Conversation: 364-004
Prev: 364-003 Next: 364-005Start Date: Thursday, October 5, 1972 4:26 PM
End Date: Thursday, October 5, 1972 5:36 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Sanchez, Manolo; [Unknown person(s)]; White House operatorRecording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On October 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:26 pm to 1:36 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 364-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 364-4
Date: October 5, 1972
Time: 12:26 pm - 1:36 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
The President's October 5, 1972 press conference
-Press conference
-Tone
-John F. Kennedy
-Tone
-George S. McGovern
-John F. Kennedy
-Contrasted with the President
-McGovern
-Voice
-Radio
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 12:29 pm.
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:29 pm.
Request for briefing book
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:35 pm.
Issues
-Amnesty
-Marijuana
-Youth
-Welfare
-Increases
-Vietnam
-Imposition of communist government
-National defense
-US compared to the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics [USSR]
-World leadership
-Economy
-Inflation, employment
-Tax reform, welfare reform
-The President's positions contrasted with McGovern's
-Boston advertisement
-Focus on issues
-The President’s view
-Increase in television advertisements
-Amnesty
-Vietnam
-Draft dodgers
-Veterans view of McGovern
-Opposition
-Columbus, Ohio
-Factory workers debate with McGovern
-Welfare
-Effectiveness as issue
-Effectiveness of issues
-Complexity
-Amnesty
-Loyalty question
-McGovern campaign
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Tone
-Compared to the President’s
-Statesmanship
-Staff efforts
The President’s secret press conference
-Jerome R. Waldie
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Support of McGovern
-California
-Congress
-Press coverage
-Colson’s conversation with Jim Cannon [?]
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Comment on October 4, 1972
-Vietnam
-Washington Post
-New York Times, Time, Newsweek, network commentators
-The press
-Importance of issue
-Press fairness
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Watergate
-New American majority
-Support for the President
-Polls
-Marvin L. Kolb
-Taxes
-Congress
-Busing
-Possible constitutional amendment
-The President’s view compared to McGovern’s
-Amnesty
-Welfare
-National defense
-Vietnam
-Busing
-Possible amendment
-Presentation of issue
-McGovern
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
Issues
-Busing
-Advertisements
-The President’s instructions
-Boston advertisement
-St. Louis
-The President’s view
-Compared to McGovern’s
-Kindergarten children
-Detroit
-Colson’s efforts
-Assessing possible damage to McGovern’s campaign
The President’s recent press conference
-Double standard
-Effect
Strategy
-John A. Scali
-McGovern
-The President's press conferences
-Scali’s view
-Surrogates
-Value
-Leadership issue
-Cabinet officials as spokesmen
-William P. Rogers
-Amnesty issue
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-The President’s recollection
-Endorsement of candidates
-Presentation of amnesty issue
-Canada
-Cabinet officials
-Enthusiasm
-McGovern
-Charges against the President's administration
-White House staff
-Corruption
-Defense spending
-Campaign practices
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Previous treatment of Karl E. Mundt
-[1960 election]
-Waldie's charges
-The President’s instructions
-Advertisements
-Campaign
-Tone
-Compared to the President’s
-The President’s recent press conference
-Polls
-George H. Gallup
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Unknown reporter
-Effort to recall
-Questions
-Corruption
-Vietnam
-Negotiated settlement
-Bombing
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Bombing halt
-Wheat deal
-Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
-Property taxes
-Senior citizens
-Watergate
-Tax increase
-Spending ceiling
-Polls
-Gallup
-New American Majority
-Press conferences
-Radio
-Surrogate comment
-Press conferences
-Speeches
-The President’s story about John Foster Dulles
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Political scientists evaluation
-The President's role as President during campaign period
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Taxes
-Radio
-Oval Office press conference
The President's schedule
-Oval Office press conference
-Congressional adjournment
-Ohio
-Congressional adjournment
-Timing
National economy
-Inflation rate
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
Issues
-Vietnam
-Settlement
-Public relations
Poll results on issues
-Massachusetts
-Unknown poll
-McGovern proposals
-Welfare issue
-$1000 per person
-National defense
-USSR
-Amnesty
-Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology [MIT]
-Foreign affairs
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Vietnam
-Marijuana legalization
-Alcohol
-Busing
-Liberal leanings
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Numbers
-California
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Los Angeles
-Orange County
-Numbers
Haldeman talked to an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 1:35 pm.
[Conversation No. 364-4B]
Poll results
-Los Angeles, Orange County
-North
-San Diego, San Bernardino, San Francisco
-John B. Connally
Instructions to call Ziegler
[End of telephone conversation]
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and
1:35 pm.
[Conversation No. 364-4A]
[See Conversation No. 31-2]
Request for a call to Ziegler
Presidential properties
-Jim Deakin
-Jack N. Anderson story
-Secret Service
-Source
-General Services Administration [GSA]
[End of telephone conversation]
-Modifications
-Swimming pool glass
-lighting
-Telephone lines
-Heating system
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Gas compared to electric
-Safety reasons
-Small fire on the premises
-Florida
-Shark nets
-Secret Service
-Airstrip
-Helicopter pad
-Improvements
-Compared to Johnson
-Ranch
-Heating system
-Electric cost compared to gas cost
-Source of recommendation on modification
-Deakin
-Ziegler
-Handling of issue
-Job performance
The President's schedule
-Columbus Day dinner, October 8, 1972
-Peter Fosco
-New York
-Columbus Day dinner
-Use of Marine Band
-George Meany
-Marine Band, Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
-Gridiron dinners
-Charo
-Viewing stand for the President
-Non-political nature
-Fosco
-Knights of Columbus
-President’s remarks
-Meany
-Italians
-Building trades
-Number of members
-Jay Lovestone
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Colorado
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Upcoming announcement
-McGovern
-Relationship with Meany
-Description as War Hawk
Shriver
-Colorado
-Comments
-Votes for the President
-Labor leaders
The President’s recent press conference
-Agnew
-Vietnam War
-Negotiations
-Hubert H. Humphrey
Vietnam War
-Release of Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Statement from McGovern
-Public reaction
-Enlisted men compared to officers
-Blacks
-Brig. Gen. Daniel (“Chappie”) James, Jr.
-League of Families, POW wives
-McGovern speech
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 31s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
The President's schedule
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Presentation of issues
-Senior Citizens
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] signing ceremony
-Television coverage
-The President’s view
-The press
-Gromyko
Issues
-Wheat deal
-The President’s recent press conference
-Amount of aid to farmers
-Trade balance, balance of payments
-Creation of jobs
-World trade
-Iowa survey
-Time remaining until election
-McGovern
-Tactics
-Position
-Fringe element
-Law and order
-Vietnam War
-Catholics, Jews
-Appeal
-“Old time” politics
-Intensity of support
-Boston
-Use of time
-Mudslinging
-Charges against the President
-Corruption
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Possible backfire on McGovern
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 17s ]
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Issues
-Veterans education bill
-Benefits
-Call to Colson from an unknown person
-Olin E. (“Tiger”) Teague
-Amount
-Administration's position
-Young veterans
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 7s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Issues
-Agnew’s recent statements
-Foreign policy
-Isolationism
-Internationalism
-Credibility of comments
-Peace
-USSR, PRC
-Effectiveness as issue
-McGovern
-Credibility
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 42s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
[Unintelligible]
Campaign practices
-Buttons
-Similarities to swastika
-Slogan
-Century Plaza demonstration
-Adolf Hitler
-Anne L. Armstrong
Colson left at 1:35 pm.
The President’s recent press conference
-Kissinger
-Kissinger’s concern
-Transcript
Haldeman left at 1:36 pm.