Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-155

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Congressional relations

Wednesday, February 21, 1973 · 3:26 PM–3:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation043-155 on Tape 43StartWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:26 PMEndWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-155 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss a request for the President to attend a reception hosted by Senator Strom Thurmond for Senator Carl Curtis. Nixon decides against attending, arguing that it would appear redundant and potentially negative in the press given that he is already hosting a major congressional reception at the White House. Haldeman agrees with this assessment and commits to filtering future scheduling requests through his office to prevent such oversights.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Is Mr. Haldeman calling?
Yeah.
All right.
Bob, I wanted to check one other schedule item that Steve came in on.
I don't think he may run it by, but he came in and asked me about going down to reception for Thurman was giving for Curtis for his, Curtis and his new wife or something like that at the Capitol tomorrow.
And I told him I didn't, I thought that was a mistake because I
I'm giving a reception here for the Congress, and that would just be gilding the lily to go rushing down to the Congress because of that.
Absolutely.
Is that something that they submitted to you or they didn't?
No, it ran through.
Those are the kinds that they should talk to you about because then it wouldn't get too amazing.
We'll hold them up.
Because you would know, of course, that sort of thing.
No, there's no question.
You see, if I did, the point is, I would be delighted to do it if I weren't doing a reception.
Well, it's questionable even on that basis.
Well, maybe.
I think it is highly questionable.
Anyway, I wouldn't mind considering it.
But you have to when you have them coming down here.
Look at it in terms, and here you've got to have a little talk with Timmons and Chekma.
Look at it in terms of our congressional relations in the press.
What the hell does it look like if I have 225 congressmen here and then jump in the car and rush down to the Congress?
Now, that's going to be a negative story without question.
Absolutely.
You can't do it.
No question.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Right.
We'll get them.

NARA Description

On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-155 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-155

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 3:26 pm - 3:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 860-10]

       The President’s schedule
            -Stephen B. Bull
                                              -89-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 43-155 (cont’d)

             -J. Strom Thurmond’s reception for Carl T. Curtis
                    -The President’s view
                    -William E. Timmons
                    -Press coverage

[There is no Conversation No. 43-156.]

Also recorded on February 21, 1973

  • 043-153 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 043-154 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 860-005 3:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-006 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-009 3:23 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 3:26 pm.
  • 860-010 3:26 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm.
  • 860-011 3:28 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:28 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 860-012 3:30 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:30 pm to 3:58 pm.

All 88 conversations from February 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-155, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-155 (accessed October 10, 2026).