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Conversation: 355-014

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Start Date: 3-Oct-1972 2:15 PM

End Date: 3-Oct-1972 3:15 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Colson, Charles W.Kissinger, Henry A.Ehrlichman, John D.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

355-014.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Henry A. Kissinger, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 355-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 355-14

Date: October 3, 1972
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

        The President's schedule
            -Camp David


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 15s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


        Campaign practices
           -George S. McGovern’s accusations
                                 7

        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Oct-06)

   -Patrick J. Buchanan
   -Attack on morality and corruption
   -Public response
        -Colson's conversation with Albert E. Sindlinger
   -Response to McGovern
        -John B. Connally’s view
             -Possible risks
                 -Media
                      -Robert B. Semple, Jr.
   -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
        -Possible comments
   -Media coverage
-Media
   -Television
        -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
             -Coverage
                 -John D. Ehrlichman’s view
                      -Staff meeting, 8:00 am
        -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
        -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
        -CBS
             -Change
        -NBC
             -Telephone calls
             -Leadership
             -David Horowitz [?]
                 -Colson’s view
             -The President’s recent meeting
             -Anti-trust suit
                 -Radio Corporation of America [RCA]
             -Colson's conversation with John W. Chancellor
                 -1972 election
                      -Colson’s possible action
        -Networks
             -Local stations
             -Administration action
                 -Competition
                 -Oval Office
                 -White House
                      -Invitations
        -Pattern
                                           8

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. Oct-06)

                       -ABC
                       -CBS
                           -Colson’s trip to New York
                       -NBC
                           -Chancellor
                           -Ratings
                       -Reuven Frank
                           -Colson’s view
           -Connally
               -Administration strategy
                   -Response to charges
                       -1972 election


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


       Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
            -Signing ceremony
                -Charles H. Percy
                -Clifford P. Case
                -John Sherman Cooper
                -Jacob K. Javits

       McGovern
          -Attacks on the President
              -George E. Christian
              -Colson’s view
              -Colson’s conversation with Sindlinger
              -Colson’s previous conversation with Chancellor
                   -Chancellor’s view
              -Christian’s view
                                           9

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. Oct-06)

               -Corruption charges
                    -Morality
               -North Vietnam
                    -Bombing
               -Christian’s view
               -Surrogates responses
           -Television appearances
               -Agnew
                    -Style
                        -Compared to McGovern


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 1s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


       Issues
           -Corruption charges by McGovern
               -Effectiveness as issue
                    -Christian’s view
                        -The economy, the Vietnam War, competence of candidates, busing
                        -Lyndon B. Johnson
               -Johnson
                    -Television stations
           -Watergate
               -Democrats
                    -Edward M. Kennedy
                        -The President’s view
               -Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.
           -Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
               -Current activities
               -The President’s view
                                           10

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. Oct-06)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 46s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


       Advertisement in Boston newspaper
          -Defense budget
               -Cuts
                   -Hubert H. Humphrey
          -Busing
          -Legalization of marijuana
          -Welfare
          -Aid to parochial schools
          -Quotes
          -Democrats for Nixon
          -Committee to Re-Elect the President [CRP]
          -Raymond A. Gallagher, unknown person
          -McGovern's welfare proposals
          -McGovern's charges
               -Connally’s analysis
               -Surrogates handling
               -Agnew
          -McGovern advertisement promising accomplishments
               -South Dakota
               -Massachusetts and Missouri
                   -John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Johnson
               -Possible response from the administration
          -Colson's conversation with Franklyn C. (“Lyn”) Nofziger
               -Documentary
                   -California
                   -McGovern
                        -World War II bombing
                             -Charges on Vietnam War
                                             11

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct-06)

                                 -Double-standard


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 10m 11s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


       Social Security
           -Possible veto

       Water bill
          -Congress
          -Possible veto by the President

       Moral corruption charges against the President's administration
          -Courage
               -Veto
               -McGovern
                   -Colson’s view

       Water bill

       Welfare
          -Bill
               -Possible compromise
                   -Eliot L. Richardson
                        -Adlai E. Stevenson, III
               -The President’s instructions
               -House Resolution [HR] 1, Title I
               -Possible filibuster
               -Social Security
                   -Titles II, III and IV
                   -Possible veto
                                              12

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Oct-06)


Henry A. Kissinger entered at 2:55 pm.

         HR 1

         Kissinger’s schedule
             -New York friend

         Michael J. Mansfield
            -Possible trip

         [General conversation]

         Administration’s opponents

Colson left at 2:58 pm.

         Foreign policy defense
             -Connally

         Mansfield
            -Possible trip
                 -Timing
                     -1972 election
                     -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                 -McGovern
                     -Kissinger’s concern
                 -Bipartisan approach
                     -Conservatives
                           -John C. Stennis

         McGovern
            -Corruption charges against the President's administration
            -Press standards
            -Analogy to hypothetical charge
                -Press reaction
            -The President’s view

         Odds on the President's election
            -Polls
                                              13

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-06)

        Negotiations on Vietnam War settlement
           -McGovern's peace plan
                 -Negotiating strategy
                     -Postponement of resolutions
                 -Timing
                 -Nguyen van Thieu
                 -Bombing
                 -Tripartite government in South Vietnam
                 -Administration response
                     -Communist government
                     -Current negotiations
                 -Kissinger’s forthcoming trip
                     -Announcement
                           -Timing
                               -Kissinger’s schedule
                                    -PRC
                 -W[illiam] Averell Harriman
                     -Thieu’s future
           -McGovern
                 -Camapign
                     -Compared to the President’s
                           -Kissinger’s view
                           -Loyalty

        The President’s schedule
            -Camp David
                -Speech
                     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                     -The President’s instructions to Kissinger
            -Upcoming telephone call to the President
                -Kissinger’s schedule
                     -New York
                -Vietnam
                     -Statement

Ehrlichman entered at 3:08 pm.

        SALT
           -Signing ceremony
               -Andrei A. Gromyko’s telephone call
                                            14

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct-06)

         Kissinger
             -PRC

Kissinger left at 3:10 pm.

         Richardson
             -The President’s schedule
                 -Camp David

         Welfare legislation
            -Ehrlichman’s previous telephone call with Richardson
                 -Russell B. Long
                 -Stevenson amendment
                 -Abraham A. Ribicoff
            -Veto possibility
            -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
            -Richardson's conversation with Ehrlichman
                 -Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
                 -Implications
                 -Cole, Thomas C. Korologos
            -The President's forthcoming meeting with Richardson
                 -Timing
                 -Cole
                 -Political judgement required
            -Welfare reform issue
                 -The President’s strategy
                 -New York Times
                 -Liberals
                      -Ribicoff
                 -Long
                 -Debt ceiling
                      -Wilbur D. Mills
                 -Stevenson
                      -Richardson’s view
                      -Possible liberal shift

Ehrlichman left at 3:15 pm.
                                             15

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Oct-06)