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Conversation: 848-015

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Start Date: 5-Feb-1973 1:09 PM

End Date: 5-Feb-1973 1:58 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Oval Office

848-015a.mp3

848-015b.mp3

NARA Description:

On February 5, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:09 pm to 1:58 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 848-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 848-15

Date: February 5, 1973
Time: 1:09 pm - 1:58 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

        Department of health, education, and Welfare [HEW]
              -Patricia R. Hitt
              -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
                      -Field organization
                              -Frank G. Carlucci
                                     -Reorganization
              -Hitt’s position at HEW
              -Hitt
                      -Rose Mary Woods
                      -Counsellor
                      -Possible conversation with Ehrlichman
                       -Reorganization
                              -Roy L. Ash
                      -Value to administration
                              -Ehrlichman's conversation with the President
                                     -Field organization
                              -New job
                                     -Labor Department
                      -Conversation with Ehrlichman
                      -Extensive travels
                                    -46-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                   Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



                    -Europe

White House staffing
      -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
             -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
      -1972 election
             -Celebrations
             -Cabinet appointments
             -Vietnam
             -Celebrations
                     -David M. Kennedy
                     -John A. Volpe
      -Peter G. Peterson
      -Haldeman
      -Art Buchwald
      -Peterson
             -Peterson’s wife
                     -Source of stories
                     -Margot Hahn
                     -Washington Post
                     -Georgetown set
                     -The Establishment
                     -Compared to Loraine Guyer Percy
             -Departure from administration
                     -Trip
                     -Letter
             -Conversation with Ehrlichman
             -New job
      -Herbert G. Klein
             -Ronald L. Ziegler
             -Job offer
                     -University of Connecticut
                     -Communications
                     -Administrative skills
                     -Fundraiser
                     -Government grants
                                    -47-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                     Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



                     -Conversation with Ehrlichman
             -Position with administration
                     -Problem
                             -Division of authority on communications
                                     -Ziegler
                                     -Organization chart
             -Job hunt
                     -Haldeman
             -Age
             -Wealth
                     -William P. Rogers
                     -Lyndon B. Johnson
                             -Jack J. Valenti
                                     -Blackmail
             -Conversation with Ehrlichman
      -Woods
      -United States Secret Service [USSS]
             -Presidential detail
                     -William L. Duncan
                     -Robert H. (“bob”) Taylor
      -Woods
             -Haldeman
             -Hitt
             -Haldeman

Economic policy
      -Meeting with Executive Directors of the Pay Board and Price Commission
             -Phase III
             -William McChesney Martin, Jr.
                    -Predictions
      -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
             -“Issues and Answers”
             -Budget cuts
             -Defense budget
             -Budget cuts
                    -Opposition
                                     -48-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                      Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



              -Taxes
              -Economic growth
                     -Martin
                     -Alternatives to taxes
       -US News and World Report
       -Unemployment
              -Projections
                     -Skepticism
                     -Positive line
              -John B. Connally’s abilities
                     -Messages
       -Phase III
              -George P. Shultz
              -Market
                     -Confidence
              -Arthur F. Burns
                     -Credit crunch
                     -Businessmen
                             -Control
                             -War
                                    -Compared to peace
                                            -Uncertainty
                             -Haldeman
                     -Support for expansion
                             -Tax increases, budget cuts

Phase II
       -Ehrlichman's view
              -Support for controls
              -Price Board
              -Enforcement
                      -Banks
                      -Confidence
       -Economic confidence
              -Reliability of measurement
              -Burns
                                  -49-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                 Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



                 -Vietnam War
          -Public relations problems
          -Businessmen
                 -Dependence on government
                 -Paternalism
          -Martin
                 -Federal Reserve
                          -Mismanagement
                                 -1969-1970 economic downturn
-Burns
          -Martin
                  -Attack
          -International monetary situation
                  -Blame
          -Money markets
                  -Effect
                  -Connally
          -Credit crunch
          -Government spending
          -Wages
          -Inflation
-Shultz
          -Tax reform
                 -Meeting with the President
          -Trade legislation
                 -Wilbur D. Mills
          -Tax reform
                 -Parochial schools
                 -Elderly real estate
                 -House Ways and Means Committee
                          -List
                                 -Administration positions
                                        -Depletion allowance
                                 -Meeting with the President
                                        -Scheduling
                                        -Paper
                                       -50-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                      Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



                     -Herbert Stein’s views
                            -Ash
                     -Capital gains
                     -Blanket deductions
                            -Housing

Ehrlichman's response for mayors
       -Housing
       -[First name unknown] Brown
       -Briefing
       -Ziegler
       -New York
               -Democrats
               -John V. Lindsay
       -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
       -Housing
               -Congressional leaders’ meeting
               -The President's conversation with James T. Lynn
               -Moratorium on commitments
               -Construction
                      -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                              -Dams
               -Commitments

Congressional leaders’ meeting
      -Information for the President
      -Elderly
      -Disabled
      -Veterans
      -Housing

Capital punishment
       -Richard G. Kleindienst
       -Mandatory sentences
       -Hard line
       -Albert E. Sindlinger
                                        -51-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                        Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



              -Public attitudes

Economic growth
      -Carl B. Albert
      -The President's strategy
      -Tax increases

The President’s meeting
       -Housing
              -The President's conversation with Lynn

       -Weinberger
               -Confirmation problems
       -Lynn
               -Housing
       -Earl L. Butz
               -Subjects for discussion
               -Natural resources
               -Farm legislation
               -Department of Natural Resources
                      -Agriculture Department
                              -Rogers C. B. Morton
                              -Butz's opinion
                              -Reorganization bill

Congress
      -Frustrations
      -Vietnam War
              -“Hawks”
              -Hard choices

Executive privilege
       -US News and World Report
       -Number of invocations
              -Compared to other Presidents
                     -Press conference
                                            -52-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                            Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)




Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:09 pm.


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

       Food order

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

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:58 pm.

       Foreign policy
              -Preparations
                      -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                      -Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
                      -European Security Conference
                      -International trade
                      -International monetary situation
              -Problems
                      -Vietnam War
                      -Aid from Congress
                      -Budget
                              -Tax increases
                              -Aid for North Vietnam
                                      -Effective date
                                      -Necessity
                                              -Bilateral reparations
                                              -Reconstruction

       Budget
                -Inconsistencies
                -1974 budget
                       -Briefings
                                     -53-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                      Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



              -Explanations

The President’s schedule
       -Domestic problems
               -Decentralization
               -State of the Union messages
                       -Timing
                       -Radio taping
                       -The President’s editing
       -Discussion with Haldeman
       -Congressional relations
       -Governors
       -Press relations
       -Meeting with Counsellors, Cabinet, White House staff, public
       -Domestic problems
               -Public relations
               -Cabinet officers
       -Shultz
               -Meeting during Edward R. G. Heath’s visit
                       -Great Britain
               -Decisions
                       -The President’s input
                               -Compared to foreign policy
                                        -Latin America, Africa
       -President's involvement in issues
               -Phase III
               -Energy
                       -Connally [?]
               -International monetary situation
                       -Shultz
               -Tax reform
               -Shultz
       -Peter J. Brennan
               -Dealing with the President
               -Special relationship
                       -Political situation
                                       -54-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                        Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



         -Cabinet meeting
         -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                -Trip to the Southeast Asia
                        -Philippines
                -Commander-in-Chief, Pacific [CINCPAC]
                        -Hawaii
                                -Golf
                                       -Kuala Lumpur
                -Henry A. Kissinger
         -Cabinet, White House staff
         -Congress
         -Domestic problems
                -Meeting with Shultz
                        -Treasury Department
                                -Tax reform
                -Decision paper
                        -Ehrlichman’s role
                                -Advice to the President
                        -Kissinger
                -President's dealings with Cabinet officers
                        -Note taker
                                -Ehrlichman’s role
                -Shultz
                        -Persuasiveness
                        -Trade bill
                -Tax reform
                        -Option paper
                        -Hearings

Energy
         -Option paper
         -Connally
         -Complexity
         -Excitement
         -Ehrlichman’s interview with US News and World Report
                -Costs of environmental protection
                                              -55-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Oct.-09)
                                                             Conversation No. 848-15 (cont’d)



                              -Clean air, water
                       -Costs of environmental protection
                              -Challenge
                              -Charles J. DiBona
                       -Connally
                              -Meetings
                              -Private sector
                              -Peter M. Flanigan
                              -Meetings with Ehrlichman
                       -DiBona
                       -Connally
                              -Meetings with the President
                                      -Energy problems
                                              -Oil

Ehrlichman left at 1:58 pm.