Conversation: 884-007
Prev:  884-006 Next: 884-008Start Date: 20-Mar-1973 10:47 AM
End Date: 20-Mar-1973 12:10 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Ehrlichman, John D.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:47 am to 12:10 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 884-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 884-7 Date: March 20, 1973 Time: 10:47 am - 12:10 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Watergate -Patrick J. Buchanan's note -Executive clemency -Publicity -7- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) Congressional relations -William E. Timmons -Replacement -Clark MacGregor -John D. Ehrlichman -Work with administration -Hugh Scott -Work of Timmons -Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler -Need for briefing guidance -Meetings with President -Ehrlichman -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. -Thomas C. Korologos -Bryce N. Harlow Prisoners of War [POWs] -Publicity for party -Release -Gen. John P. Flynn White House staff meetings -Concentration on certain topics -Roy L. Ash, George P. Shultz -Ziegler, Timmons, William J. Baroody, Jr. -Cole -Ash, Shultz -Ehrlichman -Concern for programs -Public relations dimensions -Shultz -Daily meetings -Details Congressional relations -Freshmen Congress members -Breakfast meeting -8- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -John Conlan -Control of Arizona legislature -Election of speaker -Plans for House of Representatives -Conservative Democrats -Ideological coalition -Ambition -Ideology -William F. (“Billy”) Graham -Timmons -Dewey F. Bartlett -Access to president -Regular meetings with President -President's opinion -Timmons's approach -Bartlett -John A. Volpe -Meeting with Republican leaders -Scott -[unintelligible name] -Questions for President -Value -Comparison with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration [A transcript of the following portion of this conversation appears in RG 460, Box 173, 1-26; SPRC, 157-160 (1-4); US v. Mitchell, et al, Gov’t, Ex. 10, pp. (00064-00070).] [End of transcribed portion] Congressional relations -Social events with President -Timmons -Bartlett, Henry L. Bellmon -Value -Consumption of time -Former governors -Duties and time -Comparison with President -9- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Ehrlichman -Oklahoma -Timmons -Quality of work -Comparison with Harlow -MacGregor -Ziegler -Areas of competence -Problem areas -Attitude of Congress member -Harlow -MacGregor -Congressional liaison work ****************************************************************************** [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] John B. Connally -Party switch -Colson contacts -Notifications -Readiness [End segment reviewed under deed of gift] ****************************************************************************** International Telephone and Telegram [ITT] case -Ziegler's statements -Ehrlichman -Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] investigation -Report -Democratic Congress members -Vance Hartke -Need for publicity -Spiro T. Agnew, Connally, Haldeman, Peter M. Flanigan -Interview with Colson -10- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Reporters' questions -Need for counterattack -Old story -Previous testimony -Richard W. McLaren -Ehrlichman -Need to work on case -Forest service Ehrlichman -Time seminar -Issues -Price of gasoline -Oil imports -Middle East -Natural gas -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] -Cooperation with Time Shultz -Value -Advertising Press relations -News summary -Newsweek article -Jews -Ignorance of US -Look -Herman Kahn -Death penalty -[Arnold] Eric Sevareid -New York Daily News -Albert E. Sindlinger [?] -Time and Newsweek -Danger of overconcern -White House staff contacts with reporters -Julienne L. Pineau -Henry Hubbard -11- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Time and Newsweek seminar on energy -Ehrlichman, Shultz, Charles J. DiBona -Administration posture toward -Cabinet officers -Peter J. Brennan -Shultz -Energy policy -White House seminar -Time -Crisis -Administration mistakes -Khan -Environment, welfare -Media-created concerns -Impact on food, car prices -Lumber -Insecticides -Safety devices -Costs, inconvenience -Haldeman's car Economy -Consumer confidence -Sindlinger -Reports -President's evaluation -Dollar -Herbert Stein -Importance as economic indicator -Shultz Cabinet’s role in public relations -Management capacity -Weaknesses -James T. Lynn -Earl L. Butz -Brennan -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Congress -Public statements -Work with White House staff -Ziegler’s role -Surrogates -Ehrlichman -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger -Lynn, Butz -William P. Rogers, John A. Scali -Elliot L. Richardson -Rebuttals to Democrats Congressional relations -Republicans -Baroody’s role -Colson -Need for better public relations -Timmons -Work with both parties -Votes -Baroody -Areas of concern -Work with outside organizations -Colson -George H. W. Bush -Timmons -Comparison with Baroody Watergate -Theodore H. White -Issue of presidential power -Lyndon B. Johnson -Publicity for President's position -Ronald L. Ziegler -Lack of publicity -Attack on press -Agnew -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) Congressional relations -Scott -Statement on defense budget -Need for figures -Work with White House -Summary statement -House of Representatives -Positive reactions -Statement on taxes, inflation, jobs Labor Department -Under Secretary job -New York Times -Opening -Candidate -Brennen -Colson -Choice for job -Handling of mail -Answer -Consumption of time -Work methods -Donald F. Rodgers -Value to administration Cabinet -Lynn -Public appearances President's crime speech -Follow-up -Ehrlichman -Press coverage -Sevareid criticisms -Advantages to administration POWs -Wives -Corsages -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Civilian POW -State Department -Foreign Services Officer [FSO] -Rank -Television [TV] coverage -Interest -Anecdotes -Green beret -Flag -Continuous publicity An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 10:47 am. Meeting with Ehrlichman An unknown person left at an unknown time before 11:40 am. POWs -Manner of release -North Vietnam -Advantages to administration Vietnam -Sir Robert Thompson -Talk with Gen. Alexander M. Haig -Nguyen Van Thieu visit -Visit to east coast -Visit to US -Agnew's invitation John V. (“Jack”) Brennan -Appointment as military aide -Promotion Military aides -Navy aide -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 [Privacy] [Duration: 39s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 ***************************************************************** -Maj. Gen. Donald D. (“Don”) Hughes -Brennen -Vernon C. Coffey, Jr. -Navy aide -Pressures of work Ehrlichman entered at 11:40 a.m. Meeting with Republican Congressional leaders -Ehrlichman's evaluation -Budget cut issue on defense expenditure -House of Representatives -G. William Whitehurst -Congressmen's impressions -Ehrlichman's conversation with Albert W. Johnson and Burt L. Talcott -Conlan -Leadership qualities -Comparison with Ford -Enthusiasm -Butz -Cabinet meeting -Comments -Congressional relations -Meetings -Eisenhower -Lyndon B. Johnson -16- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Publicity -Value -Need for more publicity -Robert D. Novak, Rowland Evans Cabinet’s role in public relations -Weinberger and Lynn -Appearances before Congress -Testimony -Preparation -Weinberger -Appearance on Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] TV program -Department of Health, Education, and welfare [HEW] assistants -Intelligence -Lynn and Weinberger -Qualities -Intelligence -Follow-up on issues -Political skills -Edmund S. Muskie Time seminar on energy policy -White House participation -Time’s promotion department -Shultz -William D. Ruckelshaus -Congress -Sensitivity Watergate -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III -Relationship with President -Press reports -Background -Robert L. Finch -Job as FBI director -FBI -J. Edgar Hoover -17- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Role in Alger Hiss case -Files on Hiss -Harry S. Truman -Gray -Time story -Confirmation hearings -President's cooperation with Congress Press relations -Time -Hugh S. Sidey -Current activities -Martin Z. Agronsky's show -Dwight L. Chapin President's meeting with Vadim A. Trapeznikov Pornography -Supreme Court decision -Follow-up Family Assistance Program [FAP] -Working group -Weinberger as chairman -James H. Cavanaugh -Consultation with various people -Russell B. Long, Frank E. Fitzsimmons Medical research budget -Charges of sabotage -Cancer, heart disease -Weinberger's answers -CBS TV special -Reasons -Restrictions on expenditures -Congress -Stanford University president -Johns Hopkins University -18- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Cuts -Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] -University of California, Berkeley -Defense grants -Excesses -Dr. James R. Schlesinger -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -President's concern President's meeting with Theodore H. (“Teddy”) White -President's proposals -White House budget -Comparison with Johnson Prices -Lumber -Sales to Japan -Price freeze -Cost of Living Council -Need for facts -Internal Revenue Service [IRS] -State of industry -Production -Mills -Imports -Exports -Forest Service -Management of timberlands -Reasons for problems -Environmental laws -Transfer to private lands -Environmental impact statement -National forest -Pressure from administration -Price freeze -William E. Simon -Shultz's opposition -Stein -19- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -John T. Dunlop Phase III -Shultz's concern -Simon -Press treatment -Dollar abroad -Shultz's image -Comparison to Connally -Interest rates -Blame on Shultz -Attitudes of business community -International monetary situation -Shultz's achievements -Comparison with Connally Leader class -Business community -Weakness of character -Kahn -University professors -Dependence on government -Welfare state -Need for Connally -David M. Kennedy’s performance -Shultz -Weak points -Public relations -Neurosis -Fear of controversy -Connally Narcotics reform -Controversy -Central narcotics agency Bill on Capitol Hill -20- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) Richard G. Kleindienst -Speaking tours -Capital punishment -Statistics -New criminal code -Jerry V. Wilson -Speaking tour Congressional relations -MacGregor -Timmons -Ziegler -Limitations -President's meeting with Scott and Leslie C. Arends -Administration's briefings -Ziegler -Ehrlichman’s role -Ash -Ford -Need for briefings -J. D. Ehrlichman’s role -Ziegler -Baroody -Herbert G. Klein -Briefing ITT case -Dealings with Democratic Senators Public relations -Press reports -Administration's responses -Ziegler -Hartke -Timmons -Ash -Administrations programs -Cole, Ash -Shultz -21- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 884-7 (cont’d) -Substance of issue -Public relations sense -Dunlop -Public relations sense -Theme -Stein -Public relations sense -Preparation Shultz -Meetings with President and Ehrlichman -Scheduling -Phase III -Talks with Leonid I. Brezhnev -Meeting with President -Scheduling Regulatory commissions -Meetings with President -Chairmen -ITT -[unintelligible name] -Federal Communications Commission [FCC] -Federal Trade Commission [FTC] Ehrlichman and Haldeman left at 12:10 pm.