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Conversation: 661-009

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Start Date: 31-Jan-1972 4:04 PM

End Date: 31-Jan-1972 5:05 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)McKinney, Stewart B.Ehrlichman, John D.Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:32:57

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:34:58

661a.mp3

661b.mp3

661c.mp3

NARA Description:

On January 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stewart B. McKinney, John D. Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:04 pm to 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 661-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 661-9

Date: January 31, 1972
Time: 4:04 pm - 5:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Stewart B. McKinney.

[Conversation No. 661-9A]

[See Conversation No. 20-9]

John D. Ehrlichman entered at 4:05 pm.

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 4:06 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

     Press relations
           -Representation on People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
                 -Joseph C. Kraft, William F. Buckley, Jr.
                                             27

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


                     -Telephone calls from Henry A. Kissinger
                           -Ziegler
                           -Conservatives, liberals
                           -Timing
           -Announcement of the President’s telephone call to Abraham A. Ribicoff
               -Elliot L. Richardson
               -Ehrlichman
               -Russell B. Long
               -The President’s support for welfare reform
               -The President talks with Long and Wallace F. Bennett
               -Need for common ground
                     -Ehrlichman
                     -Richardson

Ziegler left at 4:10 pm.

     Welfare reform
          -The President’s previous telephone call to Ribicoff
                -Content
                      -Reference to working paper
                      -Ribicoff amendments
                      -Elderly
          -Ehrlichman’s forthcoming telephone call to Ribicoff
          -Status of welfare reform bill
                -Ribicoff view
                      -House Resolution [HR] 1
                      -Senate
                      -Testing
                            -Medicare, Medicaid
          -Drawbacks of bill
                -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
                -Richardson
                -Size of welfare rolls
                -Medicare
                -Medicaid

     Mall renovation
          -Picture of model
          -Lincoln Memorial
          -Reflecting Pool
          -Proposed facilities
                                   28

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. 10/06)
                                                    Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


     -Dining, shopping
     -Pool
     -Parking
     -Trains
     -Boats, canals, lakes
     -Ampitheatre
     -Children’s park
     -Lake
-Cost
-Finishing date
      -Bicentennial
-Benefits
-Museums
-Needs of visitors
      -Restrooms
      -Food
-Night activities
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
      -Rogers C.B. Morton
      -Visit to see model
      -Possible ideas
-Model
      -Confidentiality
            -Interior Department
            -Architect
-Morton’s view
      -Congress
      -Capital Planning Commission
            -Highway plan
-Spending
-Needs
      -Tourism
      -Concessions
            -Types
                  -Food services
            -Family orientation
            -J. Willard Marriott
-Transportation
-Lake size and depth
      -Other uses
            -Exhibits
                                        29

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


                    -Japanese art
     -Nathaniel A. Owings
          -Plans

Environment
     -The President’s conversation with Laurance S. Rockefeller
           -Julie Nixon Eisenhower as salesperson
                 -New York
                 -Houston
                 -Florida
     -Proposed conference
           -Location
                 -Camp David
                 -San Clemente
           -Russell E. Train
     -William D. Ruckelshaus role
     -Rockefeller’s associates
     -Gala to focus attention
           -Options
           -Camp David constructions
                 -Laurel
                 -Open house
                       -Problems
                             -Press
           -San Clemente
           -Key Biscayne
           -San Clemente
                 -Benefits
     -San Francisco park at Point Reyes
           -Possible visit by the President
           -Quality
     -Possible meeting
           -Daniel L. Schorr job
           -Attendance
           -Timing
                 -Moscow trip
           -Location
                 -San Clemente
                       -Patio
           -Air Force One trip to Point Reyes
           -Television use
                                        30

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


               -Documentary
                   -Compared to comments by President
     -Train role
     -Ruckelshaus role
     -Rockefeller role
     -Mrs. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower role
     -The President’s schedule
          -California
     -Camp David
          -Benefits
          -Camp Hoover
                 -Press
     -Centennial of national park system
          -Morton’s view of the President’s schedule
     -Morton
          -Forthcoming talk with Ehrlichman
     -Rockefeller’s role
     -Environmentalists in attendance
          -Republicans
          -Edmund S. Muskie’s supporters
     -Environmental accomplishments
          -Parks for the people
     -Public relations
          -Unknown person
          -William L. Safire

Mall renovation
     -Likeness to Tivoli Gardens
     -Environmentalists’ view
          -Grass removal
          -Underground parking
                -Effect on watertable
                -Peripheral parking
                      -Trams
     -Mrs. Nixon
          -Viewing of mall model
          -Decision on original model
     -Viewing of mall model
          -The President
     -Owings
     -Need for necessities
                                        31

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


          -Restroom, facilities
          -Old world
          -Disneyland [and Disneyworld]
               -Facilities
               -Miami Beach
                     -Jews
               -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo view

Modern entertainment
    -Children
    -Old entertainment
          -Amos n’ Andy
          -Fred Allen
    -State of television
          -The President’s viewing habits
                -News shows
                      -Reading
                -Television specials
                -Camp David
                -Television compared to reading

Ehrlichman’s reading
      -Zimmerman Telegram
          -[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
          -Barbara Tuchman
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Wilson

Wilson’s foreign policy
     -Mexico
           -Francisco (“Pancho”) Villa
     -Winston Churchill description in the Search for World Order
           -Versailles
           -Wilson’s political experience
                 -Compared to British politicians
     -Irony
     -Record
     -World War I
           -British casualties, March 21, 1918
           -Effort at mediation
     -Lack of realism
                                       32

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


          -Henry Cabot Lodge
          -Theodore Roosevelt
     -League of Nations
     -Congressional fights
          -Partisanship
                -Republicans
     -Wilson speeches
          -First inaugural address
     -Wilson writings
          -Fourteen points
     -Speeches

The President’s speeches
     -Quality
     -Press
     -Inaugural address
     -The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech, January 25, 1972
           -Preparation
     -November 3, 1969 speech
     -State of the Union address, 1970, 1972
           -Eloquence
     -Written compared to spoken word
           -Abraham Lincoln
                 -Gettysburg address
                       -Second inaugural address
     -Speechwriters
           -Douglas L. Hallett
           -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
           -Patrick J. Buchanan
     -Radio speeches
           -Price
     -Time to prepare
     -The President’s efforts at writing
           -Cambodia
           -Vietnam
           -Time consumed
     -Effect
           -Inaugural address
     -Value compared to time consumed in preparation
     -Effect
           -Toasts
                                         33

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


     -Extemporaneous talks
          -The President’s talk to Cabinet
     -Abraham Lincoln
          -Congress
     -Repetition of speeches
          -Lincoln’s A House Divided speech
          -Cross of Gold speech by William Jennings Bryan
          -Congressman or Senate
                -Compared to presidential candidate
                      -Stump speech

Narcotics appointment
     -Myles J. Ambrose
           -Prospects for success
           -Local police problems
                -Corruption
                -Resentment of federal officials
           -Overall benefit

Law enforcement
    -Changing of Earl Warren court
          -Effect
               -Restoration of balance
    -Changes
          -Process
    -Average person’s desires
    -Federal role
          -Effect on urban areas

Busing
     -Constitutional amendment
          -Ehrlichman trip to Camp David
          -Complications
                -Timing
                -Previous Supreme Court decisions
          -Hearings
                -Timing
                -John N. Mitchell
                -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. view
                -Urban League
                                               34

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


                     -Communications with Ehrlichman
                          -Welfare reform testimony
                     -View of allies


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5m 54s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


    John B. Connally
         -Health
         -Telephone call to Ehrlichman
              -Classification meeting
         -Governors’ meeting
              -Property tax
              -Briefing

    Aid to private schools
         -Amendment
         -Tax credits
         -Neil H. McElroy Commission
               -Use by administration
                     -Politics
         -Briefings
         -Administration line
               -Possible solutions
         -Effect on taxes
               -Burden shift
                     -Value added tax [VAT]
         -Opponents
         -Public relations
               -Use by administration
                     -Briefings, panels, national publicity
                                            35

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)


                     -Congressional votes
           -Muskie’s advisory commission
               -Use

     Congressional relations
         -State of the Union address
         -Administration program
               -Defense
               -Need for identify
                     -L. Richard Guylay
         -Congressional action record
         -Wilson’s accomplishments
               -Federal Reserve system
         -House Republican meeting
         -George P. Shultz
         -Upcoming Senate meeting
         -Contact between the White House and Congressional staff
               -Perception
               -House Administrative Assistants meeting
         -Briefings
               -Subcabinet and wives
               -Congressional wives
                     -Lincoln Day recess
               -Handouts
                     -Details
                           -Goals of administration
                                 -Economy
                     -John F. Kennedy handouts in 1960
                           -Issues
                           -Effect
                     -Six goals of administration
                           -Topics
                                 -Environment, health
                     -Details
               -Telephone call to Ribicoff
               -Telephone call to George H. Mahon

Ehrlichman left at 5:05 pm.
                                               36

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 661-9 (cont.)