Conversation: 466-002
Prev: 466-001 Next: 466-003Start Date: Thursday, March 11, 1971 2:19 PM
End Date: Thursday, March 11, 1971 4:12 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operator; Flanigan, Peter M.; Ehrlichman, John D.; [Unknown person(s)]; MacGregor, Clark; Kissinger, Henry A.; Colson, Charles W.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:07:16
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:56:05
NARA Description:
On March 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Peter M. Flanigan, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), Clark MacGregor, Henry A. Kissinger, and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:19 am to 11:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 466-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 466-2
Date: March 11, 1971
Time: 9:19 am - 11:12 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Presidential letters
-Ambassadors
-The President’s signature
-Rose Mary Woods
Butterfield left at 9:20 am
President’s schedule
-John B. Connally
-George P. Shultz and John D. Ehrlichman
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Peter G. Peterson, Peter M. Flanigan, Ehrlichman, and Henry A. Kissinger
-Administration strategy
-Harlow’s meeting with Mills
-Possible meeting with Mills
-John W. Byrnes
-Minority members of the House Ways and Means Committee
-Possible public statement
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Legislation
-Kissinger
-Possible statement from President regarding textile legislation
-Byrnes
-Ehrlichman, Peterson, and Flanigan
-Time
-Ehrlichman and Shultz meeting
-Possible postponement
-Harlow
-Byrnes
-Flanigan
-Kissinger
[Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 9:20 am and 9:24
am]
[Conversation No. 466-2A]
Flanigan’s meeting with President and Haldeman
[End of telephone conversation]
Textile negotiations with Japan
-Peterson and Kissinger
-Shultz
-President’s March 10, 1971 meeting
[Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 9:20 am and 9:24
am]
[Conversation No. 466-2B]
Ehrlichman’s meeting with President and Haldeman
[End of telephone conversation]
-Harlow
-Flanigan
-Meeting of Republican Congressmen
Flanigan entered at 9:24 am
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Draft statement by President
-Legislation
-Flanigan’s previous meeting with industry representatives
-Support for President’s position
-Mills
-Possible 1972 support for President
-Effect of President’s actions
-Legislation Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Peterson, Kissinger, and Shultz’s views
-President’s view
-President’s decision
-John N. Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans’ views
-Effect of legislation proposal
-Possible 1972 effect
-Possible future actions
-Legislation
-Quotas
-Mills
-1972
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 24s ]
JAPAN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************
-Harlow’s meeting with Byrnes, March 10, 1971
-Byrnes’ forthcoming action
-Possible legislation
-Caucus of Ways and Means Committee
-Mills
-Harlow’s previous experience
-Byrnes’ forthcoming action
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Ehrlichman entered at 9:29 am
-Possible speech by Byrnes
-Possible meeting between President and Byrnes
-Mills
-Harlow’s assessment
-Strategy
-Eisaku Sato
-Peterson’s staff Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Possible administration action
-Legislation
-Textile industry
-Effect
-Mills
-Byrnes
-Harlow
-Possible statement by President
-Negotiations with Japanese
-Political implications
-Textile industry
-Stans, Harry S. Dent, Mitchell
-Textile industry
-Need for strong administration position
-Response to continuing Japanese negotiations
-Possible administration action
-Administration plans
-Mills
-Negotiations with other countries
-Legislation
-Legislation
-Timing
-Byrnes
-Mills
-Previous year’s bill
-Negotiations with three unnamed countries [Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong]
-Effect on legislation
-Japan
-Opinion abroad
-Implications
-Possible passage of Mills’ bill
-Multilateral negotiations
-Possible options
-Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Kissinger’s view
-Letters from President
-A draft statement for President
-Japan
-Possible effect
-Possible outcome
-Mills’ possible action
-Byrnes’ possible action Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Current legislation
-Mills’ role
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Possible proposal by administration
-Byrnes
-Mills
-Possible textile industry response
-Draft statement
-Revisions
-President’s view
-Wording
-Legislation
-Effect
-Political impact
-Textile industry views
-Flanigan’s view
-Revisions
-Mills
-Mills and Byrnes
-Textile industry
-Political considerations
-Byrnes
-Draft statement
-Legislation
-Quotas
-Textile industry
-Draft statement
-Tone
-Textile industry position
-Administration action
-Legislation
-President’s statement
-Message
-Byrnes
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Possible meeting with President
-Possible speech in House
-Japanese proposals
-Trade bills
-Textile quotas
-Administration timetable
-Congressional schedule
-Monitoring provision Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Mills’ proposal
-President’s view
-Textile industry position
-Monitoring and quotas
-Possible action
-Administration action
-Mills
-Byrnes
-Textile industry position
-Department of Commerce role
-Stans
-Monitoring activities
-Possible meeting with President, Byrnes, Connally, and Harlow
-Timing
-Statement
-President’s schedule
-Peterson, Kissinger, and Shultz
-Flanigan and Ehrlichman’s forthcoming meeting with Byrnes
-Harlow
-Discussion topics
-President’s schedule
-Connally’s position
-Ehrlichman’s previous conversation with Connally
-Possible outcome
-Possible legislation
-Connection with tariff bill
-Eastern Establishment
-Jacob K. Javits
-Possible Congressional action
-Textile industry position
-President’s view
-Japan
-Views
-Textile industry response
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Mills
-Possible alternative proposals
-Influence with Senators
-Russell B. Long and Javits
-Shultz and Peterson’s views
-Japan, quotas
-President’s forthcoming letter to Sato
-Content Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Administration’s position on legislation
-Quotas
-Previous legislation in Ways and Means Committee
-Shultz and Peterson’s position
-Compared to President’s position
-Possible agreement with Japan
-State Department view
-Indonesia
Flanigan left at 10:00 am
-Further action
-Meeting between Ehrlichman, Peterson, Byrnes, and Harlow
Ehrlichman left at an unknown time after 10:00 am
President’s schedule
-Connally
Textile meeting
-Compared with Kissinger’s National Security Council [NSC] meetings
-Peterson and Shultz’s concerns
-Free trade position
-Kissinger’s concerns
-Sato
-Korea
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Peterson
-Ehrlichman
-Harlow
-Forthcoming meeting with Byrnes
-Previous meeting with Byrnes
-Ehrlichman
-Views
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
President’s schedule
-Williamsburg trip
-Senators and Congressmen
-William B. Spong, Jr. and Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Mitchell
-Connally Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-A taped interview
-Marya McLauglin and Fay G. Wells
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] and National Broadcasting Company
[NBC] interviews
-Radio interview
-Preparation
President’s previous interview with Cyrus L. (“Cy”) Sulzberger
-Effect
-Publicity
-President’s statement on future wars
-Small conflicts
-Biafra
-US role
President’s previous press conference
-Dan Rather’s report on President’s credibility
-President’s note to Ronald L. Ziegler
-White House News Summary
-Polls
-President’s press conferences
-George H. Gallup poll
President’s interview with Sulzberger
-Ziegler
Rather’s report
-Selling of domestic programs compared with “Selling of the Pentagon” television
program
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-President’s press conference
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
Anti-ballistic Missile [ABM] story on CBS
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-CBS’s response to White House response
-James C. Fletcher
-Retraction
-Position on ABM
-Previous meetings with President
-Position on ABM
-Daniel L. Schorr’s report
-Fletcher’s possible meeting with President Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Interview with Fletcher
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Ziegler’s statement
Clark MacGregor
-Relations with Congress
-Effectiveness
-Meeting with the President
ABM story on CBS
-Schorr
The President left at an unknown time before 10:13 am
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:00 am
President’s schedule
-MacGregor
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:13 am
[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:00 am and 10:13
am]
[Conversation No. 466-2C]
President’s schedule
-Use of helicopter time
[End of telephone conversation]
MacGregor entered at 10:13 am
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Possible meeting with Byrnes
-MacGregor
John O. Pastore
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon
The President entered at an unknown time after 10:13 am Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
Greetings
MacGregor’s work
[The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 10:47
am]
[Conversation No. 466-2D]
President’s assent to an unknown item
[End of telephone conversation]
President’s schedule
-Byrnes
-Williamsburg
[The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 10:47 am]
[Conversation No. 466-2E]
President’s schedule
-Williamsburg
-Newport
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration: 3m 2s ]
JAPAN Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
******************************************************************************
[End of telephone conversation]
Congressional relations
-President’s breakfasts with Congressmen
-President’s future actions
-Democrats
-Long
-Mills
-Byrnes
-Purpose
-Connally’s meeting with Republican Congressmen
-Long
-Forthcoming meeting with President
-Relations with Connally
-Republican Congressional leaders
-Meeting with President
-Gerald R. Ford
-John B. Anderson
-Gordon L. Allott
-Problems with the Administration
-Dr. James R. Schlesinger
-William E. Timmons
-Compared with Cabinet officers
-President’s forthcoming meetings
-Long
-John L. McClellan
-Position on government reorganization
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Committee chairmen
-MacGregor’s forthcoming efforts
-List
-Potential problems
-President’s time
-Long
-McClellan
-Republicans Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Congressional leaders
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-House members
-Daniel H. Kuykendall
-Travels on behalf of President’s programs
-Possible White House dinner
-Number and organization
-Possible White House breakfast
-Possible Oval Office or Roosevelt Room meeting
-Number of participants
-Possible dinner or breakfast
-Number
-Possible dinner or breakfast
-Reports to President
-Rumsfeld
-Purpose
-President’s possible trip to Capitol Hill
-Frank T. Bow
-President’s possible trip to Capitol Hill
-Various committees
-Possible problems
-Carl B. Albert
-William M. Colmer
-Committees
-Kuykendall group
-Location of meeting
-Value
-Connally’s meeting
-President’s possible trip to Capitol Hill compared with invitation to
White House
-Connally’s statement
-Rayburn House Office Building
-Unannounced drop-in by the President
-President’s phone calls
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Possible visit by President to Capitol Hill
-Senators
-Meetings with the President
-Purpose
-Barry M. Goldwater’s previous meeting with President
-National Air and Space Museum
-Problems
-Goldwater’s status Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Allott
-Peter H. Dominick
-Senate Campaign Committee
-Robert J. Dole and Mitchell
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-Leaks from leaders’ meeting in Jack N. Anderson’s column
-Dominick’s concern
-Hugh Scott’s staff
-Dominick
-Importance
-Dominick
-Newly-elected Congressional members
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Edward W. Brooke
-Number
-Goldwater
-Brooke
-John Sherman Cooper
-George D. Aiken
-”Wednesday group”
-Position on President’s policies
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
-Charles H. Percy
-Balance between conservative Republicans and liberal Republicans
-House
-Samuel L. Devine
-”Wednesday group” of Senators and conservatives in House
-Senate
-Norris Cotton
-John G. Tower
-Previous meeting with the President
-Milton R. Young
-North Dakota press
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President’s previous actions
-North Dakota legislators
-Position on revenue sharing
-North Dakota newspapers
-Devine’s conservative group
-Possible meeting with the President
-Number
-President’s actions Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-”Wednesday group”
-Concerns
-Carl T. Curtis
-Karl E. Mundt
-Health
-”Wednesday group”
-House supporters
-Long
-George H. Mahon
-Mills
-Albert
-Appropriations committee
Textile legislation
-MacGregor’s previous meeting with House Republican leaders
-Ford
-Leslie C. Arends
-John J. Rhodes
-Byrnes
-Charles R. Jonas
-Rhodes’ view
-Mills
-Ford and Byrnes’ view
-Japan
-Mills
Congressional relations
-Compared with Cabinet relations
-Compared with liaison work with youth and blacks
-An event with twelve blacks [Congressional Black Caucus?]
-March 23-25, 1971
-Brooke
-Administration black appointees
-Forthcoming meeting
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:13 am
An unknown item
-Byrnes
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:47 am
Congress Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Long
Vietnam
-Military situation
-Compared with President’s other programs
-Economy
-North Vietnam
President’s programs
-Democrat opposition
-MacGregor’s March 10, 1971 discussion with members of Yale Political Union
-President’s legislative efforts
-MacGregor’s press contacts
-Public comments
-”Wednesday group”
-Forthcoming meeting with President
-Timing
-President’s view
-Reorganization plan
-Percy’s position
-Forthcoming meeting with the President
-Vietnam troop withdrawals
MacGregor’s schedule
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
President’s phone calls to Congressmen
Timmons
MacGregor left and Charles W. Colson entered at 10:47 am
Colson’s work
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
President’s schedule
-Forthcoming meeting on textile quotas
Congressional relations
-MacGregor’s work
-President’s meetings with Senators and Congressmen
-Harlow’s work
-President’s meetings Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
John A. Volpe
-Camp David visit
-[Forename unknown] Gray
Press and Presidential availability
-Public relations
-Administration efforts
-Speech in Congress by Baker
-A tapes project at Vanderbilt University
-Media coverage
-Bias
-Availability of tapes
-Library of Congress
-”Doves”
-Baker, William E. Brock, III, Goldwater, Dominick, and others
-George S. McGovern, Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield,
and others
-Possible showing of CBS and NBC newscasts
-Three weeks prior to last press conference
-Bias
-Economic coverage
-Press credibility
-War coverage
-Press credibility issue
-Confidentiality issue
-Administration issue
-Demonstrators
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s speech, November 3, 1970
-CBS story on Fletcher
-Schorr
-Ziegler
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Current war coverage by networks
-David Brinkley of NBC, March 10, 1971
-Cambodian oil refinery
-Administration strategy
-Long-term
-Morale of Colson’s staff
-Rather’s report
-President’s interview with Sulzberger Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
-Timing of arrangements
-President’s previous meeting with CBS executives
-Network’s concerns
-Regulation
-William S. Paley and Frank Stanton
-Equal time and fairness doctrine
-Colson
-Administration’s position
-President’s possible meeting with NBC executives
Colson’s previous meeting with Louis Harris
-Location
-Reason
-Possible assistance to Administration
-Previous experience
-Government contracts
-Harris’ support for President
-Possible funds to Harris
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] polls
-Possible California polls by Harris
-President’s previous memorandum
-Robert H. Finch’s role
-Harris’ polls compared with ORC polls and Gallup polls
-Questions
-Possible work for the White House
-Value
-Harris’ polling technique compared with Gallup’s technique
-Possible work for White House
-Colson’s view
-Harris
-Harris’ use of polls
-Gallup
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 7m 12s ]
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 10:47 am Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 11:12 am
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
******************************************************************************
Issues
-Economy
-Vietnam War
-Effect on polls
-Economy
-February and March 1970 polls
-Vietnam War
-February and March 1970 polls and effect of Cambodian operation
-Current polls
-Effect of Laos operation
-Economy
-Domestic programs
-Personality
-Foreign policy
-President’s interview with Sulzberger
-President’s Newport speech
-Future wars
-Nixon Doctrine
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 30s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13 Conv. No. 466-2 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
The President’s schedule
The President, Haldeman, and Colson left at 11:12 am