Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 679 › Conversation 679-002

Nixon, Smith & MacGregor on Busing and Constitutional Amendment

Tuesday, March 7, 1972 · 9:58 AM–10:02 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Smith, H. Allen; MacGregor, Clark; Timmons, William E.Conversation679-002 on Tape 679 (tape position 00:09:11–00:13:16)StartTuesday, March 7, 1972 at 9:58 AMEndTuesday, March 7, 1972 at 10:02 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 679-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with H. Allen Smith, Clark MacGregor, and William E. Timmons to strategize on legislative priorities and congressional scheduling ahead of the upcoming national conventions. The participants discussed the feasibility of a constitutional amendment regarding school busing and coordinated efforts to finalize key appropriations bills before the Republican National Convention. Nixon emphasized the need for a small group of senior leaders to reach a consensus on legislative tactics to maximize efficiency during the tight three-to-four-month window before the party conventions.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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door, I'll set up a break for you in a minute.
Well, I can see you.
And, uh, I think it's, uh, I think it's, uh, I think it's, uh, I think it's, uh,
The other thing is I think it's good to get out.
We got that mail now that they say that a constitutional amendment is not a remedy, sir.
I needed to have that for me to follow, so that they're not going to be satisfied.
Well, they blew Austin's team.
And I know that as a review, as a law, as a rule, we all know that as an issue, a constitutional amendment is the quick way to do it.
But by then, they all said it wouldn't work.
So what's it work for, huh?
Before, in the way he used to put it, in the way he used to say, well, it doesn't matter.
The other thing I do, the priority thing, the way I had that in mind, is if you were the tenants, you could sit down with Earl and Charles, you know, whoever you could work with, and then I'd get the responsibles.
You'd have to get the, maybe Jerry and the...
Just, you know, just about four guys where you all sit down and hammer out for everything before we get there.
And then we throw it up and spend a half on it and say, all right, boys, let's go.
What do you think?
I think that's very good.
I think it's a good idea.
You're right about the four months.
We just have to think of it.
This is the 15th of March, almost, or 7th of March.
So you've got Easter vacation.
And sorry, I don't think the March is going.
You've got April.
May, June, three months.
That's their line-in.
Well, so there's three months, so it's called four months then.
July 10th from today, you've got four months.
Now, between their convention hours, what the hell do you think is going to happen?
They're going to try and last the pro-racist bill.
How long is the period?
Five weeks.
They're coming back to meet you.
Yes, that's the question.
In fact, the Speaker has determined that they will conclude their work before the Republican National Convention.
I don't know if they'll be able to... Oh, sure.
Sounds fine.
He remembers the disaster, I wish he would, of the demonstration of the country, the ability of the Democrats to handle stuff.
Well, they do, they do.
I just say, I don't know.
You know, Les Aaron said to you, there's one pair of walls that you can do.
Les Aaron's was very, you know, he always manages to get something out of it, doesn't he?
Right.
It's good that he does.
Last night, Roman Rustin gave his annual Rustin Duck Dinner in Baltimore.
Good.
Okay.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. Allen Smith, Clark MacGregor, and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:58 am to 10:02 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 679-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 679-2

Date: March 7, 1972
Time: 9:58 am - 10:02 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. Allen Smith, Clark MacGregor , and William E. Timmons.

     [General conversation]
          -Photographs

     John W. Byrnes
          -Possible meeting with MacGregor
               -John D. Ehrlichman

     Busing
          -Constitutional amendment
          -MacGregor
               -Meeting with Timmons, Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz and Gerald R. Ford

     Congressional activities
         -The President’s view
               -Democratic National Convention
               -Republican National Convention
         -Appropriations Bill
               -Speaker of the House [Carl B. Albert]

                     -Conclusion of business
                           -Timing
                                -Republican National Convention
                                -Leslie C. Arends
           -Roman L. Hruska
               -Dinner
                     -Wallace F. Bennett
                     -Ehrlichman
                     -The People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
                           -American public opinion

Smith, MacGregor, and Timmons left at 10:02 am.

Also recorded on March 7, 1972

  • 021-008 9:58 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:57 am.
  • 679-003 10:02 AM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:02 am and 10:05 am.
  • 679-004 10:07 AM · 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:07 am to 10:48 am.
  • 679-005 10:48 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:48 am to 10:49 am.
  • 679-006 10:49 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield, Bennett Applegate, Ruth Huenemann, Jacqueline Johnson, Josephine Martin, John F. Murphy, Dale Farnell, Edward Schwartzkopf, Cola D. Warson, Roger Whitcomb, Richard E. Lyng, Edward J. Hekman, Herbert D. Rorey, Russell H. James, White House photographer, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:49 am to 10:57 am.
  • 021-009 10:57 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Timothy G. Elbourne talked on the telephone from 10:57 am to 10:58 am.
  • 679-007 10:57 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 10:57 am.
  • 679-008 10:57 AM · 1 hr 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Timothy G. Elbourne, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Patricia Haig, Barbara E. Haig, Alonzo Fox, John K. Andrews, Jr., John V. Brennan, Vernon C. Coffey, Jr., Sarah Coffey, Karen Coffey, Vernon C. Coffey, III, Craig Coffey, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:57 am to 12:31 pm.

All 43 conversations from March 7, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 679-002, March 7, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/679-002 (accessed October 12, 2026).