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Conversation 666-006

TapeTape 666StartMonday, February 7, 1972 at 12:42 PMEndMonday, February 7, 1972 at 1:30 PMTape start time02:43:59Tape end time03:31:55ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Sanchez, Manolo;  Bull, Stephen B.;  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Rose Mary Woods engaged in a wide-ranging discussion regarding the personal dynamics and professional tensions among his Cabinet members and close associates. The President expressed frustration over the interpersonal conflict between Secretary of State William P. Rogers and National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger, as well as his irritation regarding Martha Mitchell. Ultimately, the conversation highlighted Nixon's sense of professional isolation and his struggle to identify close confidants who could provide companionship without bringing political or personal drama into his inner circle.

Richard NixonRose Mary WoodsWilliam P. RogersHenry A. KissingerJohn N. MitchellMartha MitchellExecutive Staff
AudioNARA Description

On February 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:42 pm to 1:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 666-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 666-6

Date: February 7, 1972
Time: 12:42 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 29m 25s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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     Cabinet
          -Meetings
                -Congressional leaders
          -White House staff
          -William P. Rogers
          -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Relationship with Rogers
          -John N. Mitchell
                -Martha (Beall) Mitchell
                     -Remarks made
          -Robert H. Finch
                -Possible Congressional run
                     -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Rogers

         -Unknown man
         -Staff

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 33s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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    The President’s schedule
         -Cabinet
              -John B. Connally
                     -Schedule
                     -Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally

    Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo and Robert H. Abplanalp
         -Relationship with the President
         -Abraham Lincoln
               -[Mary Todd Lincoln]
               -Friends
         -Mitchell
               -Campaign committee
               -Martha Mitchell
                     -Relationship with Woods
         -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
               -Issues
         -Paul W. Keyes

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 57s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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     The President’s schedule
          -Cabinet
                -Departments
                -Melvin R. Laird
                -Rogers
          -“Duke” Rose [?]
          -Golf
                -Possible location

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5m 18s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Manolo Sanchez and Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:42 pm.

     Refreshments

     Ronald L. Ziegler
         -Meeting with the President

Sanchez and Bull left at an unknown time before 1:29 pm.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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The President left at an unknown time before 1:29 pm.

Ziegler entered at 1:29 pm

     The President’s schedule
          -Ziegler’s action
          -The President’s reaction
               -Kissinger
               -Woods’s schedule
                      -The President’s schedule
          -The President and Woods

Woods and Ziegler left at 1:30 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.

Commander, I ought to told you about the package.
Bring in their own little birds and the other birdie among you.
Which I understand.
Well, fine it is.
I hope I get a cat in the family.
Oh, really?
Bill Rocker is good, but he is so consumed with his hatred of Kissinger that he can't do anything.
Kissinger is so consumed with his hatred of Rocker that they can't do anything.
And both are at fault.
Both are at fault.
I understand it.
I understand it.
I don't forgive Henry one goddamn bit for his business, because he's an egomaniac and vicious and so forth.
But Bill, on the other hand, ought to be big enough to understand it.
And Bill is at times, but in terms of our, I no longer can have Bill come around, because he's bound to, he hasn't yet.
He's fine, but there's Martha.
Yes.
So I, and I can't think of the amount I heard she should, but I, but she bugs me too, I mean.
She should have some pretty down time.
What do you think?
Also.
They're rubbing against you and everything.
It just embarrasses me.
Martha Mitchell's not the kind of person.
I think a lot of people enjoy her.
She's not the kind of person.
She's the kind of person who irritates me.
So who the hell else do I have in the cabin?
There's another one that I can talk to.
Vince, you know, is off on his own things now.
And also Vince is so worried about
His own problems.
We're trying to help him.
We're trying to help him in every way we can.
You know, I don't know for Congress.
I don't know what it is.
If you're pressing him to do it or not.
I don't think so.
It is.
Well, I think that's the reason I'm supposed to live.
And that would have helped.
Yes.
But you don't need a guy like Glenn Hull used to be, who can always walk in and hide everything and stuff.
Well, he made it sort of terrible.
You see, I cannot get it, obviously, for any of the other sad people.
No, because... Because they are not my love, and they should never try to be my love.
No, no.
You know, I don't have, I don't, as you know, it's a very interesting thing.
The only other one that might be a sort of help and introspect would be Connelly.
But Connelly, of course, he's so deeply involved in so many terrible problems that the hell I can't...
And he isn't the best guy to relax with.
He's a lot more fun than he is.
He's quite an intense person.
No, I don't mean that in anything.
I don't keep terrific, but...
But you see, he's not... Well, for example, it's a small thing.
He doesn't drink.
That's right.
So when you go to relax...
He doesn't never drink.
I'm likely to drink if the other person doesn't drink.
They ask you, why don't you see the ghosts?
I say, you know why you see the ghosts.
Because there are two men who absolutely never raise a study.
They never raise a study to their own problems.
And they try to make things delightful and easy for you and let you alone when you want to be alone.
But here we are.
So I had a position that is quite unique in this office, you know, the poor man had a crazy wife, but on the other hand, he had a couple of friends.
And I'm sitting here really down with it.
No really kind of friends that I could count on, with the possible exception, really, of, I don't know, maybe it was a campaign committee, or maybe it was Mitchell,
Mitchell I enjoy, because he's cold.
And he's got a good sense of humor with it, too.
He isn't going to be raised every single day.
You can have Mitchell without Martha.
Now, I can get a lot of fun with Martha, because frankly, if she calls me, I have to straighten her out.
But, um...
Kanskje.
Kanskje.
Kanskje.
Kanskje.
Kanskje.
Kanskje.
It doesn't make any difference because they have to.
It's not too bad.
There are a few guys like Paul Keyes around just once a month or once every three months.
He doesn't believe in raising anything.
He's very good.
But if we had several people like that, you know...
May I say something?
I know.
Well, I wish there were a few people in town, or around somewhere, like for instance, that Duke Rose, to, well, you don't play golf anymore, but if you were near someplace to play golf, because I don't think he ever brought that stuff either.
But there just aren't any.
I'm not really getting back to
I think you had, you did make, you did make one very, very safe point there.
I take one more cocktail, and then we go over to the other side.
But this, I don't see if Ziegler has seen three yet.
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