Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-140

Haldeman phone call on Mike Mansfield and William E. Timmons

Tuesday, January 23, 1973 · 12:09 PM–1:39 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operatorConversation036-140 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 12:09 PMEndTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 1:39 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-140 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman consulted William E. Timmons to assess the sentiment of Mike Mansfield regarding a proposed joint session of Congress. Timmons reported that Mansfield expressed logistical concerns about the late notice, though he remained skeptical of Mansfield's underlying motives. Ultimately, they concluded that while Mansfield would cooperate if necessary, he would prefer that the President not pursue the appearance.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yes, sir.
Timmy Timmons, please.
Thank you.
I'm going to call him.
I want to get a reading on his...
The Mansfield evaluation.
Because all I got was the message that Mansfield said.
Bill, was it your feeling that Mansfield wants him to come but feels there's a problem or doesn't want him to come?
How do you read his tone and so on?
Doesn't want him to come.
Does not want him to come.
That's my guess.
Okay.
He said that he would, of course, you know, participate.
help but he thought it was too late he wouldn't make any issue but he you think he doesn't want to come really because of logistics or is he using that as an excuse i don't know bob i i couldn't i didn't want to probe that he did say that it was was very late for a joint session he said it wouldn't be over till nearly 11 o'clock and the members might not show up and putting it together at this late date and he kind of used the logistics argument but whether he was really concerned about
The president using Congress as a backdrop, I couldn't tell.
But on balance, you think his view was that he should not come?
Yeah.
But he would be fully cooperative if he did?
That's correct.
Okay, thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On January 23, 1973, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 1:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-140 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-140

Date: January 23, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:09 pm and 1:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone
                                             -46-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 36-71 (cont’d)

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 404-11C]

       Request for a telephone call to William E. Timmons

Haldeman talked with Timmons.

       Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield evaluation
            -Possible joint session of Congress
            -The President’s possible statement

Also recorded on January 23, 1973

  • 036-070 11:55 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:08 pm.
  • 404-006 11:55 AM · 2 hr 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, Raymond K. Price, Jr., H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:08 pm.
  • 404-007 11:55 AM · 4 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 11:55 am and 12:08 pm.
  • 404-008 11:55 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:08 pm.
  • 036-071 12:08 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:08 pm to 12:09 pm.
  • 404-009 12:08 PM · 11 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 12:08 pm and 12:09 pm.
  • 404-010 12:15 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:15 pm to 1:35 pm.
  • 036-072 12:40 PM · 12 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:43 pm.

All 94 conversations from January 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-140, January 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-140 (accessed October 9, 2026).