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Conversation 269-026

TapeTape 269StartTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 1:40 PMEndTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 1:47 PMTape start time05:24:36Tape end time05:31:02ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Butterfield met to coordinate the administrative agenda for an upcoming Cabinet meeting and manage various logistical scheduling matters. They deliberated on the inclusion of topics such as veteran employment and departmental reports from figures like the Vice President, while also discussing the strategic optics of a potentially divisive policy issue. The President ultimately declined a request to meet with Jack J. Dreyfuss, Jr. due to scheduling constraints.

Cabinet meeting agendaVeteran employmentWhite House schedulingPublic relations strategyAdministrative coordination
AudioNARA Description

On August 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:47 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 269-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 269-26

Date: August 3, 1971
Time: Unknown after 1:40 pm until 1:47 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President’s signature

     President's schedule
          -Forthcoming Cabinet meeting, August 5, 1971
                 -Agenda
                       -Blue collar employment
                       -James D. Hodgson
                             -Veteran employment
                       -John D. Ehrlichman
                       -Vice President
                       -Participants
                             -David M. Kennedy
                             -Elliot Richardson
                       -Vice President's trip to Africa
                       -William P. Rogers
                       -Robert H. Finch
                       -George P. Shultz
                             -Civil service grades
          -Jack J. Dreyfuss, Jr.
                 -Gen. Walter R. Tkach
          -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
          -Tkach
                 -Pierre E. Trudeau

Butterfield left at 1:47 pm.
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.

It was really something.
He got Galloway, the other company, chemical.
Yeah.
I was talking to him, and that was the only call I made to help, to help at all, to get a call out to Peter Cook.
And then he got Rock.
You feel that this is the best we can do with this?
I think so.
It's a pretty strong statement.
It's a strong statement.
It'll get a lot of visibility.
It'll soften.
It won't soften.
It'll soften.
We'll still have problems with library.
What the hell?
Of course, they want you to do this.
They'll say,
If I thought I'd put an end to the problem, I'd rush into it right now.
I think it just prolongs the problem.
I see.
I don't know, you know, this is one where you've got as big a chance of being wrong as right.
I just, I don't feel comfortable with it, but I just don't see any other way to go on.
So we just pick a course and then just put balls out on it.
Hope we're right.
And I think we can reinforce this.
I think Connelly can go down there.
He could be going down to the ranch sometime.
He could have a press conference while he's down there.
And going up.
Well, maybe he could stay over Monday and have a press conference.
Oh, he comes to a few weeks.
Oh, is he?
Oh, wow.
Well, he could background us on it.
I'll talk to him about that.
See if he's willing to do it.
Because I think he understands the nuance of it.
Well, I guess it's, I don't know.
Strangely enough, the Constitutional Amendment may be the answer here.
It really may be.
It's a hell of a blunt instrument, but I just think that it's gone too far, and it's rich, and it's got to turn around some.
The problem with it, of course, is that every district desk gets a free shot at it.
Yeah, but he could have not even went out there.
He could have devised his own plan, which in effect was good.
He didn't adopt the HGW plan.
And, uh, we're not criticizing him for not adopting KGW plan.
That's what Costello says.
Our field doesn't even like KGW plan.
What we don't like is what he came up with, as president of Lamont.
Thanks, man.
Interracial experience.
Yeah, all of them.
Somebody over there this morning says, well, I can understand that.
He says, you'd be tired after an interracial experience.
You don't want to walk home from one of those.
Good luck.
All right.
Yeah.
Is there anything I have to do?
No, go on.
Hold everything up.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll get it.
I'll sign it up.
One minute.
Yes, sir.
I don't think...
I don't remember this stuff.
I just don't have your body.
No, I don't know.
The thing that I want to resolve, if I can, is this cabinet agenda for Thursday morning, because... Well, there's no chance.
Well, there are only two options.
One is problems with blue-collar workers when they mine senior baron.
We're not sure yet.
No, no, no, I'm not sure.
And the other is having Jim Hudson report on what he's doing on veteran employment, which is something we thought about last time, too.
Why don't you have the Vice President report?
We're going to have old Kevin and these other guys, and Kenny.
Have the vice president report to the security.
Have Rocky say, we're going to do that.
Rocky spent five months at the vice president's report.
A couple of little things that Rob Finch has been trying to get Everington in to say.
All right, fine.
That's okay, that's fine.
Okay, so I think that if Jack Dreyfuss is here with Takashi, he wants to know if you want to shake his hand.
He just had lunch with Takashi.
That's what I like to check with him.
He's going to be here until about mid-afternoon, until he hears from me.
Yes or no?
Dreyfuss is not aware.
Check it.
I'd like to see him another time, but I can't do it today.
I can't do it today.
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