Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 463
Nixon White House Tape 463 (March 8, 1971)
6 conversations · Oval Office · about 1 hr 54 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Sanchez, Butterfield, Malek, Kinsley
President Nixon met with his personnel and recruitment team, including Frederic Malek and H.R. Haldeman, to discuss strategies for improving the quality, loyalty, and management of administration staff. The President emphasized a need for aggressive recruitment of competent, goal-oriented individuals across government departments while downplaying the importance of rigid partisan affiliation, specifically noting his preference for capable conservative Democrats over liberal Republicans. The group identified several departments and agencies, such as Transportation and the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, where performance and personnel changes were deemed critical to the administration's effectiveness.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule and administrative engagements. The discussion focused on securing time for meetings with Admiral Thomas H. Moorer and National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This brief exchange served to finalize the logistical arrangements for these high-level national security consultations.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to briefly discuss matters pertaining to Donald H. Rumsfeld. The short exchange centered on Rumsfeld's current administrative arrangements and his activities within his office. No major policy decisions were recorded during this brief encounter.
President Nixon initiates a brief request for the White House operator to place a telephone call to Alexander P. Butterfield. The President specifically requests that the operator connect him to an individual referred to as Mario. This exchange serves as a routine administrative coordination to facilitate a direct communication between the President and his deputy assistant.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate the delivery of two drafted speeches prepared by William Safire. Nixon requested that both documents be sent to his office for immediate review. The pair specifically discussed the status of a speech scheduled for an upcoming engagement in Newport to ensure its completion and availability.
President Nixon met with Donald Rumsfeld to discuss Rumsfeld's future role within the administration, emphasizing the need for him to gain experience in foreign policy through a high-profile position such as Special Trade Representative or a diplomatic posting in Japan. Nixon stressed that Rumsfeld should prioritize positions that offer significant responsibilities and international travel to prepare him for potential future political roles, such as a Senate run in Illinois. The conversation also touched upon the political necessity of projecting strong leadership and effective communication, particularly in light of the Vice President's struggles to connect with younger voters and the public's perception of the administration's economic management.