Conversation: 895-020
Prev: 895-019 Next: 895-021Start Date: 13-Apr-1973 11:53 AM
End Date: 13-Apr-1973 12:59 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Brennan, Peter J.; Cole, Kenneth R., Jr.; White House photographer;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On April 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Peter J. Brennan, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:53 am to 12:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 895-020 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 895-20
Date: April 13, 1973
Time: 11:53 am - 12:59 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Peter J. Brennan and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. The White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Cole’s health
-Chicken pox
-Daughters
Cabinet officers
-Forthcoming Cabinet meeting
-General issues
-Role of Brennan in Cabinet
-Compared to President’s meeting with Rogers C. B. Morton in California
-Alaska Pipeline
-Indians
-Separate meetings with President
-Elevation of issues to Cabinet level meetings
-Other departments interested
-Economic policy
-George P. Shultz
-George [Surname unknown] [Meany] [?]
-Conflicts with Brennan [?]
-Earl L. Butz
-Option papers
-Brennan’s arguments
-President’s support for Brennan’s advocacy on issues
Youth differential
-Administration’s proposal
-George Meany’s reaction
-Youth employment compared to adult employment
-Adult disenfranchisement
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Child labor
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration
-Proposal
-Meany’s proposal
-Minimum wage
-Public enemies
-Domestic workers
-Congressional support for President
-Support for Meany
-President’s role in legislation
-Veto
-Brennan’s role in administration
-Advocacy for beliefs
-Support for President
-President’s schedule
-San Clemente, California
-Newspaper interviews
-Meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu
-Brennan’s support for President
-Former career with organized labor
-Progress
-Business community
Public employees
-State and local employees
-President’s interaction with unions
-Federal government
-Problems
-New York State
-Decentralization
-Return to local governments
Anti-discrimination law
-Role of states
-Civil Rights Act
-Discrimination of Age Act
-Economic issue
-36-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Merits
Minimum wage law
-States’ reaction
-Rise in taxes
-Brennan’s defense of President
-Chamber of Commerce’s reaction
-Meany’s reaction
-National Association of Manufacturers [NAM]
Butz
-Credibility with farmers
-Prices
President’s schedule
-April 16, 1973
-President’s greeting
-Avoidance of speechmaking
-Brennan
-Attendance with President
-Meany
-New Orleans, Louisiana
-Audience
-Attacks on Brennan
Meany
-Attacks on President and Brennan
-Miami [?]
-Mental state
-Compared to Gen. Charles A. J. M. de Gaulle, Konrad Adenauer, Jawaharlal Nehru
-Intellectual rigidity
Building Trades Union
-Support for President’s policies
-Meany’s background
-Diversity of opinion
-Support for President’s Vietnam policies
-37-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
President’s speech at April 16, 1973, meeting
-National defense
-Defense budget
-Domestic issues
-Administration’s “open door” policy
-Brennan
-Roles in administration
-Defense of labor
-Debates within the administration
-Team mentality
Building Trades
-Control Board on Wages [CSRC]
-Price levels
-Fairness
-Construction
-Review of labor laws
-Situs picketing reform
-Support of previous President’s
-Taft-Hartley Act
-Problems with subcontracting
-Discriminatory nature
-Prior legislation
-Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. [?]
-Congress of Industrial Organizations [CIO]
President’s April 16, 1973, speech
-Common situs picketing
-Brennan
-President’s position
-Position paper
-Brennan’s leadership
-Meany [?]
-President’s addressing of issue
-Follow through
-38-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Length of conference
-Common situs picketing
-Role of Congress
-William E. Timmons
Building Trades
-Support for President’s policies
-1972 election
-Budget
-National defense
-Vietnam
-POWs
-Emotions
-Rehabilitation
-Job creation
-Brennan’s role
-President’s April 16, 1973, speech
-POWs
-Labor
-Mike Donovan
-Death of son
-Attendance at meeting
-President’s April 16, 1973, speech
-President’s appreciation for support
-Trade
-National security
-Goals
-Brennan
-Administration’s respect for labor’s view
-President’s availability
-Discussions
-Compromise
-Disagreements
-Balance between labor and business
-Brennan’s role
-Honesty compared to pandering
-Brennan’s role
-39-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Independence
-Resignation
-Press coverage
-Leslie E. Carpenter
-Washington Star
-Meany’s opposition to Brennan, President
-President of unknown organization
-Reactions to Meany’s opposition to administration
Industrial Peace Commission
-Dave Coleman
-Brennan’s credibility
Meany’s attack on Brennan
-Business reaction
-Effects
-Administration’s progressive actions
-Cole’s role
-Administration’s highlighting of pro-business attacks
Brennan’s appointments
-Brennan’s concerns
-Ken Gould [?]
-President’s April 13, 1973, conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-George P. Shultz
-[First name unknown] Jones
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] checks
-Confirmation process
-Future FBI Director
-Duration
-Richard F. Schubert
-Appointment as Under Secretary
-Background
-Solicitor
-Bethlehem Steel
-Honesty, religiosity
-Paperwork
-40-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
Brennan’s visit to Boston
-Protests against President
-Black leaders
-Brennan’s address
-Newtown, Massachusetts
-Funding
-Labor Department’s programs
-Expansion of successful programs
-School programs
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Reaction
-Boston Community Development Corporation
-Collaborative effort
-Funding of programs
-Federal funding
-Program funding
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-Local funding
-Research for additional funding
-Closing of Boston Navy Yard
-Conversation with Kevin D. White
-Federal budget
-Support for President
-Partisanship
-Gubernatorial prospects
-Closing of bases
-Unemployment
-Brooklyn, New York
President’s national defense policy
-Ending of Vietnam War
-Closing of bases
-Budget cuts
Agenda for forthcoming Cabinet meeting
-Energy
-41-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Forthcoming Presidential message
-Congressional leaders [?]
-Utility to Cabinet
-Press coverage
-Reaction to President’s program
-Support
-Criticism to President’s program
-Business
President’s energy program
-Coal miners
-Support for President’s message
-Alaska pipeline
-Canada
-Robert F. Kennedy’s proposals
-Nuclear power
-Purchase from Canada
-Compared to building New York plants
-Brennan’s opposition
-Transit
-Grid
-Impact of conflict with US
-Pipeline issue
-Presidential obligations
-US people, labor
-Pierre E. Trudeau
-Radicals
-Potential for pipline sabotage
-Environmental impact of Alaska pipeline
-Reindeer
Environmentalism
-Brennan quotes
-New York Times
-New York City
-Housing, roads
-Robert Moses
-42-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Support for President
-Vietnam
-Invitation to White House
-Rose Mary Woods
-Moses’ vitality
-Brennan’s statement
-Public statement
-Publicity
-Moses’ ability
Nuclear power
-Popular fears
-Compared with Super Sonic Transport [SST]
-Reticence of public
-Soviet ingenuity
-Job creating potential
-George S. McGovern
-Opposition to SST
-Partisan tendencies
President’s April 16, 1973 speech
-Acknowledging constituents
-Brennan’s Oval Office visit
Forthcoming Cabinet meeting
-Attendees
-Undersecretaries
-Staff seating
-Undersecretary of Commerce
-Vacancy
-Undersecretary of Labor Department
-Need for confirmation
Frederick B. Dent
-Meeting with businessmen [?]
-Blair House
-Monthly basis
-43-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Unemployment insurance bill
-Meany
-New York, Rhode Island
-Pay for strikers
-Victims of lockout
-Pay for victims
-Jack T. Conway [?]
-President’s understanding of a “gray area”
-Language
-Congress members
-Strikers
-Meany battle
-President’s compassion
-New York law on strikers
-Unemployment insurance
-Activation timeline
-Victims of lockout
-Activation timeline
-Safeguard recommendations and provisions from Labor Department
-Verification of victim status
Veterans parade in New York
-Antiwar veterans
-New York Times
-Worker’s reactions
-Vietnam Veterans Against the War [VVAW]
-Back turning
Brennan’s statement at dinner
-Response to claim that draft dodgers are heroes
-Brennan’s conversation with veterans
-English veteran
-Admiration for President
-Pride
-Veteran’s father
-President’s role in world
-Draft dodgers
-44-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Torture
President’s schedule
-Address to Building Trades Department
-Brennan’s travel with President
Brennan left at 12:46 pm.
Cole’s conversation with George H. W. Bush
-William T. Cahill
-Campaign contributions
-Taxes
-Campaign manager
-Request for intervention with US Attorney
-Primary
-Leaks
-Cole’s decision
-Bush’s agreement
-Grand Jury
Veteran’s legislation
-William Jennings Bryan Dorn
-Cemeteries
-Conference committee
-Drug bill
-House of Representatives
-Inaction
-Medical Act
-American Medical Association [AMA]
-Vetoes
Older Americans Act
-Albert H. Quie
-White House social event, April 12, 1973
-Vetoes
-45-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Need for cooperation
-Democratic Party
-Nixon’s philosophy on cooperation
-Capitulation
-Cole’s conversation with William E. Timmons
-President’s relationship with Congress
-Compromised principles
-Work behind closed doors
Public Employment Act and Emergency Employment
-Appropriations
-House bill
-Status
-Budget
-Possible veto
-Employment statistics
-Labor unions
-Mayors
President’s vetoes
-Possibility
-Upholding
-Public response
-Congressional response
-Veterans bills
Urban community revenue sharing act
-James T. Lynn’s briefing
-Support
-Congress
-Bipartisanship
-Pressure
-Cutbacks
-Mayors
-Housing bill
-Passage
-46-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
Economic stabilization program
-Cole’s involvement
-Public perceptions
-Technicalities of program
-Effect of controls
-Congressional interpretation
-Labor unions
-Brennan
-Potential confrontation
-Price freezes
-Wage freezes
-Public perception
-Boom economy
-Inflation
-1971
Emergency Medical Services Act
-Budget
-Test program
-President’s veto
-Planning
Legal Services Corporation Bill
-Howard J. Phillips’s view
-Payments by states
-Opponents of President
-Public perception
-Congressional vote
-President’s conversation with Phillip Crane, April 12, 1973
-Budget
Taxes
-Harris Poll
-Hugh Scott’s and Gerald R. Ford’s projection
-News summary
-Congressional reaction
-President’s Vietnam speech
-47-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. April-2011)
Conversation No. 895-20 (cont’d)
-Higher prices, taxes
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Congressional tax bill
-Estate tax reform
-Capital gains
-Tax rate increases
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Possible vetoes
-Aid to parochial schools
-Estate tax reform
-Brennan’s constituency
-Extensions
-Demogoguery
Cole’s health
-Childhood diseases
-Measles
Cole left at 12:59 pm.