Conversation: 886-007
Prev:  886-006 Next: 886-008Start Date: 21-Mar-1973 9:15 AM
End Date: 21-Mar-1973 10:12 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 886-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 886-7 Date: March 21, 1973 Time: Unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:12 am Location: Oval Office The President met with John D. Ehrlichman. Meeting with George P. Shultz -Scheduling -Stephen B. Bull -Shultz's return President's schedule -Trip to Florida -Speech preparation -Relaxation -Meeting with Shultz and Ehrlichman -Shultz's return -Arrangements -President's departure -Topics of discussion -International monetary situation -Phase III economic controls -Tax program -Trade tactics Shultz -President’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Workload -Trade with United Soviet Socialist Republic [USSR] -Henry A. Kissinger -Frederick B. Dent -Importance -Energy -William E. Simon -Amount of time -Phase III economic controls -International monetary situation -Areas of concentration -7- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Petroleum policy -Gen. George A. Lincoln -Import quotas -Energy -Trade -Taxes -Prices -Energy -Simon -Specialty -Ability -Labor Department -Peter J. Brennan -Under secretary -Richard F. Schubert -Lawyer -Labor Department experience -Announcement of appointment Assistant secretaries at Labor Department -William H. Kolberg, John H. Stender -Brennan -Shultz -Appointments -Brennan -Public relations role -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger -Democrats -Number of loyalists -Problems -Problems with Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW] -Approach to problems Shultz -Meetings with President, Ehrlichman -Arrangements -Conclusion -Length -Termination of meeting -8- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Helicopter -John A. Volpe -Value -Effects of travel Book by Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan -Pakistan -US relations with India -Aid -USSR, People’s Republic of China [PRC] -Loyalty to President -Conclusion -Problems -Book by [First name unknown Burke] -Los Angeles Times Welfare bill -Uncertainties -Risk -Work requirements -Talmadge amendment -Herman Kahn's comments -Negative income tax -Variety of opinions -Congress -Tough stance -President's leadership in changing attitudes -Working poor -Help -Tax credits -Parochial school aid -Negative income tax -Child tax credit -Housing aid -Medical aid -Social workers Ehrlichman’s schedule -9- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) Food prices -News summary -Press coverage -Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin -White paper -James W. McLane -Statements on diet -Meat -Fish -Balanced diet -Fair prices -President's example -Chicken consumption -Fish consumption -Florida -Virginia H. Knauer's comments -Shopping -Beef -President's actions -Press coverage -Hugh Scott's comments -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing -Scott's comments -Earl L. Butz -Problems -Republican Party -Influence of Agriculture Department -Stockpile problem -Butz's undermining -Use of discretionary powers -Memorandum from President -Opposition to President's policy on stockpiles -Stockpiles -Administration team -Frederic V. Malek and member of Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.’s staff -Visits to Cabinet officers -Ehrlichman’s meeting with Butz -Price controls -Simon -10- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Phase III economic controls -Pressure from Wall Street Simon -Judgment of food price -Wall Street -Bernard J. ("Bunny") Lasker, Nicholas S. Nunzio [?] -President’s comments -Work with Shultz -Food prices -Ehrlichman’s conversation with Shultz Economy -Simon, John T. Dunlop, Shultz, Arthur F. Burns -Budget cuts -Prime rates -Increases -Simon -Jawboning -Phase III economic controls -Lack of confidence -Wall Street reaction -Lack of confidence -Dunlop -View of economic problems -Optimism -Dealings with labor -Railroads -Rubber -Shultz -Work with George Meany -Gross National Product [GNP] -Inflation rate -Phase II, Phase III -Optimism -Campaign issue -Press coverage -Food prices -Administration's responses -11- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Effectiveness -Administration's policymakers -Shultz, Herbert Stein and Paul W. McCracken -Competence -Ehrlichman's judgment -Recession of 1970 -Mildness -Conditions -Press coverage -Effect on public attitudes -Vietnam settlement -Prisoners of War [POWs] return -Wounded Knee incident -Prices -Watergate -Impoundment -Congressional relations -Portrayal of crises President's second administration -Eastern establishment -Sense of panic -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] issue -Fear of success, activism -OEO issue -Howard J. Phillips -Misinterpretation -William T. Cahill [?] -Patrick J. Buchanan -Speeches -Clearance with Ehrlichman -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew -Public statements -Defense of L. Patrick Gray, III -President’s defense of Sherman Adams -Dwight D. Eisenhower -Phillips -Criticisms -Clearance of speeches -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Criticism of administration -Vietnam War -Peace with honor -December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam -Peace groups prolonging war -Kissinger -Return of POW's -Public reception Vietnam -POWs -Capt. James A. Mulligan, Jr. -Appearance on television [TV] -Columbia Broadcast System -News summary -Accent -Statements -Support for President -Necessity of 1972 December 1972 bombing -Criticism of CBS, US visitors to Hanoi -Prolonging war -Effect on POW morals -Propaganda for North Vietnamese -Patriotism -Flag -National anthem -December 1972bombing -Impact on outcome of war, morale of POWs -Statements -Collection and publication -Title -December 1972 bombing -Distribution -Press coverage -John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt -Impact on public -POW statements -George S. McGovern -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Administration involvement Udall bill -Lewis -Free speech Impoundment -Gerald R. Ford -Statement -Budget deficit -Public relations -Tax increase -Figures -Amount impounded -Comparison with Lyndon B. Johnson administration Watergate -Gray -Ziegler's statement -Testimony to Congress -White House instructions -Investigation -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] raw files -Administration position -Gray testimony -Release to Congress -J. Edgar Hoover precedent -Opposition -Proper procedures -Administration's policy -Publicity -News summary -President's past statements -Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. -Questioning -Committee's questions -Watergate -Gray's instructions -Deal between Richard G. Kleindienst and James O. Eastland -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Confusion -Ziegler's statements -Administration's policy -President's instructions -FBI raw files -Constraints -Kleindienst -Press conferences Press conferences -Staff meeting -Press relations -Kleindienst -Reluctance -Management issue Law enforcement -Administration's advantages -Martin Z. Agronsky and other critics -Capital punishment -Drug abuse -Capital Punishment -State laws -Kahn -Comparison with Counterreformation -Divestiture of federal power -Opposition -Revenue sharing New federalism -Divestiture of power -Responsibility to localities -Walter H. Judd's campaign speech in 1960 -Analogy about daughter -Law enforcement -Increased toughness -Permissiveness -Attacks on drug pushers -Kleindienst -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Ethical tone one of society -Watergate -Rejection of permissiveness -1960s -Opposition to law -Radicals -Disrespect for flag -Pornography -Respect for patriotism, family, religion -Role of government -Local government -Law enforcement -Welfare -Trickle-down theory -Poor -President's goals -1973 inaugural speech -Comparison with Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech -Comparison with universities -Ministers -Compassion -Criminals -Murderers, rapists -Role of parents -Administration's goals -Toughness -Law enforcement -Drug abuse -Developmentally disabled -Press opposition -Isolationism in foreign policy -Strength of US -Threat to world -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy, McGovern Human nature ****************************************************************************** -16- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] -Christian Scientists -Quakerism -Inherent character -Impossibility of perfection [End segment reviewed under deed of gift] ****************************************************************************** -Religious beliefs -Jean Jacques Rousseau -Noble savages -Civilization -Evil nature -Bible -Two versions of Creation -Fall from Grace -Old Testament -New Testament ****************************************************************************** [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] -Religious sermons -Hellfire and damnation -President’s dislike [End segment reviewed under deed of gift] ****************************************************************************** -Contemporary US -Softness -Episcopalians -Presbyterians -Humanism -17- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -Religious mystery -Youth -Reversion to fundamentalism -Jesus freaks Press relations -Food prices -Law and order -Agnew -Support for Gray Summer youth program -Administration's plans -Positive publicity -Cole's briefing -Clearance process -Mayors, Congress -Summer violence -Funding -Summer violence -Respectability -Press coverage -Blacks -Jesse L. Jackson -Projection of attitude -Vernon L. Jordan -Criticism of administration -Conversation with Ehrlichman -Cabinet meeting -Revenue-sharing -New Reconstruction -Stanley S. Scott -Arthur Fletcher -Black colleges -Problems -Jordan -Criticism of administration -Ehrlichman’s response -Funding cuts -18- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept. 2010) Conversation No. 886-7 (cont’d) -“Good Indian” Rogers C. B. Morton [?] Ehrlichman left at an unknown time before 10:12 am.