Conversation: 420-011
Prev: 420-010 Next: 420-012Start Date: 16-Mar-1973 3:00 PM
End Date: 16-Mar-1973 4:47 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On March 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:00 pm to 4:47 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 420-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 420-11
Date: March 16, 1973
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:47 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.
Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Erlichman’s meeting with Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Appointment of Democrats at HEW
-Excuses for appointments
-Supporters
-Prerequisite
-Weinberger’s justification
-Jacob K. Javits
-John B. Connally
-Nixon Democrat
-Drafting of new list
-HEW jobs
-Social Security Administration [SSA]
-Level of jobs
-Appointees
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Careerists
-Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy and Harry S
Truman appointees
-Risks
-Track records
-Truman appointee
-Length of appointment
-Name endorsement
-National health insurance
-New York Times
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy plan
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Memorandum
Scrutiny of supporters
Gun control
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.’s memorandum
-Restrictions
-Saturday night specials
-Gun lobby
-As political issue
-Disadvantages to administration
-Legislative choices
-Return of memorandum to Ehrlichman
-Issue
-Disadvantages to administration
-Richard G. Kleindienst [?]
-Polls
-Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy assassination
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Gun lobby
-Public opinion in opposition
-Administration’s progress
-Saturday night specials
-Work before Judiciary Committee
-US Attorney General
-Referral to Senate
-Enforcement of present laws
-Public statement
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Officials in Administration
-Alcohol
-Firearms
-Taxes
-Congressional response
-Testimony
Indian relations
-President’s notes
-Radicals
-Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]
-President’s confidence
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-Wounded Knee incident
-Relationship to BIA
-Outsiders of reservation
-Internal dispute
-Firearms
-BIA changes
-Cuts
-New administrator
-Marvin L. Frankel
-Meeting of tribal leaders and John C. Whitaker
-Differences between Wounded Knee, BIA, established Indian self-
government
-Wounded Knee
-Dangers
-Supplies
-Rifles
-Alcohol
-Mental stability
-Indictments by South Dakota grand jury
-Popular opinion
-Statements by George S. McGovern and James Abourezk
-Government moves
-Bloodshed
-Casualties
-Federal agents
-Warrants
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Service
-Indictments
-Road blocks
-Waiting period
-Supply depletion
-Utilities
-Weather
-Kleindienst
-Control
-Possible use of airborne division
-Cost
-Perimeter
-Control
-Number of people
-Control by Justice Department
-Interior Department
-Protecting White House
-BIA
-Whitaker
-Morton
-Departure
Veterans’ affairs
-President's speech
-Delivery
-Delays
-Enthusiasm for legislation
-William J. B. Dorn
-Arrangements and coordination
-Easter
Environment
-Automobile emissions
-Clean air
-William D. Ruckelshaus hearings
-White House position
-Regulatory agency
-Ehrlichman’s secret talks with Ruckelshaus
-Problem of regulation
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Protection of automobile industry
-Ehrlichman's comments in Detroit, Michigan
-Message to President
Earl L. Butz
-Appearance on television [TV]
-News summary
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Orientation to farmer rather than housewife
Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
-Herbert Stein
-Ezra Solomon
-George P. Shultz
-William E. Simon
-Influence with Shultz
-Activism
-Support for controls
-President’s request for Ehrlichman’s view
-Effectiveness
-President’s doubts
Economy
-Food prices
-Effects of a freeze on labor's demands
-Labor
-Opposition to controls
-Stein
-Effect on settlements
-Shultz, John T. Dunlop
-Future meeting
-Controls
-Profits
-Appearance
-Corporate profits
-High level
-Senate complaints
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Controls
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Simon
-Support
-Work with Shultz
-Opposition to Phase III
-Ehrlichman's conversation with James W. McLane
_Cost of Living Council [COLC]
-Prices
-Increases
-Simon
-Solomon
-Oil
-Automobiles
-Chrysler
Ford Motors
-General Motors [GM]
-Guidelines
-Phase III
-Criticism
-Simon
-Stein
-Supporter
-Intellectual pride [?]
-Shultz
-Dunlop
-Votes
-Prediction on labor negotiations
-Phase II
-Simon
-View of Wall Street
-Balance
-Market fluctuations
-Donald H. Regan, Bernard J. ("Bunny") Lasker
-Legislation supporters
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
President’s schedule
-Networks
-meeting with Theodore H. (“Teddy”) White
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
Marijuana
-Congressional hearings
-Senate Internal Security Subcommittee
-Criticism of Shaeffer report
-White House support
Networks
-Ehrlichman's meetings with representatives of three networks
-Arthur R. Taylor
CBS
-Everett H. Ehrlick
American Broadcasting System [ABC]
-Laird [First name unknown]
-Corporation for Public Broadcasting [CPB]
-Government scrutiny
-Drop in stock
-Dealings with administration
-Influence of Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
-Interview with Whitehead in Broadcasting magazine
-Ehrlick
-Destruction
-Cable TV
-Memorandum supporting
-Public broadcasting
-Weaknesses
-Listenership
-Numbers
-Henry W. Loomis, President of CPB
-Polarization of stations
-Hostility of networks
-Accommodation to administration
-Timing
-Economic factors
-Antitrust action
-ABC settlement
-Stipulations
-Network compared with motion picture production
-Precedent
-Policy direction
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Guidance
-Criticism from Administration
-Imbalance of news
-CBS
-Taylor, Frank Stanton, William S. Paley
-Future telephone calls to complain
-Stock trends
-Economic pressures
-Investor confidence
-Conduct
-Responsibility
-President’s concerns
-Compared to local stations
-Legislation [?]
-News departments
-CBS
-Problems
-Taylor's position
-Difficulty with Paley and Richard S. Salant
-Power struggle
-Whitehead's speech
-Role of Congress
-Prime time rule
-Rerouting restrictions
-Cabinet Committee on Cable TV
-Leaks
-Reaction to ideas
-Problem of siphoning
-Football games, movies on cable
-Complaints of administration’s intervention in TV
-Public broadcasting
-Board
-Firings
-Activists
White
-Meeting with President
-Interaction with Ehrlichman
-Domestic issues
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-1972 campaign
-Development
-Second administration's policies
-Radio speeches
-Inaugural address
-Regional concept of issues
-Cabinet Room meeting
-Campaign issues
-voter motivation
-1972 election
-Inflation
-Crime
-Meeting in Cabinet Room
-Connally
-Environment
-White's concern
-Brother's job with National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration [NOAA]
-Expertise
-Series of articles in Life
-Whitaker
-Administration's record
-Energy, transportation, land use
-Integrated approach
-Energy
-Mass transit
-Land use
-Highways
-Community development
-President's responses
-Civil rights
-Federalism
-Administration's record
-Lack of credit
-Strategy for election
-Vindication in future
-Historians
-Statistics
-Budget
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Mass transit
-Hunger
-Elderly
-Education
Briefing prepared for President
-President’s perusal
- President’s note to Ehrlichman
Congressional relations
-Administration pressure
-William E. Timmons
-Response
-Direct contacts
-Local contributors
-Governors [?]
-State chairmen
-Finance chairmen
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Boeing
-President’s delay
Vietnam
-Congressional decision
-Withdrawal of troops [?]
-Discouragement [?]
-South Vietnam [?]
-Action
-Increased chance of survival
-USSR, People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Decision in Congress [?]
-Date
-Congress
-Funds [?]
Press support for President
-Editorials
-Budget Spending
-News Summary
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Washington Star
-Wall Street Journal
-Influence
-Congress
-Seattle
-Warren G. (“Maggie”) Magnuson
-Address at Washington State House
-Criticism of President
-Mayor, local Democratic Congressmen
-Editorial responses
-Influence on Congress
-Dissemination of editorials by Administration [?]
Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-Haldeman
-Key questions
-Budget
-Taxes
-Sustaining taxes
Campaign contributions
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS] investigation of Howard Hughes
-Donald F. Nixon
-John Meier
-Interview
-Ehrlichman's view
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo
-Interview
-Delays
-Don Alexander
-$150,000 contribution
-Unreported
-Robert L. Vesco
-Prosecution
-Donald F. Nixon
-Disengagement
-Liability
-Edward C. Nixon
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Washington Star and New Republic stories
-Ties with President's family
-Donald F. Nixon
-White House staff
-John N. Mitchell
-Ehrlichman
-Charles W. Colson
-Murray M. Chotiner, George A. Smathers
-Work for Vesco
-Visit to Ehrlichman
-Tod R. Hullin
-Financial deal
-South America
-Blackmail
-Edward C. Nixon
-$250,000 contribution
-Maurice H. Stans
-Return of contributions
-Edward C. Nixon
-White House statement
-Campaign contributions
-Stans
-Harry L. Sears
-Meeting with Vesco
-New Jersey
-Edward C. Nixon
-Stans
-Chotiner
-Colson's law firm
-Possible retainer [$100,000]
-Smathers
-New York law firms
-Exile in Costa Rica
[Processing Note: Withdrawal No. 2 has been declassified in full]
-Jose F. Figueres
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Howard F. Cerny
-Meeting with Foreign Minister
-Howard F. Cerny
-Vesco's attorney
-Relationship to Donald F. Nixon
-President's family
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Appearances
-John W. Dean, III
-Testimony
-Need for care
-Hilary J. Sandoval, Jr. [?]
Watergate
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Exclusion from meetings with Dean
-Colson
-President's strategy
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Cooperation with Congress
-Past administrations
-Problems of reporting
-Comments on case
-Restraint
-Press behavior
-Ervin Committee
-Samuel Dash
-Fred D. Thompson [?]
-Edward J. Gurney
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Joseph McCarthy's hearings
-Dean
-Kleindienst
-Talk with Baker
-Meeting with President
-Record of conversation
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Everett M. Dirksen
-Report
-Interviews of individuals
-Kalmbach
-Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.
-Jeb S. Magruder
-Testimony
-Conflicts
-Change of testimony
-Hiss case
-Mitchell
-Colson
-Haldeman
-Circumstantial evidence
-Link with Magruder
-Magruder
-Talk with Dean
-Mitchell's role
-Haldeman's role
-Differing testimony
-Haldeman
-Colson
-Mitchell
-Self-protection
-Instigation of break-in
-Mitchell
-Haldeman
-Colson's need to know about electoral opposition
-Pressure on Magruder to find out about Lawrence F. O'Brien
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Campaign contribution
-San Diego convention
-Fear of demonstration
-Reubin O. Askew-Democrats connection
-Ehrlichman's hypothesis on the break-in
-Magruder
-Pressure on G. Gordon Liddy
-Costs of operation
-Call to Sloan
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Cash for break-in
-Evolution of break-in plan
-Liddy contacts with E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-James W. McCord, Jr.'s recruitment
-Need for equipment
-Liddy's reports
-Dissemination
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 47s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
******************************************************************************
-Mitchell
-Knowledge of break-in
-Frederick C. LaRue
-Donald H. Segretti
-President's answers to questions
-White House involvement
-Segretti
-Need to get the facts out
-White House staff
-Importance
-Mitchell, Colson, Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Involvement
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Fate of presidency
-Priority
-Dependence on White House staff
-Kalmbach
-Money link
-Segretti link
-Activities
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Segretti case
-Problem areas
-Kalmbach's fundraising
-Use of campaign funds
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-[Anthony T. Ulasewicz?]
-Disposition of funds
-Exposure
-Dangers
-Bad publicity
-Ervin Committee
-Samuel Dash
-Kalmbach
-Questions about bank accounts
-Possible subpoena
-Exposure
-Vulnerability
-Possible statement
-Link to Haldeman
-[Terrence O'Donnell?]
-Use at Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP]
-Limits of testimony
-Public opinion
-Boredom
-Press corps
-Interest
-Public reaction
-Ervin Committee
-Duration of hearings
-Frequency of hearings
-President's cooperation
-Magruder
-Spokesman
-Segretti
-Revelations of activities
-Break-in
-Value
-Morality
-Effects on President
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 420-11 (cont’d)
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Sherman Adams
-Ervin Committee
-Information from White House
-Mitchell
-Vulnerability
-Cooperation
-Full disclosure
-Problems
-Dean
-Report to President
-Forwarding to Ervin
-Disclosures
-Publicity
-Disclosures
-Incriminating evidence
-Break-in
-Ehrlichman's theory
-Colson
-Hunt's activities
-Colson
-Mitchell
-Receipt of money
-Hunt
-Liddy
-Role of the committee
-Link to Kalmbach
-Richard A. Moore
-Report to President
-Dean
-Ervin Committee
-Star witnesses
-Mitchell, Stans
-Magruder
-TV appearances
-McCarthy hearings
-Subpoena
-Martha B. Mitchell
-Cooperation from White House
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
-Written statements
-Disclosure of information
President's schedule
-Camp David
The President and Ehrlichman left at 4:47 pm.