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Conversation: 791-002

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Start Date: 3-Oct-1972 10:59 AM

End Date: 3-Oct-1972 11:31 AM

Participants:

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

Recording Device: Oval Office

791-002.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:59 am to 11:31 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 791-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 791-2

Date: October 3, 1972
Time: 10:59 am - 11:31 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

       House Resolution [HR] 1
            -Forthcoming telephone call from Elliot L. Richardson to the President
                -The President’s recent conversation with Republican Congressional leaders
                -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
                     -Adlai E. Stevenson, III
                         -Amendment
                              -Similarity to HR 1
                              -The President’s recent conversation with Republican
                              Congressional leaders
                                      2
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Nov-03)


HEW
  -Welfare rolls

Water bill
   -Office of Legal Counsel
        -Mandatory spending
   -Pocket veto period
   -Options
        -Pocket veto
            -Ehrlichman’s view
            -Mandatory spending
                 -Possible problems
                     -Possible telephone calls to congressional leaders
        -Veto possibility
            -Caspar W (“Cap”) Weinberger
        -Legal
            -Opinions
                 -Veto override
                 -Mandatory spending
   -Justice Department
   -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
   -Option
        -Veto
        -Pocket veto
            -Veto message
                 -Press
                     -Taxpayers
                 -Television [TV] broadcast
                 -Radio speech
                     -Spending
                     -Taxes
                          -Water quality
                              -Difficult decisions
                              -Possible choices

Richardson
    -HEW bureaucracy
    -Liberal views
    -Charles H. Percy
                                        3
              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov-03)

    -Job performance
        -Support for HEW programs
        -Compared to Robert Finch
    -Welfare
        -Political decision
        -HEW
             -Stevenson amendment
                  -Titles I, II, III
                       -Cost
        -HR 1
             -Political decision

Social Security legislation
    -Veto possibility
         -Titles I, II, III
              -Wilbur D. Mills
              -Title IV
              -Mills
              -Increase
    -Retirement age
    -Administration actions
         -Delay
         -Public relations
    -House of Representatives
         -Limitation on spending
         -Republicans
         -George H. Mahon
         -Mills
    -Senate
         -Limitation on spending
              -Chances for approval
              -Hubert H. Humphrey
                    -Washington Post
                    -Partisan election issue
                          -Gulf of Tonkin resolution comparison
         -Chance of success
    -Taxes
    -Veto of Titles I, II, III possibility
         -Payroll taxes
    -Older Americans
                                     4
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Nov-03)

       -Check increases
            -Letter from the President
    -Washington Post
       -Article on campaign
            -Comments

HR 1
   -Richardson
       -Telephone call to the President
       -Cabinet
            -Political decisions
       -Ehrlichman’s forthcoming telephone call
       -The President's decision on veto
            -Titles I, II, III
       -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
            -Forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
       -Titles I, II, III
            -Recommendation to sign

Press conference
    -Ehrlichman’s and Weinberger’s report on the President’s meeting with Republican
    Congressional leaders
            -Ronald C. Ziegler
            -Andrei A. Gromyko

Media relations
   -George S. McGovern’s corruption charges, October 2, 1972
   -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s response
        -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
   -The President’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Ziegler
        Previous conversation with the President
   -Herbert G. Klein
   -1968 election
   -Patrick J. Buchanan's analysis of press coverage
   -Analysis of coverage
   -Eleanor (Stegeberg) McGovern
        -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
   -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s trips
        -Moscow
        -Peking
                                       5
               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov-03)

               -Television [TV] coverage
      -McGovern
      -1964 election
               -Lyndon B. Johnson
               -Barry M. Goldwater
                    -Comparisons
      -McGovern
      -The President signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT], October 3,
      1972
          -Andrei A. Gromyko
          -Anti-ballistic missiles [ABM]
          -Historic summit battles
          -Congressional leadership, ambassadors
          -Agnew
          -Cabinet
      -1968 election
          -Compared to 1972 campaign
               -Buying advertising time
               -Position papers
               -Radio
      -McGovern
          -Debate
          -Corruption charges
               -Effect
      -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
          -Interview, October 2, 1972
               -Press corps
                    -Scrutiny
               -Congress
                    -Scrutiny
               -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
                    -US-Soviet Grain deal
                    -Watergate
                    -Integrity
                    -Discussion of corruption

FBI
      -Gray’s personnel management
          -[Wesley G. Grapp]
               -Los Angeles
                                   6
            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. Nov-03)

            -Dress code
            -Adm. Elmo L. Zumwalt, Jr.
            -Insubordination
            -Stock speculation
        -[Robert K. Kunkel]
            -Washington
        -Grapp
            -Los Angeles
            -Stock transactions
                 -Ehrlichman’s view

Media relations
   -1968 campaign
   -Compared to news coverage in 1972
   -NBC
        -Agnew
   -Eleanor McGovern
        -CBS
             -Rationale for coverage
   -1972 election
        -Possible outcome

Washington Post
   -Invitations to dedication of new building
       -Acceptance by members of administration
             -President’s instructions
                  -John N. Mitchell
                  -Maurice H. Stans
                  -William P. Rogers
                  -Cabinet officers
                  -Alexander P. Butterfield
                  -White House staff
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Kenneth W. Clawson
                  -Rogers
                  -Ehrlichman’s invitation
                      -Response
                                      7
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Nov-03)

Domestic policy
   -Administration actions
          -Social Security signing
                -Necessity
                -Weinberger
          -Black lung

Foreign policy accomplishments
    -Peking
    -Moscow
    -Vietnam war
        -The President's May 8, 1972 announcement

Press relations
     -Washington Post
          -Haynes B. Johnson
               -Compared to Joseph C. Kraft
     -Kraft
          -Story
               -Summits
                    -Swing vote
     -News summaries
    -President’s campaign activities
    -Press corps
          -Support for the President
     -Ehrlichman’s possible backgrounder
     -New York Times
          -Integrity
          -McGovern
               -Amnesty
               -Permissiveness
               -Abortion
               -Legalization of marijuana
               -Vietnam
               -Defense
     -Mandate
     -McGovern’s position
     -Criticism of the President
          -Demonstrations
          -Vietnam
                                       8
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Nov-03)

             -Cambodia
             -May 8, 1972 decision
        -Amnesty
        -Marijuana
    -1972 election
    -1972 campaign
        -McGovern
             -The President’s activities
        -R. Sargent Shriver
             -Edmund S. Muskie

Revenue sharing ceremony
   -Signing of legislation
       -Independence Hall
       -Philadelphia City Hall
            -Milton J. Shapp
       -White House
       -Shapp
            -Possible negative story
       -The President’s recent SALT signing ceremony
       -Introductory by the President
            -Agnew
       -Length of ceremony
       -Warren E. Hearnes
       -Nelson A. Rockefeller
       -Gladys N. Spellman
       -Mayors
            -Richard G. Lugar
            -Frank C. Rizzo
       -Guest lists
            -Citizens Committees for Revenue Sharing
       -Reception
            -Pens
       -Timing
            -News coverage
       -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
            -Photographs with mayors
                                               9
                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-03)

         Property taxes
            -Syracuse, New York
                 -Announcement
             -1972 Election
                 -Timing
             -President’s possible statement
             -Meeting with Robert E. Merriam
             -Federal taxes

Ehrlichman left at 11:31 am.