Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 464 › Conversation 464-004

Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on Peter M. Flanigan and Japanese textiles

Tuesday, March 9, 1971 · 8:00 AM–8:05 AM ET · Oval Office ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Bull, Stephen B.Conversation464-004 onTape 464 (tape position 00:07:17–00:19:47)StartTuesday, March 9, 1971 at 8:00 AMEndTuesday, March 9, 1971 at 8:05 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 464-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule, focusing on press coverage and a scheduled meeting with Republican Congressional leadership. The discussion shifted to the performance of Peter M. Flanigan, with Nixon defending Flanigan against criticism regarding his handling of complex negotiations involving Japanese textiles, oil, and airlines. Nixon emphasized the need for disciplined, ruthless internal coordination to support Flanigan’s ongoing efforts.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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So there's no cross coverage.
Public remark, thank you.
I guess we can get the pictures.
The point is that we have been working on this a long time.
We're up against an awful smart guy.
I just wondered if...
Yeah, and we've got to feed him an awful lot of things.
He's in that work on the... Not anymore.
He needs to make it really over his head, you know, unless he's going to go beat it.
That's going to be just his job, his one job.
Senator Zoll, Congressman Ford, perhaps they're not coming.
Well, they're expected to come.
Because if you like it, you don't start a goddamn meeting.
I don't like to walk around and be ready.
I am.
Well, to find a good thing, I want to really examine it.
Because I've done the same thing with a couple of other people.
You know, some of the business people.
And I've always been, because I think he gets a bad rap because of the fact that he's, you know, considered to be a...
inexperienced, youthful, you know, all that sort of stuff.
Not one of the big boys.
I know, but you said it's his son.
You know, it's all that.
You know what I'm talking about.
God damn it, that's what they said.
They said it about textiles.
They said it about all the help.
They said it about having the airline situation.
I mean, because he does well every time I see him.
I think he does fine.
But, you know, we've got to get him on our own people with the very ruthless,
Bob, there must never be any sign of a dog yet.
So I've got to lose count.
Do you agree?
Yes, sir.
That's what I'm going to do.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

NARA Description

On March 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:00 am to 8:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 464-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 464-4

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 8:00 am - 8:05 am
Location: Oval Office

President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     President’s schedule
          -Press coverage
          -Public remarks

     Peter M. Flanigan
           -Japanese textiles
                -Wilbur D. Mills
                -Maurice H. Stans
                -Negotiations

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:00 am

     President’s schedule
          -Republican Congressional leadership meeting
                -Absentees
                      -Gerald R. Ford, Robert J. Dole

Bull left at an unknown time before 8:05 am

                  -Time

     Flanigan
          -Role
                  -Textiles
                  -Oil
                  -Airlines

The President and Haldeman left at 8:05 am

Also recorded on March 9, 1971

  • 464-002 7:58 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:58 am to 7:59 am.
  • 464-003 7:59 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Daniel H. Kuykendall met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:59 am to 8:00 am.
  • 050-001 8:05 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Republican Congressional Leaders, including Clifford M. Hardin, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, Norris Cotton, Gordon L. Allott, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Robert T. Stafford, Richard H. Poff, John J. Rhodes, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Herbert G. Klein, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Patrick J. Buchanan, Harry S. Dent, Ronald L. Ziegler, Bryce N. Harlow, John R. Price, Jr., and Edwin L. Harper, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 8:05 am to 9:43 am.
  • 050-002 9:43 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 3:06 pm.
  • 050-004 9:43 AM — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 3:06 pm.
  • 050-005 9:43 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 3:06 pm.
  • 050-006 9:43 AM — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 3:06 pm.
  • 464-005 9:58 AM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:58 am to 10:36 am.

All 29 conversations from March 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 464-004, March 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/464-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).