Conversation 783-011

TapeTape 783StartTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 11:45 AMEndTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 12:12 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office

On September 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 783-011 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 783-11

                                       (rev. Nov-03)

Date: September 19, 1972
Time: 11:45 am - 12:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at 11:45 am.

            1972 elections
                -Theodore H. White
                    -View
                    -Working style
                         -Recent and future meetings with the President
                -The President’s People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 30s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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            Grain deal
                -Department of Agriculture
                    -Allegation of conflict of interest
                        -Clarence D. Palmby [and Clifford G. Pulvermacher]
                        -Palmby
                        -Farmer’s view
                             -Kansas
                             -Farm prices
                        -Farm prices
                        -John D. Ehrlichman, Earl L. Butz
                        -White House staff
                             -Ehrlichman

            1972 campaign trips
                -Federal funding
                -Use of airplanes

                                        (rev. Nov-03)

                      -Ronald L. Ziegler
                      -Clark MacGregor
                 -Staff and government officials as surrogates
                      -Ehrlichman’s suggested reply
                          -George S. McGovern and staff
                 -Edmund S. Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey, Edward M. Kennedy

Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am.

             The President's schedule
                 -Reserve Officers Association

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:12 pm.

             Amnesty and Vietnam War
                -Charles W. Colson
                -McGovern's possible television [TV] speech
                -Ehrlichman
                -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                -Speeches
                -Campaign advertisement
                    -Democrats for Nixon
                    -Quote from the President
                -John B. Connally
                    -Foreign policy speech
                         -TV
                    -Health
                    -Schedule
                         -Texas
                             -Haldeman’s recent conversation
                         -Speech draft
                -Effectiveness as campaign issue
                    -Labor
                    -News summary item
                         -Ethnic groups, Democrats, veterans, labor

             Watergate
                -Stewart T.O. Alsop's article
                     -Joseph R. McCarthy
                         -Washington Post

                                      (rev. Nov-03)

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 54s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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            Speechwriting
                -Instructions regarding colorful language
                -International Monetary Fund [IMF] speech
                     -Draft
                     -Length
                          -Compared to the President's drug conference speech
                              -Requirement
                              -Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with William L. Safire
                          -Tone
                          -Camp David
                          -Safire
                          -Length
                              -Possible edit
                          -Tone
                          -Length
                              -Ad libs
                          -Audience
                              -Press
                                  -Compared to TV
                                     -Previous speech
                          -Length
                              -Safire

Haldeman left at 12:12 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.

why i don't think he's able to figure this election out he's a curious he's always he's fascinated by bamboozle for the whole business
Good.
Yeah.
Sure.
Sure.
You know, I was thinking about in this grain thing, you really got to say that those assholes from agriculture, so they're called, they did it.
And that, in my view, well, it's totally legal.
It's certainly not in the interest of the administration.
There ought to be a law against it, God damn it.
I mean, I just think it's a shit-ass thing for them to do.
That son of a bitch, Pompey, no good anyway.
A lot of crying, you know, I am.
But, uh, I don't know how much, but we've got to say, guys have got to make a living and all that, but, uh,
I hope they had the reach quite a bit to find some Kansas farmer who was fishing about this length.
Yeah.
I mean, most of the farmers, I don't think, get one dam.
I think they're really pleased with the prices they're on right now.
Sure.
But I don't know.
Some of them are mad because they sold at lower prices, apparently.
But the point is, the new crops are down and up.
They're going to be selling that new crop at even higher prices.
So they can have it.
I'm not sure.
And then, pretty much, we've been trying to get on top of the... Don't let them get away off of this idea of the government paying for our campaigning.
I saw it somewhere and I noticed it.
now and the convention.
I mean, the election, God, man, and family, and government are political.
And is that being done?
It has been since the convention.
Who can put it out?
McGregor or somebody?
We have it.
I guess it's just one of those things.
Just so you've got it covered.
One of the things they're talking about now
and they were paying the salary of Muskie and Humphrey and all the rest of them.
That's a very good point to make.
Well, we can't answer every goddamn picture and everything that comes up.
But one thing I was going to say, and I'm going to get into this with Colson.
You've got three
I notice that McGovern is now considering a national television address for the purpose of clarifying his position on that.
We can't clarify his position on that.
We've got to take a hard-line, self-reflection position on that and get it out.
Can we get it early for all the rest of us to shake up on that issue and not compromise anything they ever say?
Yeah, I don't think anybody is.
Well, my views are very strong.
I actually said it's nice.
Anybody that's done it's going to pay a price.
We have no variation from the line on that.
How about running that?
Do we have an amnesty ad?
The Democrats are actually going to have an amnesty ad.
There isn't one just on amnesty.
I don't have a light on it.
He's, you know, he's back down in his ups and downs physically.
He was sick all weekend.
You know, he had that cold before he left.
Your flu type.
He was, I talked to him yesterday.
He was still in Texas.
He was coming up this morning.
And maybe he should have come today.
Oh, no, he was fine.
He wants to.
But I've got a draft of the speech that...
He just said today he wouldn't be here until, you know, anyway.
I don't see if he wanted any of that, but I think we can do a straight add-up just on amnesty and just make the amnesty fine.
There's one question I thought.
We don't have very many.
We don't want very many.
That's why we have so many that I thought maybe just because of the atmosphere, it's really a great opponent since the older Jewish swimmers.
Since the later guy.
You can see that in a lot of those comments.
That's right.
Right.
Democrats.
The guy at the plant where I played as a manager said, I'm not for you because I don't like that atmosphere.
Yeah.
And...
Also raises the war issue here.
What was your, yeah.
Okay, I'll just...
I don't know.
I don't know why that obsesses and surprises me with Stu Alsop, because he's not
Just in a very discreet way, say, I'll just see what was picked up and where the quotes came from.
And they'll see what I mean by that.
It has to be more than the drug conference, because it's an apartment.
I need about 1,500 words.
Yeah.
I'm sure about it.
It's 900, and I added about a hundred.
Well, this should take about, I think, 1,500, you think, or what?
I'd say that'd be 1,200.
Would you like to talk a little bit about it in terms of what your options are?
I can't speak it myself, but 15 minutes, which is about 1,700 words.
I'll take some of you.
Or do you think it's shorter?
No, that's okay.
I think you're right.
It's got to be a little bit more.
It can't just be a game.
We didn't say 1,800 words.
I think you've got some.
I think it has a good video and talk and so forth.
I mean, I'm just talking from the beginning.
Okay.
So what happens if... Well, I'm going to take it from the beginning.
Bill, if you think it's $1,800, do you think we should go to $2,000?
I don't really think so.
Do you think...
He says they're going to want more to say on that, too, so that's...
They're going to want...
He says this is an early version.
I'm sure that the others will have more to say.
There won't be much talking and hauling over words and phrases.
Well, let me say this.
Could we make it in terms of Chris?
Don't you think so?
Yeah.
Chris, this is like a 15-minute speech.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But he taught us a good start, but I don't want us to get into it until he feels that he has sort of gotten his two ideas in it.
But if he can shoot for around 1,800 words, put the words