374–16

Conversation No. 374-16

Date: October 27, 1972
Time: 9:55 am - 11:08 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

The President's schedule
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Bills for signature, veto


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 12m 17s ]


Haldeman entered at 9:56 am.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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1972 campaign
-McGovern’s position on Vietnam peace settlement
-News summary
-Patrick J. Buchanan, Henry A. Kissinger
-The President’s orders to attack McGovern
-Possible attack on R. Sargent Shriver
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Disarmament of South Vietnam
-Coalition government
-Timing of US pullout
-Kissinger’s public statements
-John A. Scali’s view
-“Peace with honor” compared with “Peace with surrender”
-Electorate
-The President’s view
-The White house and the press
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Communication with the Washington Post
-Murrey Marder’s call to Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-The President’s orders for Kissinger
-New York Times
-William P. Rogers
-William H. Sullivan
-John B. Connally
-Haig
-Delegating authority
-Comparison to [Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

Record of opponents’ statements on issues
-Polls
-Efforts of Colson’s staff
-Six Crises
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-William F. Knowland
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Kissinger
-Possible television [TV] special
-Testing of Dan Rather’s predictions
-Timing
-1972 election
-Press coverage
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 11m 23s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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Vietnam and the 1972 election
-McGovern
-Sympathy appeal
-Campaign strategy
-Proposals for peace in Vietnam
-Focus of White house response
-Media coverage, October 26, 1972
-Possible public response
-Ending the war in 1969
W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-McGeorge Bundy
-Kissinger
-Watergate as issue
-McGovern’s statements
-Credibility
-Colson’s view
-Campaign strategy
-Attacking Shriver
-Buchanan’s view
-Robert J. Dole’s statements
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Administration strategy
-Ziegler’s view
-The president’s recent views
-McGovern’s recent remarks
-US casualties
-Use of Agnew for White House response
-Use of Rogers for press conference
-Support for the President
-Dole


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 8s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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1972 campaign
-Vietnam War demonstrations
-Boston
-Federal building
-McGovern’s peace settlement proposals
-Withdrawal timetable

The President left after an unknown time after 9:56 am.

-Shriver
-Kissinger’s trips

The President entered at an unknown time before 11:05 am.

-Haldeman
-Newspaper story in Washington Post about 1962 activites
-Donald F. Nixon
-Albert E. Sindlinger’s views
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Public opinion
-Polls
-Measure of success
-Louis P. Harris, Sindlinger, Richard M. Scammon
-Important factors
-Busing, amnesty, abortion, foreign policy
Vietnam
-Press
-McGovern
-Opportunity to attack administration
-Economic issues, Vietnam
-Limitations on administration’s popularity
-Public perception of McGovern campaign
-Vietnam
-Moral issue
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
-“Peace with honor”
-Sindlinger
-Economy
-The President's standing
-George H. Gallup
-Kissinger



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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 15m 21s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Terence Cardinal Cooke and John P. Cardinal Cody's request for
peace prayers

Request for a telephone call to Kissinger
 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 11:05 and 11:08 am.

[Conversation No. 374-16A]

Vietnam update
-Kissinger's call to Connally
-Haig's briefing of George Meany

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam peace settlement
-Connally's views

The President, Haldeman and Colson left at 11:08 am.