On March 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, Robert J. Dole, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:02 pm to 4:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 468-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 468-16
Date: March 16, 1971
Time: 4:02 pm - 4:50 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with John N. Mitchell, Robert J. Dole, and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Gridiron dinner
-Dole’s effort
-President’s non-attendance
-Fistfight
-Edward E. Mitchell and [Thomas] Hale Boggs
E. E. Mitchell
Boggs
-Behavior at dinner
-E. E. Mitchell
Gridiron dinner
-Dole’s speech
-President’s appreciation
-Speeches
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Unknown man’s [Bob Haley?] observation
-Behavior
-Dole’s speech
-Agnew’s speech
-J. N. Mitchell’s attendance
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/26/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[468-016-w001]
[Duration: 15m 54s]
Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Meeting with Godfrey Sperling, Jr.'s group
-John N. Mitchell’s opinion
-Agricultural issues
Youth, senior citizens, blacks
-Blacks
-John N. Mitchell’s view
-Robert J. Dole
-Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher
-Attributes
-John D. Ehrlichman
-James D. Hodgson
-Ralph Abernathy, Jesse L. Jackson
-Opportunity for votes
-Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher
-Program
-John D. Ehrlichman’s impression
-Ability speaking to white audiences
-Status
-Title
-Hatch Act
-Counselor to the President
-Compared with Robert J. Brown
-Donald H. Rumsfeld and Robert H. Finch
Visibility
-Attendance at Whitney M. Young Sr.'s funeral
-Attendance at White House meetings
-Philadelphia plan
-Meaning
-Possible task force job
-Importance
-Task force
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Program
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Attendance at President's meeting with Black Congressmen
-Samuel C. Jackson
-Robert J. Brown
-Benjamin F. Holman
-Senior citizens
-Republican support
-Senior citizens month May 1971
-Presidential message
-Social Security
-Budget cut
-16 million
-John B. Martin
-Conference on aging
-Possible award program
-John B. Martin
-Bernard S. Van Rensselaer
-Age
-Previous meetings with President, Robert J. Dole
-Senior citizens month May 1971
-President's schedule
-Washington
-California April 4-9
-Possible reception
-Select group
-Importance of vote
-Previous Thanksgiving dinners
-Coverage of White House efforts
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s view
-Budget cut
-Effect
-Coverage
-Bernard S. Van Rensselaer
-John B. Martin
-Work ethic
-Florida
-Amount of senior citizens
-Presidential message to Congress
-Effect
-Social Security Act
-Support for Republicans
-Youth
-Democrats' efforts
-Senior citizens compared to youth
-Senior citizens
-Social Security
-Bernard S. Van Rensselaer
-Typical of senior citizens
-Speech by President
-Ideal medium for reaching senior citizens
-Possible salute in May
-Conflict with farmers' salute
-Possible radio program
-Improve with women
-Robert J. Dole and John N. Mitchell
-Thomas B. Evans
-Peter B. Wilson
-Anne L. Armstrong
-John N. Mitchell’s opinion
-Youth
-Youth groups
-Report from Republican National Committee [RNC] youth
-How to speak to youth
-College groups, blacks
-Robert H. Finch's youth work
-Agriculture, youth, senior citizens, blacks
-White House staff assignments
-Coverage of accomplishments
-Page Belcher's men
-Effort
-John B. Martin
-Work ethic
-Compared to Republican National Committee [RNC] staffer
-Senior citizens interest groups
-Youth
-Robert H. Finch's work
-Work with White House staff
-Strategy
-Youth
-Vietnam War
-Age of war
-Ignorance of actions of previous president
-John F. Kennedy's sending of troops to Vietnam
-President’s policy
-Gulf of Tonkin
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Vietnam War
-1961-1969
-Number of US troops
-Combat deaths
-President’s administration
-President’s policy
-Laos
-Effect of media
-Confidence factor
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-A program on the media at Vanderbilt University
-Gary Sheppard, Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] News, Time
magazine
-Dole’s complaints
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Coverage
-William E. Brock, III
-CBS filming and use
-Future
-”Dove” Republicans
-Charles H. Percy
-Jacob K. Javits
-President’s policy
-Dole’s actions
-Democrats
-Cambodia, peace offer
-President’s accomplishments
-Media coverage
-Dole’s view
-Vanderbilt program
-John W. Chancellor, Roger H. Mudd
-Effect on public opinion
-White House campaign
-Time story on “New Doves” compared with “Old Doves”
-J. William Fulbright
-W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Walter F. Mondale
-William B. Saxbe
-Mondale’s resolution
-Saxbe
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/26/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[468-016-w002]
[Duration: 6m 29s]
Vietnam War
-Youth
-Finance Committee
-Young Americans for Freedom [YAF]
-Ripon Society
-Delay in funding
-Needs
-"Hawks", "Doves"
-President's supporters
-Attempt to win opponents and supporters
-John N. Mitchell’s view
-Colleges
-Undecided
-National Guard
-Republican National Committee [RNC] awards program for working youth
-US Chamber of Commerce
-Football
-Working poor
-Working youth
-Children of the elite
-Corruption of themselves and parents
-"Long hairs"
-Refrain from overreaction
-Finance Committee
-United Student Alliance [USA] group
-Princeton student
-United Student Alliance [USA] group
-Unidentified boy
-Worked for former Virginia Congressmen
-Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Independents
-Preferred to stay nonpartisan
-Ability to gain more supporters
-Lackey
-Connection with young Republicans, White House
-Robert J. Dole's meeting with college students
Democrats
-Attack on President
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
-Robert J. Dole's response to John V. Tunney
-Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
-President's response
-Robert J. Dole's response
-John N. Mitchell’s opinion
-Spiro T. Agnew
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Issues and Administration accomplishments
-Vietnam War
-Dole’s view
-Budget
-Revenue sharing
-Economy
-Vietnam War
-Dole’s actions
-President’s instructions
-President’s policy
-Cambodia and Laos
-Percy
-Neo-isolationists
-Defense
-President’s speech at Newport, Rhode Island
-Speeches
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Pentagon
-Noel C. Koch
-Buchanan
-Republican National Committee [RNC] staffer [Forename unknown]
-Henry A. Kissinger’s staff
-Koch
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Reduction of military bases
-Dole’s statements
-Importance
-Highways, Social Security, Medicare
-Budget cuts
-Koch or Buchanan speech for Dole
-President’s speech at Newport
-Campaign spending
-Democrats and press statements
-Possible statement by President
-John O. Pastore
-Marlow W. Cook
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Maurice H. Stans’ comments
-Possible administration bill
-President’s previous veto
-Hugh Scott’s bill
-Effect of a proposed limit on RNC
-John B. Anderson
-Gerald R. Ford
-Supporters
-Congressional campaigns
-Spending limits, disclosure
-Cole’s role
-Press coverage
-Broadcast industry
-Scott
-Possible action by President
-Possible Republican position
-Pastore
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/26/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[468-016-w003]
Issues and Administration accomplishments
-Defense
-Campaign spending
-Lee R. Nunn
-Republican National Committee [RNC] job, another job
-Fundraising
-Knowledge of committees
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson's committee
-Staff
-President’s view
Republican National Committee [RNC] staff
-Lee R. Nunn
-Money knowledge
-Campaign spending
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Dairy industry
-Parity
-Carl B. Albert
-Wilbur D. Mills
Thomas E. Dewey
-Death
-J. N. Mitchell’s encounter, March 13, 1971
-Death
-Golfing with Dwayne O. Andreas in Florida
-Plans to attend President’s party, March 16, 1971
-Age
-Plans to attend President’s party
Elder Republican statesmen
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Alfred M. (“Alf”) Landon
-Appearance, March 13, 1971
-A press conference
-Landon lecture
-Scott
Dewey
-Circumstances of death
-Health
-Plans to attend President’s party
-Kitty Carlisle
-Appearance, March 13, 1971
-Attendance at Gridiron dinner
-Golfing plans
-Carlisle
-Plans to attend President’s party
-Invitation to Dole at Seaview
-Anti-Semitic rules
-Andreas
-Anti-Semitic rules
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/26/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[468-016-w004]
[Duration: 4m 12s]
Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Robert J. Dole
-Work
-President’s opinion
-Staff
-Thomas B. Evans
-Possible government jobs
-President’s view
-Favorable placement
-Plants
-Thomas B. Evans
-Robert J. Dole
-Work
-Speeches
-Gridiron Dinner
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Speeches
-Attack
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Robert J. Dole’s view
-President’s view
-George S. McGovern
-Staffing up
-Possible Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy campaign
-Staff meeting secretly with Kennedy people
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Position
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Position
-Steady
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-Relative positions
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Leading other Democratic contenders
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-President
-Leading all candidates
-George C. Wallace
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Problematic
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 4:02 pm
Thomas E. Dewey's death
President's schedule
-Future meeting with Robert J. Dole
Ethnic votes
-Catholics
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