Conversation 642-003

TapeTape 642StartMonday, January 3, 1972 at 8:15 AMEndMonday, January 3, 1972 at 8:45 AMTape start time01:34:42Tape end time02:10:09ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  [Unknown person(s)]Recording deviceOval Office

On January 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:15 am and 8:45 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 642-003 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 642-3

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 8:15 am - unknown before 8:45 am
Location: Oval Office

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

     The President's schedule
          -Peter G. Peterson
          -John N. Mitchell
          -William P. Rogers
                -Peterson resignation
                -John A. Scali
          -Peter M. Flanigan
          -Peterson

     -John B. Connally
          -Paul A. Volcker
          -Forthcoming call from Haldeman
                -Clark MacGregor
                -Pending legislation
                     -The President's possible actions

Pending legislation
     -Political considerations

The President’s schedule
     -Peterson meeting
           -Mitchell

The President's previous interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
     -Reactions
          -The President’s forthcoming efforts
          -Jack B. Krueger, editor of Dallas News
                 -Conversation with Haldeman
                 -Rather
                 -Effect on the President's reelection
          -The President's previous conversation with Manolo Sanchez
     -Question on Vietnam and the President's reelection
          -The President's answer
                 -Haldeman’s view
     -Questions
          -Rather's delivery
     -Reactions
          -International Chief of Operating Engineers
                 -Questions
                      -The President's response
                      -Economy
                             -Rather

Rogers
    -Conversations with the President and Haldeman
        -Reaction to the President's interview with Rather

Press conferences
      -Compared with the President's interview with Rather
           -Rather
           -Questions on race relations and "Ms." issues
                 -Sarah McLendon
                 -Press conference format
           -Follow-ups
                 -Reporters

The President's interview with Rather
     -Reactions
           -Robert H. Bork
           -Sidney Hook
                 -Impression of rehearsal
     -Compared with the President’s interview with Howard K. Smith
           -Rogers’s view
           -Rather's attempt to show political motivations in the President
     -Political questions
           -Rather’s motives
           -The President's responses
     -Political effect
           -Smith
     -Calls
           -White House operator
     -Rather
           -The President's handling
           -Performance
                 -Compared to press conference format
           -Question on women's liberation
           -Closing remarks
     -Questions on Vietnam
           -Bombing
           -Prisoners of war [POWs]
           -Troop withdrawals
                 -1968 troop levels
     -Unemployment question

          -Figures
                -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                     -Democrats
     -Rogers's view
          -Interviews of other administration officials

Rogers
    -Forthcoming interview with Smith
    -Compared with Henry A. Kissinger
    -Views regarding Cabinet as spokesmen

The President's interview with Rather
     -Question of the President's personality and performance
          -Polls
          -The President's response
                 -Polls
                 -Rhetoric

The President's schedule
     -Political implications
           -Decisions
           -Peterson
           -American Hospital Association officials
           -Importance of events
           -Press conferences
                 -The President's performance
                 -Equal time for Democrats
                       -Validity

The President's interview with Rather
     -Reactions
          -Rather's performance
     -Question on economy
     -Reactions
     -Compared with speech format

Speeches
     -The President's preparation
     -Speechwriters
          -State of the Union speech
          -Raymond K. Price, Jr.

               -Workload

     Possible press conference
          -Question on Vietnam troop withdrawal
          -India-Pakistan issue

     The President’s schedule
          -New Hampshire

     Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -The President's response during interview to question concerning second term

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 50s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

     The President's interview with Rather
          -Points covered
               -Moscow summit
               -Peking summit
               -Vietnam
               -Economic plan
               -Presidential term
                      -Activities
                            -Politics
                                  -1968 bombing pause
                                       -Lyndon B. Johnson

     Robert H. Finch

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 8:15 am.

     Delivery

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 8:45 am.

     News summary
         -Big stories that the President needs to know about
               -The President's reading of New York Times and Washington Post
               -Television stories
         -Length
         -"Week in Review"
         -Cover sheet of latest news
         -Judgment call by staff
               -The President's action and thought
         -"Week in Review"
               -Day of issuing
                     -News magazines

     Haldeman's schedule
          -Domestic Council staff, Congressional liaison staff and speechwriters
          -George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman and Kissinger
          -Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld, MacGregor, Shultz, Ehrlichman, Kissinger, Peterson
                and Flanigan
                -The President's schedule
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Ehrlichman's schedule
          -Location of particular staff members

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 8:45 am.

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 want to see this with the immediate effect that you can get a shot all around you.
You want to see this with the immediate effect that you can get a shot all around you.
You want to see this with the immediate effect that you can get a shot all around you.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Thank you.
I don't know why he's doing that.
You're going to be having issues with the camera, but we can't be out.
The government is still monitoring, right?
It's got nothing to do with that.
We're not proud of that.
We're not going to get that.
All right.
The president re-elected in 72, and I'm sure you can see that this is how he really put it right again.
I agree with you.
I think he would have done better if I knew what he did.
I know we always say that.
We say that.
We say that.
Sometimes people like to see you give them an alibi.
Well, I don't know.
Here are all the questions that you have for Tom.
Read them all.
Cards.
Under a portal to the internet, you can use a doctor and you can send them things.
You can write a question for a very funny, funny man.
You can write a question for a very funny man.
You can write a question for a very funny man.
You talk to Bill.
I'm kind of sorry to hear you in that comment.
As to whether this is a good attempt to go on, and you thought that was really good, and you said that we have to go on, I thought that's a good point.
There is reason, I think, for what we want most of the time is a singular way of doing it, which is our time.
If you get it on a graph, you can put it out.
You're going to go on a press conference.
The first place you're going to get is some questions like, yeah, what's the difference between the black and white?
Yeah, I don't know.
um
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
It's because of what you say.
Well, I'm at the point where I'm interested in asking good questions that were something that, you know, I mean, he asked, he said what he was doing, and he tried to evolve, but I don't know, I mean, I think he had information, he just lost it in the background.
But rather, he was trying to track me, and he was trying to get me, and he was going to do that, and he was trying to prove a point, and he was here, you know, and we're totally motivated to do it.
and I began to say, we never had that few words of peace.
And I was so impressed.
For a period of time, if you were going to do this, you would want more of it.
I've got an offer that's a long-ranging thing, and for both of you, what kind of chicken can you eat?
Well, I'm going to tell you what I just did out there.
operation out of the church.
It's not very well balanced.
You didn't complete and serve as smart as I've done.
And I don't think people would have liked it.
I think part of the situation is that it's so convenient to have your hand in it.
And it is.
That is what I'm saying.
That is forever the matter.
I think, I think he would have, I think he would have, he would not have ordered the Apostle to, to, uh, get down.
I think he was sitting there a while, in the room with the Apostle, and, uh, he could have killed one of those at a first-time achievement.
He could have whacked him down.
That is most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy, most happy,
um
Yeah.
and do more and more and get ourselves on to talk about it.
Yeah.
He also, his only disadvantage is he comes, he can sometimes tell you what to do.
He can tell you what to say.
He can tell you what to do.
He can tell you what to do.
He can tell you what to do.
He can tell you what to do.
He can tell you what to do.
The person can, on this subject, if there is a man at all in that place, it's ridiculous.
You don't ask people things like that.
But I thought it was a beautiful thing.
I said, well, that's what they call it.
or record is not the way it is.
One, two, three.
So I just want you to know that we can judge everything that I do.
This is going to be known for calling us a fool.
And God knows if it is, and I spend a lot of time doing it, and I work my butt off doing it.
It's hard, but whether it's to do press conferences and everything else, it's going to be good.
We don't have to read a lot of the time, but in fact, there's a lot of pressure on us.
And for others, we can also give the task for equal time when it occurs to them.
They're not going to do it alone.
The other man has said that he's got a hell of a problem attending that.
In the first place, there's a real question whether they're going to have equal time.
I believe that if money doesn't draw them, how are they going to deal with it?
And that's it.
Now, while we get some indicators too, as I was just thinking of the content this year, the indicators were basically left to the driver and the questioner.
Yes, sir.
Oh, they've got money to do it.
And they brush up for other people.
And they're working on their tolls.
And that's the way to see it.
That's the way to see it.
They don't.
And if you want the channel to go ahead and release the demo, you will in the next year or two.
You've got to get that out of the way.
We're ready.
When I went with that old version, it was good.
I mean, I don't know if it's actually a good version.
It's not.
Well, you've got to start exactly right now, because you've all had to post for...
So then what you said is, the keys are gone.
Yeah.
I don't know.
And if you want to have it, go ahead, but it definitely moves in that direction.
Now, get that out of the way.
Well, you've got it set up exactly right now, because you've all the items and folks
And then what you said is...
We've got to crush it.
We've got to crush it.
We've got to crush it.
We've got to crush it.
We've got to crush it.
We've got to crush it.
Lockheed, the point is the president has a four year term.
He's given four years to his co-conferencing.
He uses that four years on the basis of building to the point of doing the most he can on something important.
I saw on the second film a lot of bombing laws.
Yeah.
As many of you thought, the president sat down.
uh... uh...
There's a story that we have to be concerned about, and there are about two or three stories.
Thank you.
And thank you, Steve.
I don't have to go through.
We have to realize that we can't acknowledge you have a package.
Or, you know, they've got to get something on you to serve you.
I'm not going to hear it.
I'm not going to hear it.
You can tell me if it's bad.
Well, that's great, but I think all the rest of you should see the track.
I just wonder, for a time, it wouldn't be best in my mind, even now, I read the front page of the Times, of course, but I can just come in and say that they started the television last night, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth,
uh, here, that we can redo.
That we can redo.
I don't know.
At least it's better.
I mean, let's look this way.
That way, they could consecrate and judge.
They do that maybe too, but that's not a question.
Yeah, but you see the seat on top now doesn't do that.
Basically, the seat on top is the late news, the late breaking edition, because they did most of the stuff the night before.
But I'll tell you, so that they don't lose their strength.
We want something entirely different.
We want a genuine call.
The big news today is this.
Here are a couple other things.
News that might require action or thought.
Did you do that?
Yep.
And then?
And then we did a review.
Yep.
Which is going to come on Tuesday.
Or is it Monday?
Uh, or Tuesday.
No.
Well, Monday or Tuesday, there's a question there whether you want to get a look at the Mac's house before you do it.
You can do that.
Well, very nice.
Thank you.
All right.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This is not, uh, on this one, I'm kidding.
Yeah, well, this is a full series.
It's a team of seven people.
It's a team of 20 people, 25 that comes out of it.
That's the president.
And that's the council people, the congressional people, the writers.
There's a whole bunch of people coming in.
at 8 o'clock, 12 o'clock, and then get out there on the beach.
Then at 8, that's where it was.
Oh, yeah.
Then we get to the beach, and we're ready to come.
And then we're going to go over to the beach, and then we're going to get to the beach.
And then we're going to get to the beach.
I don't know who's there today.
Sierra was out of town.