Conversation 363-009

TapeTape 363StartTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 1:24 PMEndTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 3:45 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Connally, John B.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

AI Summary

President Nixon and John B. Connally met to discuss ongoing political maneuvers regarding the Arkansas senatorial election. They specifically addressed strategies to convince a candidate—Winthrop Rockefeller—to withdraw from the race to benefit Senator John L. McClellan. To facilitate this, the President and Connally decided to involve Henry Kissinger in diplomatic outreach to David Rockefeller to exert influence on the candidate.

Arkansas politicsWinthrop RockefellerJohn L. McClellanHenry Kissingerpolitical strategy

Audio

NARA Description

On August 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and John B. Connally met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:24 pm and 3:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 363-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 363-9

Date: August 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:24 pm and 3:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

             The President's meeting with John B. Connally

Connally entered and Bull left at 2:59 pm.

             Greetings

             Connally’s schedule
                -Meeting with mayor of Miami

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]

                                      (rev. Nov-03)

[Duration: 9m 59s    ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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            Arkansas
                -Candidate [Wayne H. Babbitt]
                    -Winthrop Rockefeller
                        -Clark MacGregor
                    -David and Nelson Rockefeller
                    -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                    -Henry A. Kissinger
                        -Possible talk with David Rockefeller
                        -Winthrop Rockefeller
                    -John L. McClellan
                    -The President's previous conversation with John N. Mitchell
                        -David Rockefeller
                        -Kissinger
                    -Prospects for election
                        -McClellan
                    -Federal Housing Administration [FHA]
                        -Possible job offer
                    -Winthrop Rockefeller
                    -McClellan
                    -David Pryor

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 31m 12s    ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

                                          (rev. Nov-03)

             The President's schedule
                 -Camp David
                     -Return

             [Unintelligible]

Connally left at 3:45 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.

Hi, John, how are you?

Well, we didn't interrupt you.

No, sir, today you got me away from the mayor who's behind me.

That's good to know.

That's about all I know.

The prospects of getting the candidate out of the race in Arkansas are not clear, but I talked to Jim Rockefeller.

He's up here talking to the director.

Well, there's still a possibility.

They think they can get him out.

When Ross thought it was getting done, when he told me it wasn't good, there's an approach, and I don't know who to make the approach today.

They say daily there's more than one.

More than one.

More than us.

I don't know who to talk to.

I know who to talk to, but I don't know who I can talk to.

Why don't we have Henry talk to me?

Henry can talk to me.

Excellent.

I'm sure he does.

Yes, we really should.

I know.

I'll try David if you want me to.

I think he'd be great if you could.

Henry loves to get into this stuff.

He's got to get him out of the way.

I don't know where he's going.

But when apparently he's got his back up and he's talking about, you know, he's going to have the candidates and so forth, he says now that they've got him in the middle, we're sure that the problem is going to be prior to this young congressman.

Now that he's got him in the middle, he says, you know, it's right along and so forth.

So I couldn't do it.

How about you?

Good.

I would.

That's good.

I'll be staying over.

I'll be there tomorrow.

I'll be back tomorrow night.

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