President Nixon met with John Ehrlichman to coordinate administration messaging on several contentious issues, particularly busing and the economy. They discussed developing a clear, unambiguous policy statement and potential constitutional amendment regarding school busing to gain political advantage ahead of the Florida primary. Additionally, Nixon directed Ehrlichman to manage and align key officials, including John Connally, George Shultz, and Donald Rumsfeld, to ensure consistent economic policy and address personnel concerns within the Department of Justice.
On February 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:47 pm to 4:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 670-021 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 670-21
Date: February 14, 1972
Time: 3:47 pm - 4:07 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Stephen B. Bull and John D. Ehrlichman.
Meeting
-Instructions for Alexander P. Butterfield
-Andre Malraux
-Interpreter
-Sophia K. Porson
-Attendance at dinner
-Potential problem
-Henry A. Kissinger
Bull left at an unknown time before 4:07 pm.
Ehrlichman’s schedule
-Talk with John B. Connally
-Timing
Arthur F. Burns
-Meeting
-Money supply
-Ehrlichman
-Informing Connally
-George P. Shultz
-Controls
-Connally
-Ehrlichman’s agreement with Shultz
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Notes
-Weekly reports
-Cabinet
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
-Talk with Ehrlichman
-Shultz Conv. No. 670-23/671-1 (cont.)
-Monthly reports from Weinberger
-Weekly reports
-Agreed to by Ehrlichman
-Treasury Department
-Withholding law
-Johnnie M. Walters
-Previous meeting with Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman’s disappointment
Busing
-Courts
-The President’s schedule
-Florida primary
-High visibility
-Press
-Ehrlicman’s view
-The President’s possible statement
-Equal education
-Racial balance
-Use of “massive”
-A question of quality education
-Courts
-Howard H. Baker, Jr. amendment
-Thomas J. (“Tom”) Steed
-Chief Justice [Warren E. Burger]
-John N. Mitchell
-Ehrlichman
-Steed
-Style
-Chief Justice’s count
-Connally
-Candidate for governor
-Texas
-Justices
-Drugs
-Housing
-Alexander M. Bickel
-Legislation
-Congressmen
-Judges
-Constitutional amendment
-Baker
-Precedent
-Ehrlichman
-Statement
-Importance
-Liberals
-Congressmen
-Gerald R. Ford
-Memorandum
-Democrats Conv. No. 670-23/671-1 (cont.)
-Steed
-Budget session
-Statement
-Constitutional amendment
-Mitchell
-Involvement
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Solicitor General [Erwin N. Griswold]
-Civil Rights Division of Justice Department
-Problems
-Mitchell
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Mitchell
-David L. Norman
-Mitchell
-Possible replacement
-Edward L. Morgan
-Phoenix
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr. [?]
-Bureaucracy
-Morgan
-Memorandum
-Morgan
-Representation of school districts
Economy
-Connally
-Follow-up by Ehrlichman
Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:47 pm.
The President’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 4:07 pm.
[No conversation]
Economy
-Connally
-Instruction to Ehrlichman to reassure concerning Burns
-Herbert Stein
-Background
-Shultz
-Connally’s trust
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Schedule
-Texas
-Rumsfeld
-Controls
-Connally
-Rumsfeld Conv. No. 670-23/671-1 (cont.)
-Shultz
-Involvement
-Peter M. Flanigan [?]
-Ehrlichman’s talk with Connally
-Shultz
-Connally’s reservations
-Rumsfeld
-Press conference
-Rumsfeld communicating with Shultz
-Frequency
-Controls
-Connally and Shultz
-International economics
-Differences and similarities
Ehrlichman left at 4:07 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.