Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 860 › Conversation 860-010

Nixon & Haldeman on Congressional relations and Public relations

Wednesday, February 21, 1973 · 3:26 PM–3:28 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation860-010 on Tape 860StartWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:26 PMEndWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:28 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 860-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman deliberate on the political optics of attending a reception for Senator Carl Curtis immediately following a White House event for congressmen. Nixon expresses concern that rushing to the Capitol would create a negative press narrative and undermine his congressional relations. Ultimately, the pair weighs the administrative convenience of the appearance against the potential for unfavorable media coverage.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Well, Bob, I'm going to check the schedule.

I don't know.

I don't think he may run away, but he came in and asked if I'm going down to reception for Thurman for Curtis's stories.

Curtis is the wife of my family captain tomorrow.

And I told him I'd go to some state because I'm getting a reception here for the congressman.

And that would just be wielding the will to go rushing down to Congress because of that.

Is that something that they submitted to you or they didn't?

But don't let those are the kinds that you should talk to me about because then it wouldn't get too easy because you would know the course of that, sir.

You see, if I did, the point is I would be delighted to go to my work during the reception just for the rules of the future.

Well, maybe.

I think it is highly questionable.

But anyway, I wouldn't mind if you'd be considering it.

But look at it in terms of here.

You've got a little talk about .

Look at it in terms of our congressional relations in the press.

What the hell does it look like if I have 225 congressmen here and then jump in the car and rush down to the Congress?

Now, that's going to be a negative story without a question, isn't it?

Huh?

Yeah.

OK.

NARA Description

On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 860-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 860-10

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: Between 3:26 pm and 3:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See Conversation No. 43-155]
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                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on February 21, 1973

043-153 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
043-154 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
860-005 3:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
860-006 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
860-009 3:23 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 3:26 pm.
043-155 3:26 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm.
860-011 3:28 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:28 pm and 3:30 pm.
860-012 3:30 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:30 pm to 3:58 pm.

All 88 conversations from February 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 860-010, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/860-010 (accessed October 11, 2026).