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Conversation: 912-003

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Start Date: 8-May-1973 9:23 AM

End Date: 8-May-1973 10:16 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Bull, Stephen B.Haig, Alexander M., Jr.

Recording Device: Oval Office

912-003.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 8, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:23 am and 10:16 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 912-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 912-3

Date: May 8, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:23 am and 10:16 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     President’s signature

     President’s schedule       

           -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. 

                 -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.     

           -Donald M. I. Kendall 

                 -Edison (“Pele”) Arantes do Nascimento 

           -Trip to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] 

                 -Report      


Haig entered at 9:26 am.

     Greeting

     President’s meeting with Georges J. R. Pompidou 

           -Iceland      

                 -Advance trip        

                       -Approval          

                 -Protocol      

                       -Meeting in Azores       

                       -Translation         

                       -Meetings        

                             -Planning session [?]    

           -Wreath-laying       

           -Meeting with Iceland officials 

                 -Legislature      

           -Arrival ceremony        


Bull left at an unknown time before 10:16 am.
                                         -10-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. July-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)


Watergate
     -Haig’s conversation with William P. Rogers, May 7
          -Need for big play      

                -John B. Connally and Ronald L. Ziegler 

                -Rogers’s possible role with administration       


Personnel appointments and management
     -Haig’s conversation with Rogers
           -Dr. James R. Schlesinger
                 -Confirmation by Congress
           -William J. Casey

Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
     -Need for professionals
     -William E. Colby
            -State Department          

                  -Saigon       

            -Son      

     -Haig’s conversation with Rogers 

            -Outsider        

            -Counsel for President        

                  -Leonard Garment          

            -[Horace] Chapman (“Chappie”) Rose        

            -Casey         

                  -Balance        

                          -Compared to Rose   

     -Counsel for President         

            -Role       

                  -Separate office       

                  -Questions         

                          -Rose

Watergate
     -News stories
     -Harris poll
     -President’s possible resignation
                                        -11-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. July-2012)

                                                         Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)

     -John W. Dean, III 

           -Possible charges against President       

                 -Possible immunity         

           -Public’s view       

           -White House strategy         

     -Ziegler’s press briefings       

           -Daniel Ellsberg trial affidavit     

                 -Delay by White House         

     -Garment’s possible role        

     -Rose’s possible role       

           -Haig’s forthcoming telephone call        

           -Garment        


Personnel appointments and management
     -FBI director       

           -Colby        

           -Cartha D. (“Deke”) DeLoach and William C. Sullivan 

                 -Unknown man            

                        -Lawyer        

                        -Qualifications          

                 -William D. Ruckelshaus            

                        -Domestic Council          

                              -James T. Lynn           

           -“Big play” compared to shift 

           -CIA       

           -Announcements          

                 -Cabinet meeting          

                        -Haig      

                        -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.         

                              -Domestic council          

           -Cabinet        

                 -Claude S. Brinegar           

                        -Transportation Secretary          

           -Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.          

                 -Resignation        

                        -Haig      

           -Cabinet        

                                -12-

       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. July-2012)

                                                  Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)

           -George P. Shultz
                -Concerns      

                      -Economy       

                      -Watergate     

                -Conversation with Haig
                      -Jamaica
-Connally
     -Conversation with Haig
            -Connally’s travels            

                  -Nigeria          

                  -USSR          

                          -Postponement
     -Announcements            

            -Cabinet meeting            

            -Press release          

                  -Schlesinger, Colby, Rose, and Connally    

     -Criticism

            -Henry A. Kissinger              

                  -Compared to Connally                

            -“Spectacular change”                

                  -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman 

                          -Departures on press coverage    

     -FBI Director          

            -Unknown man              

            -Announcement schedule                 

            -Ruckelshaus           

            -Domestic Council appointment                

     -Domestic Council            

            -Cole      

     -Announcements            

            -Defense Department, CIA, Connally, and Haig 

            -Rose       

                  -Counsel to President              

                          -Duration            

                  -Timing          

            -FBI Director         

                  -Professional           

                                           -13-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. July-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)

                       -Potential candidate
                             -Problems
                             -Law school dean
                                    -Texas          

                 -Law school deans            

                 -Conservative         

                       -Career professional           

                       -J. Edgar Hoover           

                 -DeLoach         

                       -Democrat          

                 -Sullivan      

                       -Hoover          

                       -Loyalty        

                       -Leadership          

                 -William M. Byrne, Jr.           

                       -Judge        

                       -Ellsberg case           

                       -Controversy            

                       -Rulings        


US foreign policy
     -US – USSR summit
     -Kissinger
           -Haig’s conversation with Rogers               

           -Meeting with Hafiz Ismail      

     -Rogers       

           -USSR       

           -Information      

           -Kissinger     

           -Reasonableness       


Watergate
     -Elliot L. Richardson      

           -Special Prosecutor       

           -Meeting with Haig        

                  -Immunity for Dean
                       -President’s conversations with Henry E. Petersen
                                        -14-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. July-2012)

                                                         Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)

                 -Dean
                       -Possible immunity
                 -President’s possible protection of Ehrlichman and Haldeman
                 -Handling of information regarding Ellsberg break-in
                       -Justice Department
                              -New York Daily News
                                   -Ronald L. Ziegler       

           -Confirmation hearings        

           -Meeting with Haig        

           -Possible meeting with President        

                 -President’s preferences       

           -Telephone calls with Haig        

           -Answers to questions from Congress members 


Forthcoming Cabinet meeting
      -Staffing of departments
            -Haig’s conversations with Jerry J. Jones, Roy L. Ash, Gen. Brent G.
             Scowcroft, and ambassadors
                   -Scowcroft’s conversation with Rogers       

            -Avoid controversies          

            -Contributors        

                   -W. Clement Stone
                   -J. Fife Symington, Jr.     

      -William E. Timmons          

      -President’s cooperation         

            -White House staff          

      -Staffing of departments         

      -Press relations       

      -Congressional relations         

      -Timing         

      -Staffing         

            -Schlesinger and Colby          

            -Connally          

                   -Volunteer        

                          -United States Steel    

      -Timing         

      -Announcement            

                                         -15-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. July-2012)

                                                        Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)


President’s schedule
      -Congressional leaders
      -Cabinet

Watergate
     -Public’s view      

           -Harris poll     

           -Compared with John F. Kennedy and Bay of Pigs 

     -Administration’s successes      

           -Vietnam settlement return of prisoners of war [POWs]

     -Forthcoming Cabinet meeting        


Transition between President’s first and second terms
     -Handling by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
     -Watergate

White House staff
     -Relations with Cabinet, Congress

President’s schedule
      -Cabinet meeting
      -Ziegler’s announcements

Personnel appointments and management
     -Clearances
     -Colby
     -Secretiveness with regard to publicity
     -FBI Director
           -President’s desire for a professional
           -Police chief
                 -Corruption
           -Richard A. Sprague
                 -Prosecutor of United Mine Workers president, W. A. (“Tony”) Boyle
                       -Potential appointment as Special Prosecutor
                             -President’s recommendation to Richardson
           -Professional
                                               -16-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                        (rev. July-2012)

                                                                 Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)

                  -William D. Ruckelshaus          

                        -[Domestic Council]          

                        -Stability of Cabinet appointments       

            -Ziegler’s view        

                  -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan          

            -Connally       

                  -Experience at Treasury Department         

                  -Potential role in administration      

                  -Potential attendance at Cabinet meeting 

                  -Travel       

                  -Length of appointment         

                  -Special counsel       


      Watergate
           -Resignation of Richard G. Kleindienst, Ehrlichman and Haldeman
                 -Ehrlichman and Haldeman
                 -Effect on Watergate criticism

      Connally      

           -Stephen B. Bull [?] 

           -Haig’s role      


Haig left at 10:16 am.