Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 712-001

Prev:  711-021 Next: 712-002

Start Date: 18-Apr-1972 3:56 PM

End Date: 18-Apr-1972 4:56 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:02:01

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:02:42

712a.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:56 pm to 4:56 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 712-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 712-1

Date: April 18, 1972
Time: 3:56 pm - 4:56 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Greetings

     Busing
          -Ehrlichman's approach
          -Article by Alexander M. Bickel in New Republic
                -Constitutionality
                      -Impact on Congress
                -Circulation among opinion makers
                      -Robert H. Bork
                            -Press conference in Washington
          -Press conference
                -Necessity
                -Controversy
          -Irene McCabe
                -Intended action
                -Position
                -National Action Group
                      -Pontiac, Michigan
                -Publicity
          -Article in National Journal
                -Reprints
                      -Circulation
                -Authority
                -McCabe
                      -Article
                      -Rally
                            -Timing
                -Analysis
                      -Topics
                                             2

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 7/07)
                                                              Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 48s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

         -Bickel
              -Liberalism
         -Opposition
              -Bork
                    -Ivy League background
                    -[Charles A. Wright]
                          -Texas
                    -Willingness to speak out
              -Southerners
                    -Mobilization
                    -Disbandment of bi-racial committees
                    -Edward L. Morgan
         -Court cases
              -Reopening
                    -Impact
                          -Richard G. Kleindienst
         -Moratorium
              -Passage in Congress
         -Congress
              -The President's opposition to busing
                    -Publicity
                    -Difference from George C. Wallace
                          -Sympathy for blacks
                    -Political benefits
                          -Support of middle-of-the-roaders
                    -Challenge to Congress
                          -Moratorium
                          -Constitutional amendment
                          -Political advantages
                    -Political support
                                      3

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. 7/07)
                                                     Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


            -Answer
                   -Ehrlichman's draft
                         -Patrick J. Buchanan
                         -Burden on Congress
                         -Problems for children
-Article in National Journal
      -Quality of article
      -List of cities
            -Detroit
            -Indianapolis
            -Denver
            -Richmond
                   -Suburbs
-Administration interventions
      -Publicity
            -Trips to communities
                   -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                   -Grand Rapids, Michigan
                   -Ehrlichman
                   -Morgan
                   -Value
                   -Arrangements
      -Gray
            -Kleindienst
      -Publicity
            -Ehrlichman's trip
                   -Statement
            -Bork
-Legal arguments
      -Wright
            -Texas lawyer
      -Joseph T. Sneed
            -Duke University
            -Support for the President
            -Recruitment
                   -Judgeship positions
                   -Attorney General
                                        4

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 7/07)
                                                                   Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
      -Debates
           -Advantages
           -Peter M. Flanigan testimony

Busing
     -National Journal article
          -The President's review
          -Analysis of congressional voting records
                -Changes
     -Administration opposition
          -Impact on communities
                -Divisiveness
     -Supporters of busing
          -Liberals
                -Time
                -Reasons
                     -Attacks on white middle class suburbanites
                -Children's schools
                     -Investigation of journalists
                            -Results
                                 -Use in press conference
                -Journalists
                     -Residences
                            -Suburbs
                                 -Compared to Washington, DC
                     -Robert P. Novak
                            -Kleindienst
                            -Children's schools
          -Democratic candidates
                -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                     -Children in public school
                -Children
                     -Schools
                            -Publicity

Crime
    -Washington Post
    -Ehrlichman's briefing
          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
          -Time
                                           5

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 7/07)
                                                                   Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


               -Publicity
               -Business leaders in Washington, DC
                     -Meeting
                     -Impact of crime
         -Washington, DC
               -Level
               -1968 campaign
               -Decline
                     -Credit for administration
         -The President's law and order policies
               -Criticism
               -Law Enforcement Assistance Administration [LEAA]
                     -Funds for Washington, DC
                     -Funds for localities
                           -Uses
         -Illegal drugs
               -Issue for Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                     -Campaign


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 18s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************


                     -Political benefits
                            -Law enforcement and rehabilitation
                            -Pushers
                                               6

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 7/07)
                                                               Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 9s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************


                  -Fact sheet
                        -Drafts
                        -Distribution
                              -Agnew
                        -Discussion and publicity
                              -Republicans
                                    -Material for speeches
                        -Publicity
                              -Arrangements

      Economy
           -Latest figures
                 -Inventory
                 -Backlog of demand
                        -Release
                 -Progress
           -Staff meeting
                 -Herbert Stein
                 -Ezra Solomon
                        -Optimism
           -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
                 -Last month's figures
                 -Wholesale food prices
           -Food prices
                 -Political issue
                        -Life magazine
                        -Meat
                               -Cheaper cuts
                               -Chicken
                                   7

              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 7/07)
                                                           Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                  -Complaints from consumers
     -Complaints
            -Substance
            -Inevitability
                  -Depression of 1930's
            -Publicity
                  -Life
                  -Timing
     -Decline
            -Jawboning
            -Summer decline
     -Earl L. Butz
            -Policies
            -Trip to Soviet Union
            -Statements
                  -Criticism
                  -Future statements
            -Benefits for Farm Belt
            -Work with administration
                  -Political sensitivities
                         -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
                         -Ehrlichman
            -Work with farmers
                  -Success
                         -Ehrlichman’s trip to Denver
                               -Article
                         -Butz’s talk with the President
                  -Complaints
                  -Current mood
                         -Improvement
                  -Cattlemen
                         -Prosperity
                  -Milk producers
     -Jawboning
            -John B. Connally
            -Price Commission
                  -Dr. C. Jackson (“Dan”) Grayson, Jr.
            -Benefits
-Shoe prices
     -Jawboning by Peter G. Peterson
     -Level
                                         8

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 7/07)
                                                               Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                   -Price of hides
                         -Scarcity
             -Jawboning
        -Jawboning
             -Timing with election
             -Effectiveness
                   -Food prices
                         -Decline
                         -Market chains
                                -Safeway
                                      -Ads
                                -Fear of controls
                                      -World War II
             -Cattle growers

Other issues
     -Crime
     -Drugs
     -Busing
     -Prices

Taxes
        -Property taxes
              -School funding
              -Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations [ACIR]
                    -Ehrlichman's meeting with Connally
                          -Option paper
                    -Connally's advice
              -Debt ceiling
                    -Testimony
                          -Connally, George P. Shultz and Stein
        -Loopholes
              -Connally
              -Wilbur D. Mills
                    -Hearings on Health bill
        -Tax bill
              -Ways and Means Committee
        -Revenue sharing
        -House Resolution [HR] 1
              -Location in Congress
                    -Senate Finance Committee
                                         9

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 7/07)
                                                                   Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                 -Confusion
            -Republicans
                 -Meeting at White House
                 -Caucus
                 -Opposition to Russell B. Long's changes
            -Long's proposals
                 -Costs
                 -Criticism of the President by Long

ITT case
     -Flanigan testimony
           -Conditions
                 -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.’s reaction
                 -Long's reaction
                       -Reasons

Revenue-sharing
     -Senate Finance Committee
     -Passage
           -Likelihood to be defeated
                 -Shultz and Mills
     -The President's efforts
           -Appreciation by local officials

Taxation
     -Treasury Department
           -Connally
           -White Paper
                -Opposition to property taxes
                       -Populism
                -Congressional resistance
     -Tax reform
           -Democratic voting records
                -Publicity
           -Connally as spokesman
           -Speeches
                -Policy of administration
           -Property tax relief and relief for parochial schools
                -Value-added tax [VAT]
                -Administration credit
                -Alternatives
                                           10

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 7/07)
                                                                    Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                             -Administration study
                       -Wallace telegram
                             -Connally's answer
                                   -Challenge for answers
                 -Loopholes
                       -Connally's views
                       -Abolition
                             -Problems
                                   -Mortgage deductions
                                   -Charitable exemptions
                       -Capital gains
                             -Abolition
                                   -Impact
                       -Mortgage deductions
                             -Edmund S. Muskie's position
                                   -Hubert H. Humphrey
                       -Democratic opposition
                             -Charity, home and family deductions
                       -Gas tax deduction
                       -Sales tax deduction
           -US tax system
           -Tax inequities
                 -Congressional responsibility
                       -Candidates
                       -Wallace


*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 18s]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************


      Budget
           -Frank L. Rizzo
                -Federal money for Philadelphia
                      -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
                                              11

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 7/07)
                                                                Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                              -Defense funds
                  -Telephone call from the President
                  -Federal money
                        -Law enforcement
                        -Narcotics control
                        -Child care
                        -Benefits for Rizzo


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 39s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

*****************************************************************


      Jews
             -Golda Meir
             -Israelis

      Edward M. Kennedy
          -Bill on Chappaquiddick
                 -Staff work
          -Political prospects
          -Bill on Chappaquiddick
          -Chappaquiddick
                 -Press reports
                        -Denver
                 -Conviction
                        -Driver's license
                 -Grand Jury proceedings
                 -Public interest
                 -First reports
                        -The President's location
                        -Ehrlichman's location
                 -Kennedy's speech
                                           12

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 7/07)
                                                                    Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                      -The President's and Ehrlichman's locations
                      -Failure
                            -Richard N. Goodwin
                            -Public disbelief
                      -Compared with Checkers Speech
                      -Failure
                            -Lack of validity


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 22s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

*****************************************************************


      Busing
           -Administration position
               -Approach
               -The President's daughters
                      -Integrated schools
                             -Sidwell Friends
               -The President and Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                      -Integrated schools
               -Whittier schools
                      -Quaker tradition
               -Smith and Finch Colleges
                      -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
               -The President's decision
                      -Publicity
                      -Ways to improve education
               -Parental discretion
                      -George H. Gallup poll results
                             -Opposition
                             -Blacks
                                  -Opposition
                                               13

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 7/07)
                                                                      Conv. No. 712-1 (cont.)


                               -Candidates' supporters
                                    -Wallace, Nixon, Muskie
                               -Views on busing
                               -Regional breakdown
             -Public response
                   -Wide agreement on opposition
                   -Experts
                         -Uncertainty about benefits
             -Parental discretion
                   -Racialism
                   -Parents versus courts and sociologists
                         -Administration position
             -Experts

Ehrlichman left at 4:56 pm.