Conversation 278-064

TapeTape 278StartThursday, September 16, 1971 at 11:50 AMEndThursday, September 16, 1971 at 1:45 PMTape start time03:12:17Tape end time03:21:05ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On September 16, 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 11:50 am and 1:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-064 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 278-64

Date: September 16, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:50 am and 1:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

    Congressional relations
        -Meeting with Charles W. Colson
              -Plan of action on obstructionist partisan label
                    -Senate Democrats
                          -Victor Lasky
                                -Column
                          -Handling
                                -Cabinet
                                -Leadership meeting
                                     -Quote
              -The President's role
                    -Henry A. Kissinger
                    -Draft
                    -Vietnam war
                    -House of Representatives
                          -Reaction of House members
                          -Quotes by members
                          -Obstructionism
                                -Draft
                                -Vietnam war
              -Public relations [PR] program in the White House
                    -William L. Safire
                    -Patrick J. Buchanan
                    -Colson
              -Vietnam war
                    -Michael J. Mansfield
                          -Report

    Press conference
          -Time
          -Location
          -Deadline

    Congressional relations

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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

You and Coulson could get each other a plan, an electronic plan, with regard to an immensely long-standing partisan obstructionist label on the Democrat Senate.
Now, I think that we, I don't know if we can ever realize it too much, but what we really see now is an assault on the floor.
And then I would take that quote, whatever it was, out of that leadership meeting and build on that and make them deny it.
And we was rehearsing that idea going on on the draft and how they were, how they were, you know, stopping us in Vietnam and so forth and so on.
But he doesn't realize it.
I mean, I got to stay somewhat above the battle.
But his view, of course, always takes the lead.
But on the other hand, we are one where we need an instructional label on some things, and particularly with regard to getting out of Vietnam.
Now, certainly, we've got enough bright people around this place, and we have a good PR program on that.
I did a sat-iron on that.
I did a Buchanan on that.
We've got, you know, the smart, tough, mean masters in, you know what I mean, the people who couldn't hold it.
I think this is the time to start really slaughtering this back-and-forth on this planet.
Particularly when they start planning the national defense.
They start saying, well, we've got to remember that other thing.
Don't you agree with me that that's an enormously vulnerable thing that's been done in the past years as the legislature says?
It's totally vulnerable.
The reason it's vulnerable is because of this fact.
who then would say, well, actually, get us out of the war.
And the question is, do our little boys know how important that is?
And they do, and they do it around the Republic.
So who's going on?
What do we have so far?
I mean, in case you come to me, I don't know.
I may have to do a little bit more on it myself.
I'm impressed with it.
But if it's being done in other areas, I want to stay a little further.
That's right.
Thank you.
I don't think anybody would go and meet him across the street, but anybody else is going to.
There is a report.
It is a report.
It's been circulated.
It's going to be reviewed.
It's going to be out.
It's going to be up.
That's it.
That's it.
We don't have any kind of .
Right.
I'm sure everyone has an option to do that.
I understand it's definitely that the time is such a poor time.
Definitely.
So I can always be there for you.
That would be a little more of a...
You see, the longer you go, the longer, the shorter the dead might start, and then D, there's no one else.
So D might just go up to the bottom of the court.
Yeah, so that I can go out there, and I'm going to start writing the war.
I'll just say that I'll have to start a quarrel by him on the doctor, because I remember the last time that he spoke to me before he came down here.
And I was just trying to get in there and start .
Anyway, there was some thinking about this problem, and I .
It was a problem with God that I just had to leave down the seat bottom on every goddamn day, you know.
And as far as the light went on the street, it was like, how the hell are we going to do this?
I had to go to the back of the president and step up and do something that he'd never done before.
I had to lay on the table and the goddamn thing was still up there.
I had to sit around it, you know.
I mean, I just decided to do it.
I just decided that I'm not going to kill it today.
You can close the table any time.
Any time.
OK.