Conversation 294-011

On November 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:55 am to 12:42 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 294-011 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 294-11

Date: November 18, 1971
Time: 10:55 am - 12:42 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

     The President's schedule
          -American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]
               convention
               -George Meany

The President talked with Herbert Stein between 10:56 am and 10:58 am.

[Conversation No. 294-11A]

[See Conversation No. 15-29]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Stein
             -Possible position with administration

The President talked with Patrick J. Buchanan between 10:59 am and 11:00 am.

[Conversation No. 294-11B]

[See Conversation No. 15-30]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Amnesty
         -George S. McGovern's views
         -Abraham Lincoln's actions
         -Deserters

     Congressional vote on Edward P. Boland Amendment, November 17, 1971
         -Press coverage
               -John A. Scali
         -Michael J. Mansfield Amendment
               -The President's statement

     The President's schedule
          -AFL-CIO convention
               -Colson's staff member

     Meany

     Unknown man
         -Statements

     [First name unknown] O'Brien

     Robert J. Dole
         -Question and Answer [Q&A] session

     Earl L. Butz
           -Confirmation
                -Effect of delay
                -Clark MacGregor's conversations
                     -George D. Aiken, Hugh Scott and Charles H. Percy
                     -Dole

     Supreme Court nominations
          -William H. Rehnquist
                -Confirmation
                -Smith Hempstone, Jr.’s previous column
                -Conservatives

Conservatives
    -Defense budget
    -Amchitka test

Amchitka test
    -White House mail

Polls
        -George H. Gallup and Louis P. Harris

National economy
     -Press views of the President's policy
           -Wall Street Journal
           -Barron's
           -Third quarter figures
     -Paul W. McCracken
     -George P. Shultz
     -Release of government statistics
           -Wall Street Journal
     -Third quarter figures
     -Views of Colson's friend
     -The President's forthcoming speech at AFL-CIO convention
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
           -Content
                -The President’s policies
           -Democrats' actions
           -Ronald L. Ziegler and Scali

Polls
        -Harris and Gallup
             -Figures
        -Media coverage of issues

The President's schedule
     -AFL-CIO convention

     National economy
          -Donald H. Rumsfeld
          -John B. Connally
                -International monetary situation
                -Tax Bill
                -Speech in New York City
          -Stock market
          -Gross National Product [GNP] and Consumer Price Index [CPI]

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
               -Coverage
               -Timing
                      -Haldeman's views
          -Forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
               -Timing of announcement
                      -Scali
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Possible press conference
               -Timing
          -Previous TV appearances
          -Possible press conference
               -Timing

     Cambodia
         -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] television program
              -J. Skelly Wright's decision

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
               -Format
               -Location

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:34
am.

[Conversation No. 294-11C]

     Haldeman's schedule

The President talked with Haldeman at an unknown time.

     Asked Haldeman to join them

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
                -Timing
          -Thomas E. Dewey's views
          -Charles A. Halleck's memorandum
          -Patrick J. Buchanan's views

Haldeman entered at 11:34 am.

     Connally's schedule
         -Possible press conference
                -National economy
                     -Pay Board and Price Commission

     The President's schedule
          -Press conferences
               -Views of Democrats and media
               -Dan Rather's views
               -Courtney R. Sheldon's views
               -Democrats' views
          -Possible press conference
               -Connally
                      -Possible statements
               -National economy
               -Location
                      -California press
               -Arrangements

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 11:40 am.

     International monetary policy
           -Britain
           -Connally
                 -Kissinger's conversation with Connally
                 -Participation in forthcoming meetings
                       -Edward R.G. Heath

               -Connally and William P. Rogers
               -Kissinger's conversation with George R.S. Baring, Earl of Cromer
     -Heath, Georges J.R. Pompidou and Willy Brandt
          -Walter Scheel
     -Connally’s schedule
     -Cromer

Rhodesia
    -United Nations [UN] vote on Chrome sanctions
          -US reaction
          -British vote
          -Congress
    -Ziegler
    -State Department's views
          -Procurement bill
    -Cromer
          -The President's conversation with Alexander F. Douglas-Home
          -US support
    -British efforts
          -Sanctions
          -US response
                -Kissinger's dealings with State Department

President’s schedule
     -Kissinger’s lunch with Cromer
           -Heath
     -Forthcoming announcements
     -Pompidou
           -Connally’s schedule
     -Heath and Brandt
     -Possible press conference
           -Timing
                 -Connally’s schedule
                 -Foreign concerns
     -Meeting of the Group of Ten
           -Kissinger’s forthcoming conversation with Rogers
                 -Connally’s schedule
                      -Pompidou and Brandt
           -Attendees
           -Connally and Rogers
           -Stag meeting

Kissinger left at 12:00 pm.

                  -State Department
                        -Rogers
                        -Leaks

     Rogers's schedule
         -Forthcoming trip to Latin America
                -Timing
                -Announcement
                     -Other foreign visitors
                     -Press conference

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
               -Connally
               -Congress's schedule
               -Briefing book

     Connally's schedule
         -Possible press conference
                -Colson's forthcoming conversation with Connally
                     -Connally's speech in New York City
                     -The President's schedule
                -Timing
                -Colson's forthcoming conversation with Connally

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
               -Timing of announcement
                      -The President's trip to Florida
               -Rather's statement
          -Public's perception

     Polls
             -Harris compared with Gallup
                  -Results
                  -Methods
                  -Results
                        -Regional differences

                     -Issues
                     -Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson
                           -Determining issues
               -William L. Calley, Jr.
               -Results
                     -Eisenhower and Johnson
         -Claude Robinson's views
         -1960
               -Gallup
                     -John F. Kennedy
               -[Forename unknown] Rowdey [sp?]
                     -Work in Massachusetts
                           -Colson
         -Johnson in 1967
         -Gallup compared with Harris
         -Gallup's conversation with Donald H. Rumsfeld
         -Harris
               -Dewey
         -Albert E. Sindlinger
               -Gallup
         -George W. Romney and Edmund S. Muskie
         -Trial heats
               -Calley
         -Process
         -Popular mood
               -Unemployment
         -George H. Gallup [Jr.]
         -George H. Gallup [Sr.]
         -Vietnam
               -Gallup
               -Harris
               -William B. Saxbe, Robert A. Taft, Jr. and Robert P. Griffin
         -Distribution

    Louie B. Nunn
         -Statement
               -Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey, Edward M. Kennedy and Birch E. Bayh, Jr.

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 16s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************

     AFL-CIO convention
         -Meany comments

     Connally
         -Conversation with Haldeman
              -Schedule
         -Possible press conference
         -Colson
         -Relations with White House staff

     The President's schedule
          -Possible press conference
                -Timing
          -Football game
          -Florida
                -Press conference
          -Connally
                -Press conference
                      -Timing

Colson and Haldeman left at 12:42 pm.