Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 861 › Conversation 861-011

Nixon & Timmons on White House invitations and Congressional relations

Thursday, February 22, 1973 · 11:14 AM–11:17 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation861-011 on Tape 861StartThursday, February 22, 1973 at 11:14 AMEndThursday, February 22, 1973 at 11:17 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 861-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed William Timmons to send out invitations for White House events, specifically prioritizing Republicans for an upcoming worship service. The discussion also touched upon the inclusion of Senator William B. Saxbe, despite his past criticisms, as a signal of the administration's willingness to engage with those who disagree. Nixon asked Timmons to consult with Samuel L. Devine regarding potential concerns about Saxbe's attendance.

  • White House invitations
  • Congressional relations
  • Republican outreach
  • William B. Saxbe
  • Worship service
  • Political signaling
  • Samuel L. Devine

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Bill, I wanted to do this.
I thought I'd try to make it clear that I want those invitations to go out to everybody now.
Where are they moving them up?
Well, they went to get the first round out to the gas.
They're coming to the first worship service to get that behind them.
And they've got regrets and so forth, and they've been telling them on the side.
I didn't move them all out today.
So if you've got the invitations for the four events, the purpose is
I don't worry about that.
We talked to Rose about it.
We want those invitations.
They'll all be here tonight, the ones that we want.
But I particularly want the
I'd like for at least the invitations to the Republicans to go out.
All Republicans.
If they're coming in four minutes and they should get out like today.
All right.
In other words, send them all out.
Then if some of them regret it, then the Democrat invitations can come later.
And we didn't fill, and then, but there's no problem on filling.
It's over.
It's not ours.
I think, too, that in this, just because Saxby had a 100% voting record, did you want to add anything to that?
It just shows that we're not just because somebody disagrees with us or attacks us.
In other words, that will be a very good signal to a hell of a lot of other people.
I'm just wondering how your hard factors who really resented his comments will think about having him there.
Is that a problem?
It could be.
I haven't heard anything about it.
Why don't you call Sam and ask him what he thinks?
He said, look, Sam, he's got 100% record.
Okay, how's that?

NARA Description

On February 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:14 am to 11:17 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 861-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 861-11

Date: February 22, 1973
Time: 11:14 am - 11:17 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William E. Timmons.

       Congressional relations
             -Invitations to White House events
                     -Worship service
                             -Recipients
                             -Regrets
                                             -10-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 861-11 (cont’d)

                     -Mailings
                     -Telephone calls
                            -Changes
                     -Rose Mary Woods
                     -Democrats
                     -Republicans
                            -Donald W. Riegle, Jr.
                            -Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
                            -Mailings
                                   -Timing
                                   -Regrets
                                   -Democrats
                     -William B. Saxbe
                            -Voting record
                                   -Taxes
                                   -Invitation
                                   -Reasons for inviting
                                   -President’s staunch supporters
                                           -Saxbe’s comments
                                           -Saxbe’s attendance
                            -Samuel L. Devine
                                   -Advice

Timmons left at 11:17 am.

Also recorded on February 22, 1973

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  • 861-014 11:47 AM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles S. Rhyne, Stephen B. Bull, John D. Ehrlichman, White House photographer, Norton Clapp, John Claerhout, George Freeman, Charles Marchetti, Randolph Scott, Gregory L. Beck, Sylvia Elizabeth Foster, Peter Guastella, Alan R. Johnson, Willis J. Johnson, Frank Nilson Martino, Jr., John Mason, Stanley Roach, John Scholten, Rich Stone, Harry Tobin, Timothy David Todd, William Lee England, Paul R. Ried, Amilcar Matos Perez, and Richard Louis Toler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:47 am to 12:21 pm.
  • 861-021 12:21 PM · 35 sec — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:23 pm.

All 52 conversations from February 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 861-011, February 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/861-011 (accessed October 1, 2026).