President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and John Connally to strategize on domestic political messaging, potential 1972 election tactics, and managing the economy. The discussion covered the political necessity of targeting Democratic economic messaging regarding the 'rich versus the poor,' and the importance of using Republican surrogates to counter criticisms. Additionally, the President and Connally discussed the potential for organizing private, high-level outreach to congressional members and key staff, while planning for future presidential retreats to facilitate private planning away from media scrutiny.
On February 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:05 pm to 5:33 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 663-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 663-005
Date: February 1, 1972
Time: 4:05 pm - 5:33 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John B. Connally.
President’s schedule
Connally schedule
-Testimony
-George P. Shultz
-Reaction
-Taxes
-Pittsburgh trip
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr. conference
-Timing
-Testimony
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 5:33 pm.
People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trips
-Possible gifts for officials
-George Washington
-Indians
-Medals
-Suggestions by Connally
-PRC and USSR
-Chou En-lai, Mao Tse-tung, Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Gold
Domestic programs
-Congressional relations
-Revenue sharing
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Welfare
-Abraham A. Ribicoff role
-Blind benefits
-Political impact
-Social Security
-Political benefits
-Welfare
-Unemployment
-Public opinion
-Government reorganization
-Polls
-Timing
-Re-election of the President
-Congressional leadership
-Mills
-John W. Byrnes, Keith Sebelius, Frank T. Bow
-Byrnes
-Ways and Means Committee
-Al Ullman
-James A. Burke
-Unknown person
-Dan Rostenkowski
-Charles A. Vanik
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-005-w001]
[Duration: 7m 36s]
1972 election
-Realignment of US political parties
-Harry F. Byrd Jr.
-Example of realignment
-Democratic Party
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Potential nomination
-Potential adoption of centrist positions post-nomination
-Arizona and Iowa caucuses
-Strategy
-Potential move to left
-As opposed to moving to center
-George S. McGovern
-Polls
-Southern states
-Response to candidacy of George C. Wallace
-Attempts to win Northern states rather than Southern states
-Compared to previous Republican Party strategy
-Potential impact on Democratic campaign in South
-Georgia
-Alabama
-Texas
-Border states
-Potential candidacy as a Democrat
-Voters
-Southern states
-Mountain states
-Farm states
-California
-New York
-Ohio
-Common bonds with President
-As compared to Edmund S. Muskie
-As compared to Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-John C. Stennis
-Commonalities with Democratic Party
-Commonalities with Republican Party
-Democratic Party
-President’s opinion
-Strength of left-wing
-Rules Committee for 1972 convention
-Southern Democrats
-[first name unknown] Davies
-Medicare
-[first name unknown] Callaghan
-Reform rules
-Control over 1972 convention delegations
-Rules
-Equal representation
-Primaries
-Delegate selection
-Makeup of delegates
-Gender and racial diversity
-Flexibility of rules
US Congress
-Need for reorganization
-Democratic members
-President’s view
-John B. Connally’s view
******************************************************************************
Connally’s conversation with Pittsburgh businessmen, January 31, 1972
-National Association of Manufacturer [NAM]
-US Chambers of Commerce
-Labor leaders
-George Meany
-Unknown person
-Unknown bankers
-John D. Harper, Bob Dorsey
-Connally’s schedule
-Reception
Conservative compared to liberal philosophies
-Connally’s opinion
-Uniformity
-Labels
-Radicals
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-005-w002]
[Duration: 5m 40s]
1972 election
-Democratic Party
-1972 Democratic Party convention
-Forces operating within
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Potential nomination
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-View of John B. Connally
-Attempts to deny nomination to Edmund S. Muskie
-President
-George S. McGovern
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Opposition to Edmund S. Muskie
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Attitude towards Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-News coverage
-Prominence of Kennedy family
-American Sportsman
-Magazine stories covering Kennedy family
-Ethel (Skakel) Kennedy
-Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
-Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Rose F. Kennedy
-Attempts to influence Democratic Party nomination
-Strategy to get Democratic Party nomination for president
-Chappaquiddick
-Plans prior to 1972 Democratic Party convention
-Risks of strategy
-Potential makeup of 1972 Democratic Party convention
-1968 Democratic Party convention
-Texas delegation
-View of John B. Connally
-Populist nature
-Black delegates
-As compared to Michigan delegation
-As compared to New York delegation
-As compared to California delegation
-Participation of labor activists and labor groups
-Diverse makeup of delegation
-Men
-Women
-Mexicans
-Blacks
-Contested seating of delegation
-Potential of walking out from 1972 Democratic Party convention
-Eugene J. McCarthy
-State delegations to 1968 Democratic Party convention
-Colorado
-View of John B. Connally
-Compared to delegations from other states
-Wyoming
-New York
-Connecticut
-Delegations to 1968 Republican convention
-New York
-Jewish makeup of delegation
-President’s view
-John B. Connally’s view
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 4:31 pm.
Ronald L.Ziegler
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Interest in discussing welfare reform with President
******************************************************************************
Press announcement
-Welfare reform
-Meeting with governors
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Daniel J. Evans
-President’s instruction to Ziegler
-Trial cases
-Common ground with Congress
-Reagan
-California, New York
-Ribicoff proposal
Ziegler left at 4:34 pm.
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-005-w003]
[Duration: 5m 16s]
Domestic politics
-John B. Connally suggestions
-February through March 1972
-Republican members of US Congress
-Importance of keeping in check
-Wives
-One-on-one meetings
-Presence of Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
-Photographers
-Potential benefits to President
-President’s response to suggestion
-Potential scheduling of meetings
-After President’s People’s Republic of China [PRC] visit
-Proximity to 1972 election campaign
-Suggestions for President
-Democrats in Congress
-One-on-one meetings
-Cabinet undersecretaries
-Assistant secretaries
-Aides
-Lower-echelon staffers
-Wives
-Description of undersecretary-level officials
-Potential receptions
-Meeting with general counsel of Treasury Department
-Week of January 24, 1972
-Church attendance
-Interaction with unnamed individual
-Individual’s respect for Claudia A. (Taylor) (“Lady Bird”) Johnson
-Individual’s wife
-Dislike for Lyndon B. Johnson
-Home portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson
Remaining length of President’s meeting with John B. Connally
******************************************************************************
Federal funding of campaigns
-Possible legislation
-Timing
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC] compared to networks
-Congressional action
-Long term solution
-Use of network time
-Prime time schedules
-Advantages
-Nationalization
-Great Britain
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-005-w004]
[Duration: 4m 1s]
1972 campaign
-Importance of establishing political machine
-John B. Connally’s interaction at Democratic National Committee [DNC]
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] program
-Democratic Party
-Thomas F. Eagleton
-Issue of equal time given to coverage of presidential campaigns
-Involvement of Bill Monroe
-State of the Union coverage
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] program
-Robert S. Strauss
-Lawrence F. O’Brien Jr.
-Birch E. Bayh Jr.
-Wendell R. Anderson
-Patricia Harris
-Mary Lou Gallagher[?]
-John B. Connally’s opinion of program
-Divisive nature of program
-Description of Democratic Party officials appearing on program
-Democratic Party identification with the poor
-Racial issues
-Presentation of Republican viewpoint
-Economic class
-Potential 1972 campaign issue
-Reform
-Democratic Party criticisms of Republican Party
-Described by John B. Connally
-Republican Party approach to wealthy Americans
-Compared to approach to poor Americans
-Importance of point person to answer criticisms
-Robert J. Dole
-Republican Party chairmen
-President’s analysis
-Distinguishing between campaign operator
-Compared to campaign spokesman
-John N. Mitchell
-Leaving February 15, 1972
-Position of campaign manager
-Description of Robert J. Dole
-John B. Connally
-Need for spokesmen for President’s re-election campaign
-Inside and outside US Congress
-Governors
Democratic Party criticisms of Republican Party
-Economic policies of Herbert C. Hoover
******************************************************************************
Domestic politics
-Criticism of President
-Bob Eckhart
-Ways and Means Commission
-Unemployment charts
-Republican administrations compared to Democratic ones
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-John F. Kennedy
-Harry S Truman
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Comparisons
-War economy
-Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War
-Care for people
-Wealthy members of President’s administration
-Red Smith article
-Aerospace industry
-Rich compared to poor
-Possible friction from the public
-Wage criticism
-John N. Mitchell
-Maurice H. Stans
-Reagan
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Possible role
-Congressional feeling
-Robert J. Dole
-Hugh Scott
-Gerald R. Ford
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Spokesmen for President’s view
-Vietnam
-Appearances
-John V. Lindsay
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Reagan
-Support for the President
-Opposition efforts
-Welfare, People’s Republic of China [PRC], class hatred
-Connally
-Goldwater
-Television presence
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the PRC
-Class distinctions
Economy
-International monetary conditions
-Status
-Gold bill
-European Economic Community [EEC] view
-Connally’s previous conversation with unknown person
-Canada
-Canada
-Cabinet
-Forthcoming election
-US efforts
-Possible statement
-Progress
-Pierre E. Trudeau
-View of negotiations
-US public opinion
-State and Commerce Departments
-Excise taxes
-Budget deficit
-World War II
-Alternatives
-Congress
-Amount of taxes
-Stagnation
-Economic stimulus
-Jobs
-1968 economy
-Inflation
-Unemployment
-Productivity Commission
-Public relations
-Connally’s meetings in Pittsburgh
-Wage and price controls
-Alternative
-Inflation
-US steel
-Japan, West Germany
-Productivity Commission
-Importance
-Haldeman
-Possible speech
-Possible material for speechwriters
-Connally
-Transcripts
-Class distinctions
-International monetary conditions
-Suspension of convertibility
-Complexity of issue
-Europe
-Arthur F. Burns
-Europe
-US economic growth
-Great Britain, France, Japan
-The President’s August 15, 1971 speech
-Burns
-Recommended call to James Dewey Daane
-Wage and price controls
-Trade
-Connally’s testimony
-Memorandum from Peter M. Flanigan
-Peter G. Peterson
-Confirmation as Secretary of Commerce
-Testimony
-Timing
-William D. Eberle
-Previous conversation with Connally
-Flanigan
-Gold
-Surcharge
-Connally’s previous with Eberle
-State Department
-Peterson
-Testimony
-Negotiations with Canada
-Treasury Department
-EEC
-Commerce Department
-Concerns
**************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 02/27/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[663-005-w008]
[Duration: 17s]
Economy
-Trade
-William D. Eberle
-President’s concerns
-Ultra-liberal stance
-Tariffs
-Similarity to Dwight A. Ink[?]
-President’s opinion
**************************************************************************
Economy
-President’s concerns
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Eberle
-John Meyer
-Possible appointment of businessman
-Tariffs
-Concern
-Burns’s involvement
-Quadriad
-The President’s previous meeting with unknown people
-Lack of business input
-State of the economy
-Criticism
-Money supply
-Banking
-Long term rates
-Reduction
-Inflation
-Treasury bonds
-Interest
-Long-term rates
-Long term bonds
-Percentage
-Big business and bankers
-Budget
-Investment tax credit
-Wage and price controls
-1963-69 trends
-Effect
-Competition
-Intimidation by statistics
-Retail sales
-Refusal to get too high or too low
-Connally view on the economy
-Unemployment
-Campaign issue
-Percentage over the last few years
-Movement of inflation indicators
-Effect on public
-Haves compared to have nots
-PRC, USSR
-Possible trade bloc
-Latin America
-Flanigan, Peterson
-Style
-President’s opinion
Personnel
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Understanding of people
-Personal styles
-Communication skills
Appointments
-Justice Department
-Connally’s talk with Mitchell
-Commerce Department
-Peterson
-Bureaucracy
Government reorganization
-1972 election
-November 7, 1972
-1968
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Treasury Department
-Justice Department
-State Department
PRC trip
-1968
USSR trip
-Timing
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-005-w007]
[Duration: 6m 2s]
President’s schedule
-President’s conversation with [name unknown] about trip
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Conversation with John B. Connally
-President’s suggestion to John B. Connally
-End of February 1972
-Trip to Florida
-Advantages
-Privacy
-Attitude of residents
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Golf course
-Fishing
-Warns against staying in hotel
-Presence of media
-John B. Connally
-New York
-Phone call from H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Invitation to Camp David
-Apology to President
-Schedule
-California
-As a vacation spot
-President’s family
-President’s opinion
-President’s suggestion to John B. Connally
-Trip to New York
-House in Florida
-Private beach
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-United States Secret Service [USSS]
-Dates
-February 17, 1972
-John B. Connally
-Meetings with Republican leadership
-February 1, 1972
-David N. Parker[?]
-Trip
-President’s suggestion of trip to Florida
-Meeting with John B. Connally February 9-10, 1972
-Dinner
-Fishing
-Sailing
-George A. Smathers
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Houseboat
-Presence of Coast Guard
-Upcoming meeting with President
******************************************************************************
Connally left at 5:33 pm.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.