Conversation: 860-015
Prev: 860-014 Next: 860-016Start Date: 21-Feb-1973 4:02 PM
End Date: 21-Feb-1973 5:30 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Poe, Edgar Allen; Horner, Garnett D. ("Jack"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Bull, Stephen B.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Edgar Allen Poe, Garnett D. ("Jack") Horner, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:02 pm to 5:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 860-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 860-15
Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 4:02 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Edgar A. Poe, Garnett D. (“Jack”) Horner and Ronald L. Ziegler.
Poe
-Presidency of Gridiron
-White House Correspondents Association [WHCA]
Photographs
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
John D. Ehrlichman entered at 4:06 pm.
Invitation to WHCA dinner
-Gridiron
-President's attendance
-Entertainment
-Music compared with comedy
-Julie Andrews
-Francis A. (“Frank”) Sinatra
-Sammy Davis, Jr.
-Young groups
-Japan
-Cell group
-Black group
-Recognition
-Pam Powell
-Inaugural show
-Youth
-Andrews
-Acceptance
-Gridiron
-Drum and Bugle Corps
-Entertainment
-Young people
-Appeal
-Country music
-President’s viewpoint
-Young people
Horner, Poe and Ziegler left at 4:08 pm.
Taxes
-Energy
-Study
-Telephone calls
-George P. Shultz
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Capital gains
-Treasury Department
President’s schedule
-Counsellors
-Meeting
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
Domestic Cabinet officers
-Congressional relations
-Meetings
-Urban League
-Whitney Young
-Vernon Jordan
-Cooperation with administration
-Symbolism
Welfare demonstration
-Riots
-Size of crowd
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] employees
-Professional social workers
-Government payroll
-Blacks
-Young, middle-age
-Young Men’s Christian Association [YMCA], Urban League,
Post Office
-New York
-Busses
-Unemployed
-Middle-class blacks
-Homeowners
-Children in school
-Cars
-Protest compared to rioting
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Government jobs
-Hiring of blacks
-Balance
-Professional blacks
Jordan
-Meeting with President and Cabinet
-President's appearance
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Prejudice
-Domestic Council meeting
-President's attendance
-Photographs
Dairy question
-Earl L. Butz
-Milk producers
-Temporary action
-Publicity
-President’s news summary
-Budget
-Farmers
-Funds
-Budget cuts
-OEO
-Blacks
-President's constituency
-President’s press conference
-Farm statistics
Energy
-Ehrlichman’s report
-Congressional Advisory Group
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Ernest F. (“Fritz”) Hollings
-Regular meetings
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Cross sectional character
-John J. Rhodes
-Bipartisan nature
-Advice
-President's appearance at a meeting
-Purpose
-Need for Congressional advice
-Citizens' groups
-Message
-Timing
-Deregulation
-Gas prices
-Position
-Recommendations
-Henry A. Kissinger, Shultz, Ehrlichman, Charles J. DiBona
-John B. Connally
-Political problems
-Deregulation of gas
-Russell B. Long
-Problems
-DiBona
-Systems analyst
-Political experience
-Connally
-Political judgment
-Meeting at Camp David
-Dinner
-President’s attendance
-Timing
-Connally
-Kissinger’s attendance
-Middle East
-International aspects
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Shortcomings
-Inflexibility
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Kissinger
-Lack of knowledge
-Meeting at Camp David
-Urgency
-President's schedule
-Work with energy groups
-Arrangements
-Dinner
Taxes
-Shultz
-Minimum tax
-Artificial accounting lawsuit abuses
-Tax reform
-President’s recommendation
-Reduction of tax rate
-Effects on wealthy
-Capital gains tax
-Changes
-Treasury Department support
-Rationale
-Political problems
-Simplification
-Standard deduction
-Tax preparation
-Lawyer
-Costs
-Municipal bonds
-Tax on interest
-John N. Mitchell
-Foreign source income tax
-Property tax relief for elderly
-Credit for private school tuition
-Property tax relief for elderly
-State initiative
-Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations [ACIR]
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Opposition
-President’s support
-Pension reform
-Shultz
-Depreciation and job development credit
-Shultz's opposition
-Estate gift tax
-Political impact
-Estate planning
-Memorandum from John N. Alexander
-Opposition
-Tax package
-Minimum tax
-Revenue
-Elderly
-Parochial aid
-Foreign corporations
-Political effects
-Alexander
-Long
-Estate tax
-Treasury Department
Patricia R. Hitt and Michael P. Balzano, Jr.
-Problem
-Letter to Ehrlichman from Patricia Hitt
-President’s role
-Ehrlichman and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s meeting with Balzano
-Length
-Balzano
-ACTION
-Patricia Hitt’s letter
-State Department job
-Robert J. Hitt
-ACTION director
-Return to California
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Robert Hitt
-Return
-President's decision
-Balzano
-Job in administration
-ACTION
-Dissertation
-Knowledge
-Motivation
-Patricia Hitt’s job
-William Rogers
-President’s influence
-Letter to Ehrlichman
-Skills, knowledge
-ACTION compared with State Department
-Robert H. Finch’s role
-Rose Mary Woods’s role
-President's role
-Patricia Hitt’s meeting with Ehrlichman
-Woods
-Work with Hitt
-Balzano
-Cutbacks in ACTION
-Peace Corps
-OEO
-Woods
-President’s role
-Florida
-Call to Woods
-Ehrlichman’s meeting
-President's message
-OEO
-Cutbacks
-Need for Balzano
-Hitt’s abilities
-State Department, Peace Corps
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Government work
-Finch
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:06 pm.
Meeting with Kissinger
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:30 pm.
Taxes
-Message
-Ways and Means Committee
-Staff
-Negotiations
-Shultz’s talks with Wilbur D. Mills
-Questions and answers
-Backgrounders and briefings
-Statement
-Shultz
-Opening statement
-Consultation
-Reforms
-Value of issue
-Parochial school
-Minimum tax
-Congress
-Chowder and Marching Society event
-Ehrlichman
-Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen
-Feedback on budget cuts
-Wall Street Journal
-Support for President
-Budget
Congressional relations
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Ehrlichman’s recommendations
-Social events with Congress members
-Evenings at the White House
-Worship services
-Vietnam loyalists
-Reception
-Freshman Republicans
-William E. Timmons
-Breakfast
-Gerald R. Ford
-Value
-Haldeman
-Meeting with Ehrlichman, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Value of events
-Loyalists
-Leaks
-Chowder and Marching Society
-Wednesday Club
-Freshmen
-Social events
-Meetings with staff
-Marina Von N. Whitman
-Evening at the White House
-Exposure
-Maurice H. Stans
-New strategy
-Contributors
-Stage and State dinners
-Mood
-Republicans
-Freshman
-Worship service
President’s schedule
Haldeman entered at 4:40 pm.
-26-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Church service
-Evening at the White House
-Meetings
Congressional relations
-Freshmen
-Capitol Club
-William E. Timmons
-Bull
-Meetings with President
-Difficulties
-Value
-Timmons
-Meetings with staff
-Whitman, Cole, Ehrlichman, Haig
Kissinger entered at 4:44 pm.
Stans
-List of people
-Contributors
-Commitments
-Meetings with President
-1972 election
-Inauguration
-Max Fisher
-Ambassadorship
-Netherlands
-Wife
Timmons
-Briefings for Republicans
-Mistake
Vietnam
-27-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Congressional votes
-Kissinger’s role
-Meeting with Congressional groups
-Freshman
-Leaders
-Frequency
-Chowder and Marching Society
Congressional relations
-Coordination
-Richard K. Cook
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Chowder and Marching Society
-Value of staff meetings
-Coordination
-Timmons
-Democrats
-Plans
Energy
-Kissinger’s role
-Need for work
-Flanigan
-Interest
-Dogmatism
-Kissinger’s role
-Meeting with Shultz, Ehrlichman, and DiBona
-Camp David
-Scheduling
-Dinner
-Schedule
-Congress
-Briefing papers for Kissinger
-Connally
-Advice
-Political judgment
-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Deregulation of natural gas
-Conflict of interest
-DiBona
-Connally
-Camp David meeting
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Discussion
-Complexities
PRC
-President’s meeting with Connally
-Announcement
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
Robert Elliot
-Article
-Hong Kong
-President’s meeting
-Breakthrough
-Hong Kong
-PRC representatives [?]
-Airport
-Kissinger meeting
-Television [TV], news media [?]
-New York Times article
-Possible role with administration
Energy
-Camp David meeting
-Briefing papers
-DiBona
-Foreign policy aspects
-Purchasing shift
-Study by DiBona
-Flanigan
-Recommendations
-29-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Oil imports
-Iraq, Libya cuts
-Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, Iran, Algeria
-Subjects for discussion
Ehrlichman and Haldeman left at 4:58 pm.
Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger’s meeting with Robert Thompson
-Chances of success for South Vietnam
-Bombing of North Vietnam [?]
-Impact [?]
-Economic aid to South Vietnam
-Amount
-Impact
-Communists
-Elections
-Cambodia
-Bombing
-Impact
-John F. Kennedy’s administration’s actions
-Strategy
-Entry
-Troop levels
-Alternative strategy
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Ngo Dinh Diem
-Vietnam
-Ho Chi Minh trail
-Advisors, helicopters
-Lyndon B. Johnson administration
-Advisors
Dominic Mintoff
-30-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Dealings with PRC
-Malta
-USSR, Libya
-Sweden
PRC
-USSR
-Mao Tse-Tung’s statement to Kissinger
-President’s name in communiqué
-Significances
-President’s visit to Peking
-Daily Telegraph
-London
-Cringle [first name unknown]
-Robert S. Elegant
-Joseph W. Alsop
-Story on President’s visit to PRC
-Kissinger
-Mao’s call to Kissinger
-Kissinger’s conversation with Betty Lord
-Statements on women
-Mao’s wife
-Leader of Cultural Revolution
-Intensity
-Military situation
-Preparation
-Fighter planes
-Great Britain
President’s initiatives in foreign policy
-Significance
Briefings by Kissinger
-PRC
-Questions
-Hanoi
-31-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s answers to press
-President’s reasons for aid
-Aid as tool of foreign policy
-Significance
-Details of aid package
-Economics commission
-Congressional relations
-William P. Rogers
-Statement
-Defensiveness
-Administration’s response to Congress
-Past economic aid
-Peace with Japan, Germany
-Announcement
-PRC
-Hanoi
-Bombing damage
-Civilian destruction
-Press briefing
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Kissinger’s flight over Hanoi
-North Vietnam
-Evolution compared to revolution
-US interests
-Mansfield
-South Vietnam
-Cambodia and Laos
Kissinger’s conversation with Chou
-Norodom Sihanouk
-Friendship
-Mansfield
Mao’s conversation with Kissinger
-Comments on President
-32-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Communism
-Soviet Union [?]
-Japan
-Communique
Vietnam settlement
-Aid to South Vietnam
-Congress, press
-USSR, PRC participation
-North Vietnam
-Mao’s attitude
-Four states
-Chou
-Aid to Vietnam
-PRC’s support
-Lao’s ceasefire agreement
-Hanoi
-Message
-PRC’s role
-Vice foreign minister
-Peking, Paris
-Kissinger’s briefing for Congressional leaders
-President’s role in settlement negotiations
-Reports
Cambodia
-Military action
-France
-Georges J. R. Pompidou
-Casualties
-Estimate
-B-52 raids
-Laos
-North Vietnam’s reaction
-Difficulties
-Provisional government
-PRC recommendations
-33-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Lon Nol, Sihanouk
-New candidates
-Sisowath Sirik Matak
-PRC’s goals
-North Vietnam, USSR
-Neutrality
-Sihanouk
-Role
-Acceptability
Energy
-Kissinger’s involvement
-Flanigan
-Dogmatism
Middle East
-Rogers
-Joseph J. Sisco
-US actions
-Reactions with Arabs
-Crises
-Compared to USSR
-Libyan passenger plane
-Israel
-Kissinger message to Muammar Kaddafi and Anwar
-Rogers’s statement
-Call to Hafiz Ismail
-London
-Problems
-Ismail’s visit
Middle East peace negotiations
-Egypt’s position
-Stalemate
-Israel’s position
-Status quo
-34-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-Egypt’s concessions
-US pressure on Israel
-Avoidance of war
-President’s position
-Statements to both sides
-Commitment to permanent settlement
-Israel’s resistance
-Egypt
-Interim settlement
-US influence on Israel
-Egypt’s position
-Land
-Significance
-Sovereignty
-Exchange for security zone
-Police
-Bases
-Kissinger’s meeting with Ismail
-Meeting with President
-Rogers
-Meeting with Egyptians
-Knowledge of Kissinger’s meeting
-Timing
-Kissinger’s meeting
-Timing
-New York
-Announcement
-Rogers
-President’s involvement
-Sisco
-President’s meeting with Rogers
-Conference
-Scheduling
-Camp David meeting
-Instructions
-Conference
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 860-15 (cont’d)
-PRC
President’s meeting with Rogers
-Breakfast meeting
-Kissinger’s presence
Kissinger left at 5:30 pm.