Washington Post news service -Segretti case -Otis Chandler -Chapin, Herbert W. Kalmbach -The President's relations with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, Leonid I. Brezhnev, Chou En-Lai -Comparisons -White House press, media contacts -New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, Life -Networks -Schorr -Marvin L. Kalb -Kissinger’s request -The President’s meeting with National League of Families -Richard G. Valeriani -News magazines The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 12:45 pm. [Conversation No. 799-19B] [See Conversation No. 31-53] [End of telephone conversation] The press and White House access -Klein, Ziegler, Kissinger -Semple, Schechter -Conversation with Ehrlichman -Washington Post The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox between 12:45 am and 12:47 pm. [Conversation No. 799-19C] [See Conversation No. 31-54; one item has been withdrawn] 32 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Nov-03) [End of telephone conversation] POWs -Note to Mrs. Davis from Tricia Nixon Cox -Bracelet - [Ricardo Davis] -MIA The President, Haldeman, and Ehrlichman left at 12:54 pm.