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Conversation 679-001

TapeTape 679StartTuesday, March 7, 1972 at 7:55 AMEndTuesday, March 7, 1972 at 8:03 AMTape start time00:00:59Tape end time00:07:28ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ehrlichman, John D.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman met to prepare for an upcoming session with Republican Congressional leadership regarding welfare reform, revenue sharing, and the ongoing ITT controversy. Nixon instructed Ehrlichman to lead the presentation on policy matters while avoiding direct engagement on the ITT scandal. They further discussed political strategy to discredit columnist Jack Anderson and manage the testimony of Dita Beard, focusing on evidence that the Republican Party had previously rejected ITT contributions.

Welfare reformRevenue sharingITT scandalDita BeardJack AndersonRepublican Congressional leadership
AudioNARA Description

On March 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:55 am to 8:03 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 679-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 679-1

Date: March 7, 1972
Time: 7:55 am - 8:03 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

     The President’s forthcoming meeting with the Republican Congressional Leadership
          -Welfare reform and revenue sharing
                -Briefing paper
                -Charls E. Walker
                -Elliot L. Richardson
                -Ehrlichman
                -Wallace F. Bennett
                -John W. Byrnes
          -International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
                -Alexander P. Butterfield
                -William E. Timmons
          -Welfare reform and revenue sharing
                -Bennett
                      -Committee bill
                            -Ehrlichman’s view

     ITT case
          -Richard G. Kleindienst
               -Dita D. Beard’s doctor
               -Meeting with Ehrlichman
                     -Prospects
          -Beard
               -Testimony
                     -Roman L. Hruska
                     -Marlow W. Cook
                     -Philip A. Hart
                     -Edward M. Kennedy
                     -Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
                     -Witnesses
                           -Jack N. Anderson
                           -Anderson’s assitant
                     -Questioning
                           -Cook
                           -Type

           -Dick Herman
                -Contributions
                      -Circumstances
                -Statement issued
                -Convention
                      -San Diego
                      -Republicans
                -Testimony
                      -Memorandum
                -Talk with Ehrlichman

Stephen B. Bull entered at 8:03 am.

     Cabinet Room meeting
          -Republican Congressional leaders

The President, Ehrlichman, and Bull left at 8:03 am.
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.

I think, actually, you could call on Walker and on Richardson and leave me out of it.
And then I'll chime in if I think there's anything that needs to be done.
I'm just calling out of the report, right?
Sure.
Right.
Colin Walker on revenue sharing and Richardson on welfare reporting.
And then to the leaders, John.
And then to right.
Now Bennett is there and Burns is there.
Second point is, this might have some gut stuff.
I don't think you put it wrong, but maybe I'll appreciate it for 10 minutes or so.
so that they thought I should give them the analysis of the ITT.
They should not.
They've got to be knowledgeable about it.
That would be the big news.
It would be a bad thing for you to even utter the phrase, I don't think I should get into it.
No, no, not at all.
There'd be plenty to talk about on these two things.
Bennett, if you want to watch out for this, Bennett will say, we have a committee bill on welfare reform and we'd like to negotiate with the administration
Now, we're prepared to say, wonderful, Senator.
We're glad to sit down and negotiate with you.
We're worlds apart.
We'll never get together.
But I think we have to tender that posture.
So you can do forthcoming on that if you want to be.
That's it.
I thought I had a quick question.
I was with him and a bunch of senators last night, and the climate was very good for these Republicans.
But they're not losing their guts.
They're not losing their guts.
Well, obviously, the women, I mean, when they're making sleeping pills and whatever, of course, most all those guys are in, most all of them take sleeping pills, and they know that that's virtually poison.
Well, it's extraordinary.
You know, that's what I mean.
You know, when you're about those things, a doctor will virtually give you a headache, a little terror, and take sleeping pills, because then...
It'll knock you off.
It could kill you, but it always makes you arranged.
Yeah.
That would be crazy what one was doing.
This doctor's impeaching her now.
The way Hruska was talking last night, the probabilities are that Hruska, Cook, Hart, and maybe Kennedy will go and take her testimony next week.
Either Kennedy or Biden.
That may be going to do it for me.
Well, they've got a lot of other witnesses.
They've got Anderson.
They've got Anderson's hand.
Anderson's reporter was on television last night telling him how he got this woman to save him.
And he broke her down.
He just harassed her until she finally broke down.
And he as much as admitted her on television.
So I think maybe just things can turn.
We've got some great questions in on Anderson.
I'm not sure what is there.
Who would do it?
Well, Michael Cook is probably the best one.
I'm ready if he would because he's well after all these cheese and turkey and everything.
He'll get at it if he would.
He's smart and tough and mean.
I think he'd be pretty good at targeting.
I'd love to get him and pin him right down here.
What do you know?
And the circumstances of badgering a woman and what you do when she starts crying out the facts too.
Let the facts get away from us.
Now, what was this that was done?
I mean, was this a contribution to the Republican Party?
Was it a contribution to the, you know?
Dick Herman was there last night, and he showed me a statement.
He's in charge of the vandals now on Dick Herman.
He showed me a statement he issued last November saying, we don't want the IDP sharing the money.
This is before the case that occurred last November?
Well, no, the city kept the check.
The city kept the check.
But as far as the Republicans and the convention are concerned, he said, that's too much money coming from one source.
That is a good policy.
We don't want it.
No, I don't think so.
Well, I don't know if they cashed it, but they haven't applied it.
I think so.
I think so.
Well, where is the grant?
Maybe he should be called.
Well, Herman can be called.
And what he did, he put out a written press release to this effect.
He showed it to me last night.
So the Republican Party, as such, rejected the, how did he learn such a big offer?
It was in a San Diego paper.
Do they pledge praises to the man?
In those days, yeah, that's the thing, they're praying to time again.
Yeah.
They're all in the same year.
It's rather easy times as it still is in this place.
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