Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-067

Nixon phone call with Finch on Cabinet and Leadership

Tuesday, February 8, 1972 · 2:57 PM–3:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Finch, Robert H.Conversation020-067 on Tape 20 (tape position 02:13:10–02:17:56)StartTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 2:57 PMEndTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 3:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-067 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Robert H. Finch discuss the perceived quality of the Cabinet and the effectiveness of recent leadership meetings. They review a summary of Secretary of State William P. Rogers's foreign policy record, with the President expressing strong approval of the accomplishments listed. The conversation highlights the administration's internal satisfaction with its leadership team's collective performance.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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at all.
Mr. Finch, Mr. President, all right?
Yeah, sure.
There you are.
Okay.
I thought that was a good exercise this morning.
Well, I think giving them all around that square table was rather interesting, too.
Yeah, but apart from all that, you know, you realize when you put that leadership, even with its weaknesses in the Cabinet, even with its weaknesses...
Pretty good bunch of people.
Yeah, that's a quality group.
Yeah, it really is.
Yeah.
Roger's little card is a good one.
Read that over.
That's a hell of a damn record.
Yes, it is.
Okay.
All right, sir.

NARA Description

On February 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone from 2:57 pm to 3:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-067 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-67

Date: February 8, 1972

Time: 2:57 pm - 3:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     Call from Robert H. Finch

The President talked with Finch between 2:57 pm and 3:01 pm.

[See Conversation No. 320-25]

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/30/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[020-067-w001]
[Duration: 4m 11s]

       President's schedule
              -Forthcoming meeting with Robert S. McNamara

       Robert H. Finch's candidacy
              -Polls
                      -Nature of district
                      -Carol (Crothers) Finch
                              -Burbank
                              -Occidental College
              -Press conference
                      -President’s reelection
                      -Ronald W. Reagan
                      -Potential 1974 run for office
                      -Refusal to commit to one Congressional term
                              -Comparison to President’s 1962 California gubernatorial race
                      -Vow to campaign for reelection of President
                              -In industrial states
                      -Ronald W. Reagan reaction
                      -Senate and gubernatorial possibilities in 1974
              -Polls
                      -Glendale
                              -Issues

                                    -Busing
                                    -Urban issues
                                    -Property tax
                            -President’s comments
                                    -Relevance
                                    -Constituency
             -Public reaction to peace initiative
             -Economic recovery
                    -Unemployment drop in California
             -Otis Chandler view of Robert H. Finch’s run for office

      William P. Rogers’s comments at leadership conference
             -Elliot L. Richardson’s comments
             -John B. Connally’s comments
             -Hugh Scott’s comments
             -Arthur H. Vandenberg’s proposal
                     -Gay vote
                     -Son

      Robert H. Finch’s candidacy
             -Forthcoming trip to New Jersey on February 9
             -Carol (Crothers) Finch
             -Financing
                     -Assemblyman from Glendale
                     -Frank Lannerman
                     -Patrick J. Hillings
                     -Copy-Press
                     -Reuter Press
             -Carlos Moorehead candidacy
                     -Assemblyman from Glendale
                     -Blandness
                     -Ability to beat H. L. (“Bill”) Richardson

**********************************************************************

    Leadership
         -Finch view
               -Quality of leadership
               -William P. Rogers
                    -Foreign policy record

Also recorded on February 8, 1972

  • 020-064 2:51 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 020-065 2:51 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 320-020 2:51 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 320-021 2:51 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 020-066 2:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl B. Ruth talked on the telephone from 2:54 pm to 2:56 pm.
  • 320-024 2:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl B. Ruth met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:54 pm to 2:56 pm.
  • 320-025 2:57 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:57 pm to 3:01 pm.
  • 320-026 3:00 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:00 pm to 3:02 pm.

All 48 conversations from February 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-067, February 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-067 (accessed October 2, 2026).