Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 867 › Conversation 867-016
Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on Ambassadorial appointments and Israel
Friday, March 2, 1973 · 1:00 PM–1:27 PM ET · Oval Office · 33 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Stephen Bull discussed various personnel appointments and foreign policy matters. Key topics included the selection of an ambassador to Israel, with Kenneth Keating being considered despite age concerns, and the potential implications for Rockefeller's support. They also addressed ongoing financial activities related to the Watergate investigation, specifically how funds were being managed and distributed to defendants. Additionally, the conversation touched upon congressional relations, including invitations for lawmakers to travel abroad and the handling of diplomatic protocol for visiting dignitaries.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:00 pm to 1:27 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 867-16
Date: March 2, 1973
Time: 1:00 pm and 1:27 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
William E. Timmons
-Checking with Senators, Congressmen
-Invitations to travel with President
-People's Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
[USSR]
Congressional relations
-Presence at Paris peace signing
-Invitations
-Problems
-Henry A. Kissinger's reaction
-Precedent
-Justification for presence
-Timmons
-Work with Kissinger
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:00 pm.
Copies of Irving Kristol's remarks
-Distribution
-Attendees at Golda Meir dinner
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:27 pm.
Kissinger
-President's dealings with
-Appointments
-Problems
-Ambassadors
-Assistant secretaries
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Middle East, Pakistan
-David D. Newsom's position as assistant secretary for African affairs
-Robert C. Hill
-Ambassador to Canada
-Loyalty
-Mexico
-El Salvador
Ambassadors
-[First name unknown] Granderson [?]
-Importance of a post
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
-Robert H. Finch
-Embarrassment
-President
-Jim [Last name unknown
-Appointment
-Finch
-Appointment
-[First name unknown] Reynolds
Chief of Protocol
-Emil and Patricia R. Mosbacher
-Escort of Golda Meir
-Oval Office
-Duties
-Dealings with visiting heads of state
-Blair House
-Mosbachers
-Accompanying foreign guests
Ambassador
-Israel
-Candidates
-Kenneth B. Keating
-Age
-Haldeman's conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Link with Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Loyalty
-Abilities
-Reception in Israel
-Rockefeller’s support
-Appointment
-Haldeman’s call to Rockefeller
-Kissinger
-Mitchell’s recommendation
Watergate
-Financial activities
-John W. Dean, III's investigation
-Dean's work with Mitchell via Thomas A. Pappas
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
-Money for Watergate defendants
-Pappas
-Henry J. Tasca in Greece
-Money for Watergate defendants
-Pappas
-Fund raising
-Sale of company
-J[ean] Paul Getty
-Cash
George P. Shultz
-George D. Webster
Charles W. Colson
-Return from trip
-Work with Michael P. Balzano, Jr., Peter J. Brennan, Webster
Webster appointment
-Press reports
-Colson
-Failure to recruit Webster
-Appointment
-Treasury Department, ambassadorship
-Shultz
Robert H. (“Bob”) Taylor
-Rose Mary Woods
-Haldeman’s conversation with Woods
-Taylor's visit with President
-Acquaintance with Taylor
United States Secret Service [USSS]
-Taylor controversy
-Handling by Edward L. Morgan
-Compared with Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Patricia R. Hitt
-Morgan
-Intrigue
-Amount
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
-Compared with Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], Central Intelligence
Agency [CIA]
President's statement
-Problems
-Approval of Congressional entourage to International Conference on Vietnam
-Signing ceremony
Ambassadors
-Keating
-Hill
-Mexico
-Abilities
-William P. Rogers
-Objectives
Congressional meeting with President
-Reasons
-Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford's request
-Meeting on veto strategy
-President's concerns
-Timmons
-Number of meetings
-Scott
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Attendance
-Leslie C. Arends, Robert P. Griffin
-Leadership, Scott, Ford
-Time, scheduling
-Stephen B. Bull
-Ehrlichman, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Roy L. Ash
-Attendance
Weather
-Washington
-Compared with Florida, California
-Golf
People's Republic of China [PRC]
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
-Kissinger
-Eugene Ormandy tour of china
-Van Cliburn
-Cliburn
-Performance in the USSR
-Effect on PRC’s opinion
Watergate
-Dean
-Intelligence
-Judgment
-Confidence
-Honesty
-Investigation
-Complexity
-Dealings with people
-Mitchell
-Watergate burglars
-Maureen Dean
-Colson
-Discussions on Watergate
-Contacts with Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean
-President's contact solely with Dean
-Dean
-Contact man on Watergate
-Legal background
-Gray
-Testimony before Ervin Committee
-Maurice H. Stans
-Testimony before Ervin Committee
-Questions on contributions
-Robert L. Vesco problem
-Receipt of cash
-Press reports
-Harry L. Sears
-Ignorance of Vesco
-Mitchell
-Political campaign contributions
-George S. McGovern
-26-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
-Sources
-Vesco contribution
-Returned to Vesco
-Donald A. Nixon
-Present activities
-Ehrlichman
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Family members
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Michael Gill
-Mamie G. D. Eisenhower
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Sam Houston Johnson
-Vesco
Diplomatic reception
-Change of clothes
Trip to Camp David
-Scheduling
-Days off for President
-Relaxation
-Eisenhower’s pattern with golf
Golf
-[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
-Burning Tree County Club
-Dress
-Dinner
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-27-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 867-16 (cont’d)
The President and Haldeman left at 1:27 pm.Also recorded on March 2, 1973
- 867-008 11:51 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:16 pm.
- 867-009 11:51 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Rebecca Jane Dalton Weinberger, James H. Cavanaugh, Peter Yu, Richard Ross, Kemmons Wilson, William W. Moore, and Jack P. Segal met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:16 pm.
- 867-010 12:25 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:30 pm.
- 867-011 12:25 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:30 pm.
- 867-012 12:25 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:30 pm.
- 867-013 12:30 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Richard K. Cook, Paul Findley, and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:47 pm.
- 867-014 12:47 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:47 pm and 12:49 pm.
- 867-015 12:50 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Mark I. Goode, Jill Goode, Claudia Goode, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:50 pm to 1:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 867-016, March 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/867-016 (accessed October 12, 2026).