Conversation: 370-009
Prev: 370-008 Next: 370-010Start Date: Thursday, October 19, 1972 5:48 PM
End Date: Thursday, October 19, 1972 8:15 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Sanchez, Manolo; Colson, Charles W.; White House operatorRecording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On October 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Manolo Sanchez, Charles W. Colson, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 4:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 370-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 370-9
Date: October 19, 1972
Time: 1:48 pm - 4:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Haldeman’s previous meeting with Roy L. Ash
Ash Council
-Study
-Ash’s schedule
-Administrative recommendations
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 2:38 pm.
Government reorganization
-Ash council recommendations
-Space Council
-Science Council
-Science Advisory Board [SAB]
-Science advisor
-President’s Science Advisory Committee [PSAC]
-Office of Emergency Preparedness {OEP]
-Legal obstacles
-Cabinet departments
-Acquisition of Executive Office of the President [EOP] offices
-Drug abuse law enforcement
-Department of Justice, Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Ash’s view
-Cabinet meeting after forthcoming election
-November 8, 1972
-William P. Rogers
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Resignation of Cabinet members
-Resignations of political appointees after election
-Categories
-Surveys
-Choices
-November 10, 1972 deadline
-White House staff, agencies, boards, councils
-Office of Personnel Management [OPM]
-Handling of on-going business
-Vacations
-Employee analysis of functions, office status, future
-Timing
-November 15 – December 15, 1972
-Military aide
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
-Brig. Gen. Daniel ("Chappie") James, Jr.
-John V. (“Jack”) Brennan
-Service branch
-Air Force
-Maj. Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes
-James
-Blacks
-Appearance
-Possible role with Administration
-Relationship with blacks
-Staff meetings
-Publicity
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Background investigation
-Wife
-Advantages
Telephone calls
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 28s ]
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-L.[ouis]. Patrick Gray
-Leaks
-Mark W. Felt
-John N. Mitchell’s knowledge
-Felt
-Knowledge
-Leaks
-Source
-John D. Ehrlichman's knowledge
-Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Gray
-Felt
-Forthcoming Time article
-Jeb S. Magruder, Herbert L. (“Bart”) Porter
-G[eorge]. Gordon Liddy
-John W. Dean III
-Comment regarding FBI evidence
-Views regarding possible prosecutions
-Felt
-Tenure in office
-Role
-Motives
-George S. McGovern
-Eugene J. McCarthy
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Religion
-Catholic
-Jewish
1972 campaign
-McGovern
-Issues
-Taxes
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Morality
-Question and answer events
-Telethons
-Negative reactions
-Welfare
-Amnesty
-Speech at Detroit Economic Club, October 18, 1972
The President's speeches
-Recent speech
-William L. Safire
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Forthcoming radio address on the American Veteran
-Aram Bakshian
Speechwriting staff
-Bakshian
-The President’s view
-Amnesty
-Marriage to William E. Timmons's sister
-Bakshian, Lee W. Huebner, John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Price
-Role on White House staff
-Possible role in HEW
-Continuation of role as speechwriter
-Editing
-Editor
-Requirements
-John B. McDonald
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s staff
-Safire, Patrick J. Buchanan
-Speechwriter
-Requirements
-Compared with editor
-Roland L. Elliott
-Bakshian
Watergate
-Leaks
-Felt
-Source
-Washington Post
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-[Edward Bennett?] Williams
-Unknown man
-Relationship with publication
-Jerrold L. Schecter
-Washington Post
-Experience
-Contact with man in Justice Department
-Leaks from FBI
-Justice Department official's conversation with Dean
-Richard G. Kleindienst, Gray
-FBI
-Leaks
-Watergate
-Goals of the President's enemies
-The President's statements re White House staff
-Dwight Chapin's role
-Liddy
-Washington Post story
-New York Times story
-Sources
-FBI
-Jeb Stuart Magruder, Porter
-Time Magazine
-Relationship
-University of Southern California
-Chapin
-Money for Liddy
-Edward L. Morgan's conversation with Ehrlichman
-Haldeman, John N. Mitchell, Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-White House jobs of E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and Liddy
-Statements of Hunt and Liddy
-Haldeman's role
-Jack N. Anderson's column
-Morgan's view
-Mitchell
-Maurice H. Stans
-Possible statement
-Magruder, Porter
-Chapin
-Donald H. Segretti
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Campaign practices
-Operations
-Mitchell
-Liddy
-Chapin
-Hunt
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:48 pm.
Charles W. Colson's schedule
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:38 pm.
Watergate
-Schechter
-Timmons
-Reports
-Republican National Convention
-Source identification
-Time
1972 campaign
-Fort Wayne story
-Documentation
-Timing of possible release
-1972 election
-McGovern
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO.9
[Privacy]
[Duration: 14s]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO.9
**********************************************************************
Charles Colson entered at 2:38 pm.
The President’s schedule
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Union leaders
-Union relations
-Paul Hall
-The President’s view
-George Meany
-Previous indictments
-Gerald R. Ford
-Hall's conversation with Colson
-1968 campaign contributions
-Richard J. Daley
-Elwood "Sonny" Metz
-Indictment
-Connecticut
-Timing
-Misuse of union funds
-Bureaucracy
-Press conference
-Resignation
-Comment about the President
-Accusations
-San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore
-New York
-Brooklyn, New Jersey
-Hall
-Organization
-Thomas W. ("Teddy") Gleason, Jesse M. Calhoon
-Martin J. Ward, John Bauer, Hunter P. Wharton, John Edwards,
John H.Lyons, [Unknown person], Thomas F. Murphy, Morris
Weisberger of San Francisco, Joseph T. Power, Joseph (“Joe T.”)
Trerotola, Jack [unknown last name]
-Wealth
1972 Campaign
-Fundraising
-Connally’s possible broadcast
-Stans
-Connally’s ability
-Haldeman’s view
-Clark MacGregor's efforts
-Democrats for Nixon
-Haldeman’s view
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Leonard Marx
-Harry Cohen
-Democrats for Nixon
-Stans
-Marx
-Texas
-McGovern’s vote
-George P. Shultz
-Conversation with the President
-Press conference
National economy
-Inflation
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Frank Stanton’s recent telephone call to Colson
-Gross National Product [GNP]
1972 campaign
-Issues
-McGovern’s defense budget
-John J. Rhodes’s view
-Telephone calls
-Washington Post editorial
The President's schedule
-Possible meeting with Shultz, Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Colson’s attendance
-Herbert Stein, Ehrlichman
-Camp David
1972 campaign
-Issues
-Public focus
-McGovern's welfare program
-Vietnam
-National defense
-Campaign practices
-Adolf Hitler reference
-Crime
-Drugs
-Connally
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-The President’s view
-Surrogates
-Timing
-Taxes
-Aid to parochial schools
-The President’s schedule
-Vietnam
-McGovern's forthcoming television [TV] broadcast
-Connally's forthcoming TV appearance
The President's schedule
-Revenue sharing signing ceremony
-Legislation
-Radio speeches
-Meeting
-October 21, 1972
-Connally’s forthcoming TV appearance
-McGovern’s forthcoming speech
-Briefing
-Vetoes
-News stories
-Tax increase
-Ehrlichman’s view
-The President’s view
-Taxes
-Possible message
-Spending ceiling
-HEW
-Vietnam War issue
-McGovern’s responses
-Kentucky
-New York
-Radio speech on education
-Possible radio speech
-Education
-Parochial schools
-Thursday statement
-Ehrlichman
-Black lung, strip mining
-Friday dinner
-Laurel Lodge
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Subsequent meeting
-Ehrlichman
-Philadelphia
1972 campaign
-Congress
-Vetoes
-The President's conversations with Ronald L. Ziegler, Ehrlichman, and
Hall
-Herbert G. Klein’s statement on Presidential support
-Gil Carmichael
-James O. Eastland
-John L. McClellan
-Prospects
-Connecticut
-Hall
-George Meany
-Peter H. Dominick, Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson, Robert J. Dole
-Kansas
-Unknown commentator
-The President's forthcoming trip to Chicago
-Roman C. Pucinski
-New York
-State Republicans
-Theme
-Stanton’s recent call to Stanton
-Hall
-Congress
-Ziegler's statement on accomplishments
-Baseball analogy
-Revenue sharing
Stanton’s recent call to Colson
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-The President’s view
-Daniel L. Schorr
-Background check
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
*****************************************************************
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 30s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
White House public relations
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s statements
-Vietnam
-Issues to be addressed by surrogates
-Vietnam
-Retreat
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-McGovern's welfare proposal
-Taxes
-Busing, crime, drugs
-Busing
-Michigan
-Agnew
The President left at an unknown time after 2:38 pm.
Colson’s schedule
-Gleason’s request
-Sons of St. Patrick
The President entered at an unknown time before 4:09 pm.
`-McGovern’s allegations of corruption
-White House response
-Campaign practices
-Klein’s statement
-Donald H. Segretti’s activities
-McGovern's welfare proposal
-$1000 per person
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 4:09 pm.
The President's schedule
-Possible meeting with Ehrlichman
-The President’s view
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:38 pm and 4:09
pm; The President and Colson conferred in the background.
[Conversation No. 370-9A]
[See Conversation No. 31-142]
Public statements
-Shultz, Ehrlichman
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] II
-Federal spending
-Shultz
-Ehrlichman
-Welfare
The President's schedule
-Camp David meeting, October 20, 1972
[End of telephone conversation]
The President’s schedule
-Camp David meeting, October 20, 1972
-Arrangements
-Laurel Lodge
-Colson's schedule
-Haldeman
-Gleason’s request
-New York
-John F. Kennedy award
-Sons of St. Patrick
-Arrangements
-Connally's and McGovern’s forthcoming TV broadcasts
1972 campaign
-Issues
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Economy
-Welfare and taxes
-Vietnam
-POWs
-amnesty
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 25s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
McGovern's state-by-state telethon
-News story
-Watergate
-Questions about welfare, amnesty, abortion, marijuana, Vietnam, school
busing
-McGovern’s tone
-Questions
-Technical problem
-Welfare
-Todd Harshman [?] of Shaker Heights, Ohio
-Inconsistencies on issues
-Amnesty, tax reform
-Amnesty
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Thomas P. Eagleton
-Range and cost
-Presentation of issues
-The Establishment
-Previous press conferences
-McGovern's staff
-Screening of questions
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 10s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
1972 campaign issues
-Public trust
-The President compared to McGovern
-Corruption
-Watergate
-Buchanan’s and Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin’s staff
-Importance of events
-Issues
-McGovern
-Perception by voters
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Credibility
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 4:09 pm.
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Public image
-Telethons
-Corruption
-Economic issues
-McGovern's strategy
-Democratic Party base
-Watergate
-Public interest
-George C. Wallace
-Watergate
-Effect on the President's campaign staff activities
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Possible White House response by to allegations
-Ziegler’s statements
-MacGregor
-Leonard W. Hall
-Agnew
-McGovern’s issues
-Economic issues
-Vietnam
-McGovern’s criticism of the President
-Economic issues
-Food prices, corporate taxes
-McGovern’s forthcoming TV broadcasts
-Moral crisis
-Corruption
-Vietnam
-Reaction to McGovern's policies
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-New York Times
-New Republic
-McGover’s position papers
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Negotiations
-Saigon
-McGovern’s statement
-News value
-News value
-McGovern’s radical support
-Gary Hart
-Unknown person’s recommendation to the President
-Volunteers
-Spokane, Des Moines, Ames, Iowa
-McGovern's efforts
-Lack of focus
-Vietnam
-Corruption
-Economic issue
-Taxes, food prices
-Administration response
-Vietnam, national defense, bipartisan foreign policy
-Welfare
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 24m 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
The President's foreign policy
-The Soviet Union
-Trade treaty with US
-Congress
-Timing
-Pravda
-Comments about the President
-Watergate
-Gleason’s conversation with Colson
-Trust in the President
-Soviet Union
-Vietnam
-The President’s conversation with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-McGovern
Colson left at 4:09 pm.
Manolo Sanchez entered at 4:09 pm.
The President's schedule
-Residence
-Oval Office
-Residence
-Abraham Lincoln Sitting Room
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:15 pm.
The President's schedule
-Meeting Gen. William C. Westmoreland
-New York, Camp David
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Philadelphia
-Westmoreland meeting
-Purpose
-Haig
-Philadelphia
-Use of helicopter as compared with Air Force One
-Westmoreland
-Shultz
-Driving
-Revenue sharing ceremony
-The President’s previous drive from North Berkeley [California]
to Indianapolis
-Previous visit to Samuel Goldwyn’s house
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 28s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
*****************************************************************
Vietnam settlement
-Possible effect on forthcoming election
-Possible scenarios
-Settlement
-Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu
-Assassination
-North Vietnamese victory
-Effect on McGovern and public
-Compared John F. Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs
Haldeman left at 4:15 pm.