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Conversation 020-062

TapeTape 20StartTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 2:44 PMEndTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 2:48 PMTape start time02:05:27Tape end time02:09:28ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On February 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:44 pm to 2:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-062 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 20-62

Date: February 8, 1972
Time: 2:44 pm - 2:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 320-18]

     Press briefing
           -Correspondent list
                 -President's involvement
                 -Charge of regional bias
                 -Criteria
                 -Provision of reports
                 -Discontent with list
                       -Texas
                             -John B. Connally’s view
                             -Criteria
                                   -Dallas Morning News
                       -Connally’s view
                 -Judgement in selections
                       -Ziegler role
                       -Connally view
                             -Talk to Jack B. Krueger
                       -Soviet Union trip
                 -Reason for selection
                       -Television preference
                       -Administration response
                             -Technical support for writing press
                 -Ziegler's view
           -Hugh Scott item
                 -Questions at conference
           -Ziegler meeting with Patrick J. Buchanan
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Go.
Mr. Ziegler.
Yes, sir.
Your press thing, briefing go by as you expected?
Well, they made the run today on the list.
On the list?
Right.
Oh, crap.
But we had a little, all right.
What run do they make?
Have we picked our friends?
I hope not that.
No, no.
Jesus Christ, that's the most horrible bunch of people I ever saw.
And I made the point again that you weren't involved.
And I said, it's obvious that the president was involved by the people and the organizations who have fallen on the list.
So I made that point.
But a couple of people who aren't on the list talked about the
blocking out regional areas of the country.
And I said, well, that's absurd.
We purposely did not select the list based upon regions or states, because indeed, if we did
select a list on that basis, then we would be open for substantial criticism.
We looked at the news, the journalism community as a whole in the nation, and selected those who regularly covered the White House and repeated the criteria, and said that as a result of this, all segments of the news media will be able to provide instant news reports to all segments of the country.
Well, really, I think most of the fair guys realize it's a damn good job.
Oh, yeah, sure.
Yes, sir.
And I've gotten calls.
It's not just those that went.
I mean, that's damn fair.
That's right, they do.
But still, those who don't go, for example, we're getting a little heat from down in the southwest.
Texas.
Right.
I talked to Secretary Connolly about it, and he's not worried about it.
And he's handling it, too.
Well, the point was that you just didn't have anybody that fit the criteria.
That's right.
The Dallas News came close, but they just didn't quite fit it.
What do you have from Texas?
Anybody at all?
No, no one.
That's too damn bad.
Yep.
Well, we, of course, talked about the Dallas Nose there, but... See, there are a few selections that are on the list, and I made the point that we had to make some judgments.
There are a few selections on the list that don't specifically meet the criteria...
where some would who are not on the list.
Do you see what I mean?
But I made the point we had to follow the criteria in a general way, but I had to make some judgments too.
But I was able to hit the... You called Connolly on this, did you?
I talked to him at the leadership.
He said it was okay.
He's talking to Kruger down there and so forth.
I said, now, level with me.
Are you concerned about this?
And he said, no, I'm really not.
And also, we'll help him on the Russian mess.
Right.
Okay.
The other point, one guy asked me, he said, isn't it true, Ron, that the reason you've made these selections and there are television people on here is because it's a TV spectacular?
And I really hit that, and it's moving on the wires.
I said, that statement is absurd, and that's what they led with.
I said, and it suggests to me, whenever I'm asked that question, that whoever asks the question is not aware of the...
of other communication functions within the whole mix in this country.
And I said, if you want to break down the technical support that each member of the writing press gets, I said it would add up to about 10 people per member of the writing press because of the ground station personnel and the telex operators and all of the rest.
So that seemed to diffuse that.
But I expected to see.
It wasn't extensive, and it just allowed us.
Is Scott's thing getting any kind of a play in the wire?
It is, yes.
Good.
So I think we're in fairly good shape on that.
Did they come at you again on that?
No, they didn't.
Well, they already had their story for today on that.
Right.
Pat and I are sitting down here right now going over some things.
Who?
Pat Buchanan's in my office now, so we're going over something.
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