389–19

Conversation No. 389-19

Date: November 4, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:15 am and 12:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1972 campaign
-James J. Kilpatrick, Jr. column
-Predicted figures
-The President’s margin of victory
-Pollsters
-Charles W. Colson
 -26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Questioning the President’s judgment
-Candidates
-The President’s radio speech
-The President’s trips
-California
-Burbank
-Stopover
-Headquarters
-Itinerary
-Remarks to public
-Crowd control
-Length
-Location
-Republican candidates
-Herbert F. DeSimone
-Issues
-Public interest
-Amnesty
-Busing
-Voter turnout
-Problems

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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1972 campaign
-George S. McGovern’s speech in Chicago, November 3, 1972
-Charges
-Response
-McGovern’s credibility
-Watergate
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-The President’s involvement in campaign
-The President’s reaction to knowledge about Watergate
-Investigation
-Donald H. Segretti
-Activities
-Timing
 -27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-John W. Dean, III
-Clark MacGregor
-Dean
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]

Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Henry A. Kissinger entered at 11:40 am.


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1972 campaign
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Response
-Colson
-Report
-Agnew’s statement
-Ziegler’s review
-Agnew’s style
-Wording
-McGovern’s credibility
-Vietnam negotiations
-McGovern’s proposals
-Surrender
-The President’s settlement
-Drafting
-Release
-Press conference
-Time
-Agnew’s schedule
-Face the Nation
-Cancellation
-George P. Shultz
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Strike

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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 -28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)


Ziegler and Colson left at 11:45 am.

Kissinger’s schedule
-Unknown Canadian

1972 campaign
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Response
-Press coverage
-New York Times, Washington Post
-Media coverage
-McGovern’s credibility
-Timing
-Media coverage

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am.

Refreshment

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:25 pm.

-North Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Charade claim
-Settlement agreement
-Details
-Importance

Vietnam negotiations
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Message
-Bui Diem’s conversation with Charles Whitehouse
-Whitehouse
-Stewart J. O. and Joseph W. Alsop
-North Vietnamese army [NVA] in South Vietnam
-Paris
-Advisers
-Vietcong [VC]
 -29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Economics minister’s conversation with Bunker
-Saigon bankers
-Investments
-Diem
-Political orientation
-Economics minister
-Jim Deakin [?]
-North Vietnamese
-Strategy
-Effect of US bombing
-Military action
-Recent story
-North Vietnamese forces
-Tanks
-Cease-fire
-Offensive
-Number of divisions in South Vietnam
-Settlement agreement
-Hanoi’s posture
-1972 election
-The President’s unknown speech
-Signing
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger’s draft message
-Saigon
-Diem
-Recent activities
-Effect on 1972 election
-US posture
-Settlement agreement
-Details
-Firmness
-Hanoi, Thieu
-National interest
-1972 election
-National interest
-1972 campaign
-Settlement agreement
-Timing
 -30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Corruption issue
-McGovern’s Chicago speech
-Effect
-Watergate issue
-Prices issue
-Timing
-Concessions
-Thieu
-US posture
-Hardline

Press relations
-Journalist
-Identity
-Washington Post article
-1972 campaign
-McGovern
Thomas W. Braden’s Los Angeles Times article
-Hecklers


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1972 campaign
-Hecklers
-Response
-Time
-Agnew
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-R. Sargent Shriver

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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-Vulgarisms
-Comparisons with Donald H. Segretti, Watergate
 -31-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Press coverage
-Deprivation of free speech for the President, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew,
[Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon Cox,
[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II, Edward R. F. Cox]


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

-McGovern’s campaign
-Comparison to 1964 election
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Press coverage
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-1960 election
-The President’s concession speech
-John F. Kennedy
-Goldwater’s concession speech
-Johnson
-Support for the elected President
-McGovern’s refusal
-Statements
-National unity
-McGovern’s speech in Chicago
-Vietnam negotiations
-Undermined confidence
-The President’s settlement
-Refusal to sign
-Effect on negotiations, campaign

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Vietnam War
-The President’s “Silent Majority” speech, November 3, 1969
-Richard A. Moore
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
 -32-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Advance men
-Vignette
-Oklahoma City
-Tulsa
-Response
-Demonstrations
-White House staff
-Response
-November 4, 1969
-May 8, 1972 decision
-Difficulty
-Compared to the President’s Cambodia speech, April 30, 1970
-Difficulty
-Impact on US
-Demonstrations
-Presidency
-Impact on US presidency
-Announcement
-Timing
-Advice of Cabinet, staff
-Demonstrations
-US troop withdrawals
-Pace
-Church going
-Impact on US
-Historical importance
-Compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s declaration of war
-Pearl Harbor
-Impact on US
-Article
-Tone
-Compared to McGovern’s Chicago speech
-McGovern’s Chicago speech
-Viewing by Kissinger, Haldeman
-Delivery
-Writing
-Irresponsibility
 -33-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

-McGovern’s campaign
-McGovern’s views

1972 campaign
-The President’s campaign
-Predictions
-Victory margin
-Colson
-Radio speeches
-Amnesty issue
-Predictions
-Victory margin
-Number of states
-Losses
-Massachusetts
-Michigan
-Wisconsin
-Oregon
-Hawaii
-Michigan
-California
-Michigan
-Poll
-Labor unions
-George C. Wallace vote
-Robert P. Griffin
-Thomas F. Eagleton
-Wisconsin
-Polls
-John K. MacIver
-Indiana
-Catholic vote
-Importance
-Massachusetts
-The President’s campaign
-McGovern’s campaign
 -34-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Statements
-Effect
-Projections
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Schedule
-Senior citizens
-Miami Beach, Florida
-Massachusetts
-Gerry E. Studds
-Association of American Medical Colleges
-Fontainebleau Hotel
-Senior Citizens for McGovern
-Miami
-Ohio
-Warren, Ohio
-United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of
America
-Charles J. Carney
-Reception
-Montgomery County, Maryland
-Connecticut
-Maloney High School
-Montgomery County
-Hartford
-Claiborne Pell
-Rhode Island
-Connecticut
-Studds
-Massachusetts
-McGovern
-Projections
-New York
-Projections
-Polls
-California
-Michigan
-Ohio
-Vermont
-Ohio
-Cleveland
 -35-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-Illinois
-Chicago
-California
-The President’s lead
-Level of organization
-Wisconsin
-Texas
-South
-Changes
-George H. Gallup, Louis P. Harris
-Democrats
-Undecided votes
-Texas
-Analysis of voting
-Harris poll
-Press reports
-Impact on North Vietnamese
-Support for the President

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-Press relations
-Journalists’ frustrations
-Peace terms
-Quality
-1972 campaign
-1972 campaign
-Corruption issue
-Signing
-State Department
-News summary
-William H. Sullivan’s view
-Thieu’s tenure
-Hanoi
-Public support for the President
-North Vietnamese posture
 -36-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-08)

Conversation No. 389-19 (cont’d)

-North Vietnamese forces
-Schedule
-Press relations
-Resumption of talks
-Forthcoming meeting
-Possible break off of talks
-Message
-November 8, 9, 1972
-US bombing
-Timing
-1972 election
-Message to Moscow
-The President’s posture
-Meetings
-Changes
-US bombing
-Thieu
-Residual forces

Haldeman left at an unknown time after 11:45 am.

Kissinger’s schedule
-Lodging
-Unknown place
-Haldeman

Kissinger left at an unknown time before 12:25 pm.