Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 271 › Conversation 271-003

Nixon & Haldeman on Government Reorganization and National Economy

Wednesday, August 4, 1971 · 8:37 AM–10:10 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation271-003 on Tape 271 (tape position 03:12:40–03:25:58)StartWednesday, August 4, 1971 at 8:37 AMEndWednesday, August 4, 1971 at 10:10 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 271-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman reviewed administrative and political priorities, specifically focusing on the status of government reorganization plans regarding the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Reserve. They discussed strategies for engaging business leaders and economic editors to improve public and media perception of the national economy. Additionally, the pair evaluated the political fallout of recent busing controversies and reviewed potential responses to Democratic critiques on foreign policy and domestic issues.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:12:40 – 03:25:58

part B, 1:12:08

271a.mp3
271b.mp3
271c.mp3

NARA Description

On August 4, 1971, 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 8:37 am and 10:10 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 271-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 271-3

Date: August 4, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:37 am and 10:10 am
Location: Executive Office Building

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

     President's schedule
          -Trip
                 -New York City
                      -Timing
                      -Meeting [Essex House ?]

     Government reorganization
         -Ash Council
              -Level II
                    -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
                    -Federal Reserve Board [FRB]
                    -George P. Shultz

Television program
     -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
           -Response to Republicans
           -John B. Connally
           -Clark MacGregor

Busing
     -News summary
         -Austin statement
              -Reaction
              -Patrick J. Buchanan

Media
    -Business
         -News summary
         -Connally and Shultz
    -National economy
         -News coverage
         -Indicators
               -Retail sales
               -Automobile sales
               -Construction
    -Business leaders
         -Meetings
Show the rest of the log (26 more lines)
               -Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Peter G. Peterson, Donald H. Rumsfeld
               -Facts
               -Peter M. Flanigan
                     -Revenue sharing
               -Economic editors
               -William E. and James C. Dunn
               -Businessweek
    -News magazines
         -Democratic politicians
         -Issues
               -Foreign policy
               -Economy
               -Administrative response
                     -Revenue sharing
                     -Environment
                     -Economy
                     -Foreign policy

                           -Crime
                           -Economy

     Busing
          -Political effect
                -MacGregor
                -Jacob K. Javits
                -Connally, Shultz

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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Are they all set for this thing today?
Okay, what's the game at 7.30?
Alright.
Yeah.
If they got there, they can meet there and have a talk.
And I'll step up.
Good.
Well, one thing, if you check with me, call me back.
I think the, I was, I was, but didn't the adding also recommend that both the OPM, the level two, and the level three?
Well, find out what it was.
Somebody recommend that level three, because your money is coming back.
Well, I've heard that, you know, nobody's seen him any time.
He was a great, great leader in Florida.
What's the feeling about, I read it in the summary, but what's the feeling about the reaction?
Correct.
No, I think the .
I'm rather curious about .
And this seems like one record type.
I rather wonder if we have something to go with it, whether we're following results.
I don't think we really have an option to go with it.
It's not a big part of the whole thing.
It's not necessary.
Remember, I said that to this woman.
Remember, I said that to this woman.
But I can't do that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's right.
But then about how the economy is going, you know, and you hardly, you just don't get to see all of the economy is bad.
It is.
Some of it's bad, some of it's good.
And, yeah, I just don't have it.
Well, the other thing that's true about it is, yeah, well, they're not all bad either.
But the commercial thing, retail sales, I've never been here.
Retail sales, not mobile sales, construction sales.
All right.
Keep going.
Good.
What I was thinking about was recognizing in this area, the problem is more encased in leaders and in places where they have a bunch of people down there.
You just gotta give them facts.
That's what these fellows have to write every day.
It's like, it's fortunate that you've got the right ones to do that every day.
And you gotta give them the facts.
And our people here, here's where the shelters, and all the rest of it, I think they're gonna need to get a pass or whatever.
There's a whole group home.
And here's Rob's well.
You go up and you go up and you say, all right, now here are the facts.
Yeah, I think, for example, the planning of the meeting probably has not been true of that.
True of the fact that all of a sudden they're talking, you know, this business guy, you know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
But, yeah, right.
But I think that, I think, but you see, the point is, they should be talking about the economy and those guys, yeah.
Yeah.
And then the other thing is, the other thing that I don't talk about a lot of the time, but another thing, I think the more important part of doing it individually, except for about 40 or 50, is how the business and the decision is made.
And here's your question, how many people make the decision?
And that's why I suggest that we get to the point where we don't.
I've had them once, and I don't think I'm going to get to the story for a couple of weeks after that.
But then, nobody followed up on us.
Well, meeting them every week or so, that's what you have to do.
It's a business way to follow people.
They just got to be met.
That's what I do.
So I'm sure they want to follow up.
But I think the other thing, too, is that
We have to realize it's a very interesting .
This is the Democratic politician who figured it out.
These people are .
I'll tell you one thing, though.
Well, hey, get off
get off get off the environment all the time but don't get into the other crap they don't care
There's no one center for us.
In order to do that, that's what we need to do now.
Got it.
Well, if you'll find out about that, I would appreciate it.
I'm hanging on our political side there.
Just to wrap the question up,
I think every time I prepare for that, it's like, Conner doesn't want, Schultz doesn't want, right?
Right.
Right.
that God would kind of give.

Also recorded on August 4, 1971

  • 007-061 8:37 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 1:56 pm.
  • 271-001 8:37 AM · 17 min — unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 10:10 am.
  • 271-002 8:37 AM · 1 hr 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 10:10 am.
  • 271-004 10:10 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:10 am to 10:17 am.
  • 271-005 10:24 AM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:24 am to 10:25 am.
  • 271-006 10:25 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:25 am to 10:35 am.
  • 271-007 10:35 AM · 6 min — 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 10:35 am and 10:59 am.
  • 271-008 10:35 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:35 am and 10:59 am.

All 21 conversations from August 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 271-003, August 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/271-003 (accessed November 2, 2026).