Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 823-007

Prev:  823-006 Next: 823-008

Start Date: 14-Dec-1972 12:32 PM

End Date: 14-Dec-1972 1:02 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Scott, HughTimmons, William E.

Recording Device: Oval Office

823-007.mp3

NARA Description:

On December 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Hugh Scott, and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:32 pm to 1:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 823-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 823-7

Date: December 14, 1972
Time: 12:32 pm - 1:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Hugh Scott and William E. Timmons.

       Thanksgiving

       Scott’s schedule
             -Vacation
                   -John D. Rockefeller, III
                         -Euthanasia conference, Asia
                               -Bali
                               -Jakarta
                               -Jogjakarta
                               -Bora Bora
                   -Thailand
                         -Chiang Mai
                               -Conditions
                               -Hill tribes
                   -Scott’s previous trip [to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]]
                   -Marian Huntington Chase Scott
                   -Rockefeller

       Congressional relations
                                          -38-

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. July-08)

                                                           Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

           -Upcoming session, 93rd Congress
                -Organization
                     -Bill Patterson [?]
                     -George D. Aiken
                     -Henry L. Bellmon
                     -William E. Brock, III
                            -Campaign Committee chairmanship
                                  -Hugh Scott’s conversation with the President, November
                                   5, 1972
                     -Conference Committee chairmanship
                            -Wallace F. Bennett
                            -Norris Cotton
                     -Policy Committee chairmanship
                            -Robert A. Taft, Jr.
                                  -Competition with John G. Tower
                                         -Robert A. Taft, Sr.
                                         -Conference Committee chairmanship
                                              -Cotton
                                                    -Secretary of the Conference
                                              -Bennett
                                                    -Chairman of Committee on Committees


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

      Republican Party
           -Congressional campaign committees
                 -Brock
                        -Finances
                        -Ted Stevens
                              -Fundraising
                        -Peter H. Dominick
                        -Presidential ambitions
                        -Relations with George H. W. Bush
                 -Bush
                 -Republican National Committee [RNC] chairmanship
                 -Political role
                 -Harry S. Dent
                        -Wife’s health
                                -39-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. July-08)

                                            Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

     -Bush
            -Political role
            -Lack of enemies
            -Brock
     -Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-1972 Republican candidates
     -Quality
     -Italians
     -Irish
     -Blacks
     -Joshua Eilberg
            -Jewish district
            -Opposition
     -John Birchers
            -California
     -Gerald R. Ford
     -Wilson
     -Daniel Kuykendall
            -Tennessee
            -California
     -Dominick
     -Gordon L. Allott
     -Bush
            -Texas
     -Candidate from the West
     -William L. Scott
            -Virginia
            -Political Views
     -Jesse A. Helms
            -Bill Holman’s [?] opinion
Ford
     -Wilson
            -Kuykendall
-Brown
     -Ford’s support
     -Work with Brock, Bush
     -Leadership
     -Announcement
            -Ford
                   -Wilson
                                  -40-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. July-08)

                                                Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

     -Work with Brock
     -Attitude
     -Union advisors
     -Ohio
     -Pennsylvania
     -Samuel L. Devine
            -Conservatives
     -Charles W. Whalen, Jr.
            -Liberals
     -Intelligence
     -Surrogates
            -1972 campaign
-Incumbency
     -Effect
     -Ticket-splitting
     -Losses
     -House of Representatives
     -Senate
     -Pete V. Domenici
     -Helms
     -[First name unknown] Bartlett [?]
     -Kentucky
     -Domenici
            -Scott’s administrative assistant
            -Fundraising
            -Helms
-1972 campaign
     -Margaret Chase Smith
            -Defeat
                  -Surprise
            -Offers of Support
                  -Surrogates
                  -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
     -Allott
            -Defeat
     -Jack Miller
            -Defeat
            -Fundraising
            -Jerry White [?]
            -Jack [?] Edwards
                                            -41-

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. July-08)

                                                            Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

                       -Wilson
                 -J. Caleb Boggs
                       -Defeat
                             -Texas

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************


      Congressional relations
           -J. Caleb Boggs
                 -Governors National Safety Council
                       -Howard Pyle
           -Hugh Scott’s conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                 -1974 campaign
                 -The President’s schedule
                       -Possible joint leadership meeting
                              -Legislation
                                    -Vetoes
                              -Timing
                 -Spending
                       -Compared to raising taxes
                 -Tactics
                 -Busing
                       -Robert P. Griffin’s position

      Vietnam negotiations
           -Difficulties
           -Settlement agreement
                  -Quality
                        -North Vietnamese violations
                  -1972 election
                  -North Vietnam’s positions
                        -Imposition of Communist government in South Vietnam
                        -International Commission of Control and Supervision [ICCS]
           -US mining, bombing of North Vietnam
                  -Duration
                        -Settlement agreement
                        -Prisoners of war [POWs]
           -US residual forces
                                    -42-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. July-08)

                                                     Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

     -Casualties
     -The President’s meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
     -Congressional relations
            -Resolutions
                 -Timing
                       -1973 Inauguration
                 -George S. McGovern
                 -Hubert H. Humphrey
                 -Edmund S. Muskie
                 -Michael J. Mansfield
                 -POWs
                       -McGovern’s position
                             -US withdrawal and cessation of bombing
                 -The President’s plan
                       -Compared to Mansfield Amendment
                             -US withdrawal
                                    -Timing
                                         -POWs
                                         -Cease-fire
     -North Vietnam
            -US pressure
                 -Compared to withdrawal
     -Settlement agreement
     -POWs
            -McGovern’s and Mansfield’s positions
     -Nguyen Van Thieu
            -Congressional relations
                 -POWs
                 -US aid to South Vietnam
                       -Communist aid to North Vietnam
                       -Military aid

Congressional relations
     -Health bill
     -Scott’s conversation with Ehrlichman
           -Health proposals, pension bill
                  -Democrats
     -Pension bill
           -Democrats’ version
                  -Portability
                                     -43-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. July-08)

                                                     Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

                      -Compared to vestibility
          -Federal insurance
          -Importance to labor
                -Compared to fringe benefits
     -Confirmation hearings for nominees
          -Expedition
          -Quality of candidates

Second term reorganization
     -Congressional relations
           -Cabinet
                 -Secretary of the Treasury
     -Arthur F. Sampson, General Services Administration [GSA] Administrator
           -Scott’s view
                 -Pennsylvania
                 -Toughness

Congressional relations
     -Bipartisan leadership meetings
     -Republican leadership meetings
           -Scott
           -Ford
           -Leslie C. Arends
           -Griffin
     -Meetings with Democrats
           -The President’s meeting with Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                  -Jackson’s trip to Europe and the Middle East
           -Mansfield
                  -Impulsiveness
                  -John C. Stennis
     -McGovern
           -Senate Foreign Relations Committee
                  -J. William Fulbright
                  -Frank F. Church
                  -W[illiam] Stuart Symington
                  -1972 election
                        -Republican losses

New Year’s greeting
                                              -44-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. July-08)

                                                           Conversation No. 823-7 (cont’d)

       Hugh Scott’s schedule
            -Trip to Singapore
                  -Theft of Presidential money clip
                        -Airport

       White House gifts
            -Presentation
                  -Hugh Scott’s staff

Scott and Timons left at 1:02 pm.