On December 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 387-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 387-13
Date: December 5, 1972
Time: 2:00 pm - unknown before 3:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
The President’s schedule
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
Press relations
-Colson’s conversation with Patrick J. Buchanan
-Monographs
-“Things They Would Like to Forget”
-Purpose
-Eastern elite
-Administration supporters
-Columnists
-Editorial writers
-Buchanan
-New York Times
-Administration supporters
-Editors
-Congressmen
-Senators
-Republican National Committeemen
-1972 campaign
-News summaries
-The President’s reading
-Life
-Letters
-“Soc et tuum”
-Photographs
-Joe Scherschel
-Wisconsin
-Time
-Colson
-Washington Post article, December 5, 1972
-John A. Scali
-Tone
-Interview with Patricia Ann (Hughes) Colson
-Sally Quinn
-Margaret Pearson
-Colson’s conversation with Scali
-William S. Paley
-Meeting with Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
1972 election
-Victory margin
-Percentages
-Reporting
-Deadline
-Percentages
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 2:05 pm.
Press relations
-Colson
-Washington Post article
-Tone
-Scali
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 election
-Victory margin
-Percentages
-Compared to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Reporting
-Missing states
-John B. Connally
-Wire services
-Press relations
-Jim Schurz
-Votes
-Certification
-Secretary of States
-Count
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
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Vietnam negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s message
-Colson’s reading
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s recommendation
-The President’s possible television [TV] appearance
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-US-Soviet Union summit
-US foreign relations
-1972 election
-Second term
-The President’s view
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Explanation of details
-Kissinger’s return
-Report to the President
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Untelevised
-Attribution
-Duration
-Questions and answers [Q&A]
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Public relations [PR]
-Reescalation of war
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-“Snag”
-North Vietnam
-Translation problems
-US military action
-North Vietnam’s statements
-Colson’s view
-1972 election
-Economy
-Christmas
-Playoffs
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
-Retail sales
-Second term
-“Peace is at hand”
-US-Soviet Union summit
-Kissinger’s return [from Moscow]
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Cancellation
-The President’s recommended TV appearance
-John B. Connally’s view
-Victory in Vietnam
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-US bombing and mining of North Vietnam
-North Vietnam’s offensive
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Translation problems
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-US action
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Pace
-B-52s
-Nuclear option
-Cambodia
-Kissinger’s message
-Settlement agreement
-Cease-fire
-Confession of failure
-Kissinger’s message
-Vietnamization
-Government of Vietnam [GVN]
-US withdrawal
-Military settlement
-Hanoi
-Prisoners of War [POWs] return
-US military action
-Offer
-South Vietnam
-Communist domination
-Self-defense
-POWs
-Cessation of US bombing of North Vietnam
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
-US withdrawal
-Effect on South Vietnam
-George S. McGovern’s position
-Settlement agreement
-US allies
-POWs
-US withdrawal
-Honor
-Cambodia
-Administration supporters and opponents
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Administration opponents and supporters
-US action
-Kissinger’s missions
-Failure
-Kissinger’s messages
-Nguyen Van Thieu, North Vietnam
-PR and Congressional relations
-US bombing and mining of North Vietnam
-Duration
-Settlement agreement
-PR and Congressional relations
-Cost
-Budget
-The President’s meeting with George P. Shultz and John D.
Ehrlichman
-Breakdown
-North Vietnam’s position
-The President’s message to Thieu
-Continuation of war
-Congressional relations
-Infiltration of Thieu’s government
-Settlement agreement
-Kissinger
-Bargaining tool
-Delay
-POWs
-Reparations
-Congressional relations
-Thieu
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-Kissinger’s recommendations
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-The President’s November 3, 1969 speech
-US troop level
-Honor
-Vietnamization
-Kissinger
-Failure
-Resignation
-The President’s trips to the People’s Republic of
China [PRC] and Soviet Union
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s view
-The President’s credibility
-Compared to Kissinger’s credibility
-The President’s address, ‘Look to the Future”
-Timing
-1972 election
-Details
-Coalition government
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-Right
-US military action
-PR
-“Hawks”
-Bombing of dikes, destruction of Hanoi
-Honor
-Haldeman’s view
-Settlement agreement
-US withdrawal
-POWs
-South Vietnam’s self-determination
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Pace, location
-PR
-Story
-Jo Anne (Horton) Haldeman
-20th Parallel
-Hanoi
-18th or 19th Parallel
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
-Kissinger’s view
-North Vietnam’s military
-20th Parallel
-Iowans
-Timing
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Kissinger’s emotions
-The President’s possible efforts
-Sarah Bernhardt
-Alternatives
-William P. Rogers
-Ziegler
-Rogers
-Relationship with
Kissinger
-Format
-Exposition, Q&A
-Duration
-Kissinger’s briefings
-Efforts to “dazzle”
-Length of comments
-Effect
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Career
-Haig
-Col. Richard T. Kennedy
-Messenger role
-Kissinger
Second term reorganization
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Timing
-India-Pakistan War
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 2:05 pm.
Refusal of offer
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 3:00 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
Vietnam negotiations
-Advice
-Haldeman’s possible conversation with Rogers
-Rogers’s schedule
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Connally
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Melvin R. Laird
-Schedule
-NATO
-Connally
-Meeting with the President
-Rush
-Reading of Kissinger’s messages
-Rogers
-PR
-Rush
-Ziegler
-“Hawks”
-Ehrlichman
-Ziegler
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Resumption of talks
-Timing
-North Vietnam
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Duration
-Settlement agreement
Honorable peace
-North Vietnam
-PR
-Credibility
-Daniel Yankelovich
-Dovishness
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Settlement agreement
-Kissinger’s and the President’s views
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. July-08)
Conversation No. 387-13 (cont’d)
-Kissinger’s recommendations
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Report to the President
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-US action
-US military action
-Duration
-POWs
-Right
-Left
-McGovern’s position
-R. Sargent Shriver
-POWs
-POWs
-PR
-US surrender
-Cessation of US mining and bombing, US military and economic aid to South
Vietnam
-Effect on South Vietnam’s survival
-POWs
-North Vietnam
-US economic aid
-PR
-Communists
-Settlement agreement
-Vietnamization
-North Vietnam’s position
-Bargaining tool
-POWs
-US aid to Hanoi
-Congressional relations
-Settlement agreement
-October 8, 1972 agreement
-South Vietnam
-Settlement agreement
-McGovern’s or allies’ possible role
-Delay
-Congressional relations
[This recording was cut off at an unknown time before 3:00 p.m.]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.