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Conversation 579-009

TapeTape 579StartTuesday, September 28, 1971 at 4:14 PMEndTuesday, September 28, 1971 at 4:23 PMTape start time02:35:38Tape end time02:42:38ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Sanchez, Manolo;  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Bull, Stephen B.;  Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with H. R. Haldeman, Stephen Bull, and Alexander Butterfield regarding the logistics and messaging for his upcoming attendance at the National League of Families convention. The group discussed the political optics of the President's public schedule, specifically balancing his concern for POWs with his potential attendance at Justice Hugo Black's funeral. Additionally, Nixon reviewed a draft statement concerning the draft extension bill and expressed his personal disdain for the ideological leanings of some judicial philosophies.

POWsNational League of FamiliesHugo BlackSupreme CourtDraft Extension BillPublic Appearances
AudioNARA Description

On September 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:14 pm to 4:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 579-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 579-9

Date: September 28, 1971
Time: 4:14 pm - 4:23 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Manolo Sanchez.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Sanchez left at 4:15 pm.

     Public appearances by the President
          -National League of Families convention
          -Dinner
                -Melvin R. Laird's speech
                     -The President's actions
                          -Vietnam

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:15 pm and 4:23 pm.

[Conversation No. 579-9A]

     Prisoner of war [POW] material

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -League of Families convention
                -Time
          -Speech
          -Invocation
                -Statement
          -Seating
                -Time
          -Program
                -Time
          -The President's concerns for POWs
          -Press coverage
                -Informing press corps
          -Military band
                “Strolling Strings”
                -Fanfare
          -Dinner
                -Number in attendance
          -Laird's statement
                -Administration and policy changes

Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:15 pm.

          -Group

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:19 pm.

          -League of Families convention
               -Laird's speech
                     -Text
               -Business meeting
               -The President’s attendance
                     -Duration
               -Importance

     Funeral for Justice Black
          -[General Lewis Hershey ?]
          -White House correspondents
          -The President's view of Black
          -Minister for services
                -Unitarian

                -Civil rights, freedom
                -Strict construction
           -The President's attendance
                -Public effect
                      -Politics
                -Compared to White House correspondents' event
                -John N. Mitchell

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 4:19 pm.

     Statement by the President on draft extension bill
          -Wording

Butterfield left at 4:20 pm.

     Supreme Court appointments
          -Black's funeral
               -The President’s attendance
                     -Possible interpretations
               -Mitchell

Haldeman left at 4:23 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

You know, I want to see who you are.
Yes, sir.
Well, what's your wife's name?
The time to go would be...
Yes.
Yes.
Laird's talk is...
He's the only speaker, and his talk is basically what the president said.
And he's got a big case of that...
Go in and enter at 645.
They should be seated safely by 7 o'clock and they have an invocation immediately when they're seated.
You should come in right after the invocation.
Say your word and then leave.
Then they eat dinner, and that program doesn't start until 8.30.
But they expect to be seated at 7 or 7 o'clock.
And that would be the time to go over, do it, and get out.
And then Leonard does his thing at a later time.
The argument before doing it is the obvious one, to show your concern, interest.
There will be fresh coverage.
Thank you.
But I'm not going to farm the president.
They don't have the military band or anything.
They can't do a band very, very well.
So I think if you just don't do a band, just do, after the invocation, they just say, well, you know, the President of the United States.
And about 600 there.
Verify with the council how you can change the policy for your administration.
I'm sorry, I didn't make sure it was the other issue.
I wish you all the best.
Thank you.
And then they have a business meeting tomorrow.
We're going to give you a job for it.
The best thing is just to go in and be real nice and very brief.
That's right.
Because I can't get into the dance.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And it should be at least on the dance floor.
You know, the Unitarians, I have a feeling on some of those.
I felt it.
I knew Black was a son of a bitch, you know, and I knew they had a...
I mean, the Unitarian minister, of course, their left wing is healthy now.
I'm surprised they get up there and read some piece of it.
frontiers, decided to stay with civil rights because he did.
Freedom.
Absolute freedom.
He's new.
Why not then?
He's against the strictest constructionists because all they want to do is build on interpretations.
He goes back to the Constitution itself.
Well, good lesson.
You know what?
It's a good lesson.
The next time they press on all these things, you could say, remember the black man, would you?
Yeah.
I'd be very curious to know whether any of those guys realized what a ghost thing it was.
Do they see it?
Or are they like they were when that damn White House corresponds?
I don't know.
I don't know even who makes a lot of, you know, to smash through the president and sit there and tell you some bullshit.
Believe me.
I don't buy that.
Sir, can I put under release that statement?
That I'm not ready to retract the sanctions order?
Yes, sir.
Do you want to go check the statement again?
Yes, sir.
We're in charge.
Okay.
against, frankly, slobbering over those who made me look at it.
Look what you're asking me to say.
It's a hypocritical goddamn thing to do.
Well, why don't they turn it the other way and say, wasn't it a good thing that the president heard these, you know, immortal words about black and let's all pray that he follows that tradition and appointing a purist like Justice Blackwood to that seat.
instead of some Aussie strip constructions.
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