827–21

Conversation No. 827-21

Date: December 20, 1972
Time: 3:05 pm - 3:49 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Saul Pett
-Ziegler’s schedule

Pett and Henry Burroughs entered at 3:05 pm. Members of the press and the White House
photographer were present at the beginning of this meeting.

Greetings

Photograph session

The President’s schedule

New York
 -46-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)


Pett’s attire
-Mrs. Pett

[Photograph session]
-[General conversation]
-James W. Gallagher
-The President’s relationship with John L. Lewis
-Saul Pett’s article
-The President’s health
-First term

Ziegler left at 3:06 pm.

Zosimo T. Monson was present at an unknown time after 3:06 pm.

Refreshment
-Coffee
-Saul Pett’s previous trip to White House
-“Little office”
-Lyndon B. Johnson [?]

Monson left at an unknown time before 3:49 pm.

The President’s health
-Physical examination
-First term
-Lack of a sick day
-Harry S. Truman
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Age
-Lack of exercise, recreation
-Doctors
-The President’s experience as Vice President
-Golf, tennis
-Physical makeup
-Inheritance
-Spartan background
-Lack of headaches, stomach problems
-Medical television [TV] shows
 -47-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Marcus Welby, M.D.

Presidency
-Battle metaphor
-Campaigning
-The President’s schedule
-Trips to Florida
-Spartan lifestyle
-Eating, drinking
-Moderation
-Socrates
-Campaigning
-Discipline
-Physical, mental, emotional aspects
-Oval Office
-Cleanliness
-Johnson
-Johnson
-TVs, ticker
-George Christian’s press conferences
-TVs
-Bedroom
-TV
-Trips to Florida
-Football games
-Decision making
-Crises
-Personal qualities
-Balance, objectivity
-Coolness, decisiveness
-Vietnam War
-Cambodia invasion
-May 8, 1972
-US mining, bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Coolness, objectivity
-Press relations
-TV commentators
-Newspapers
-The President’s reading
-News summaries
 -48-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Contents
-New York, Washington, DC, Rapid City, Los Angeles, San
Antonio
-New Republic, National Review
-TV
-Commentators
-The President’s viewing
-White House staff
-Politics
-Frank Cormier
-Helen Thomas
-Associated Press [AP]
-Peter Lisagor
-Detachment
-The President’s experience as Congressman
-Herbert L. Block cartoons
-News summary
-Criticism
-Issues
-Vietnam War
-Welfare
-Congressional relations
-House of Representatives, Senate
-J. William Fulbright
-Relations with the President
-Leadership meetings
-Emotion
-Criticism
-Arrogance
-Elections
-Second term
-Press relations

Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-Problems
-October 8, October 26, November 20, 1972
-Prospects
-US military policies
-May 8, 1972
 -49-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Settlement agreement
-Peace
-Basis of the President’s decisions
-Christmas, 1973 Inauguration
-Continuation of war

Presidency
-Perspective
-The President’s reading
-TV
-Sports
-History, biography
-The President’s conversations with Henry A. Kissinger
-Press and media relations
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Unknown person
-Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
-Howard K. Smith
-Decision making
-Effect of public opinion
-Demonstrations
-Media relations
-Mining of Haiphong
-World War III
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Second term
-First term
-Crises
-Subjectivity
-Compared to objectivity

The President’s health
-Physical examination
-Eating, drinking
-Excessiveness
-Press relations
-Relaxation
-Public appearances
-Speeches, press conferences, conversations with newsmen
-Washington Redskins
 -50-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Dallas Cowboys
-Balance
-The President’s law school experience

Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 3:06 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Pett
-Duration

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 3:49 pm.

The President’s health
-Relaxation
-The President’s law school experience
-Press conferences

Presidency
-The President’s experience
-1969
-Defeats
-“Wilderness”
-Gen. Charles A. J. M. DeGaulle, Winston S. Churchill
-Money making
-Unflappability
-Politics
-Difficulty
-Combat
-1960 election
-The President’s age
-Work habits
-Hours
-Quality of work
-Delegation
-Details
-Grover Cleveland
-Bill reading
-Decision making
-Domestic and foreign
-Reaction
 -51-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-The President’s schedule
-Appointments, mail, meetings, speeches

1972 election
-The President’s reflections
-Reaction of young people
-Voters
-Tricia Nixon Cox, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-1960 and 1962 election
-Women
-1968 election
-1968 election
-Circumstances
-Third party
-Victory margin
-Vote counting
-Mandate question
-Social unrest
-Vietnam War
-The President’s popularity
-Press relations
-Hostility
-Washington, DC
-Commentary
-The President’s victory
-Margin
-First Family
-Tricia Nixon Cox, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Mrs. Nixon
-[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
-Politics
-Edward R. F. Cox
-Results
-Lincoln Sitting Room
-Telephone calls
-Statement
-The President’s schedule
-Shoreham Hotel
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
-Results
-California
 -52-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Reaction
-Emotional drainage
-Vacation
-Trip to Florida
-Elections
-Presidency, Senate, House of Representatives
-“Let down”

Presidency
-Learning
-White House staff
-Second term reorganization
-Departures
-Retentions
-The President’s conversations with Cabinet, White House staff
-Landslide victory
-Effect
-Cabinet
-William P. Rogers
-Power
-Reelection
-Restraints
-Doing great things
-Second term
-Personnel
-Cabinet
-Leadership
-Football metaphor

Politics
-The President’s future
-Campaigning
-Congressmen, administration
-Caution
-Polls
-Presidency
-Congressmen, Senators, Cabinet, White House staff
-Statemanship
-The President’s future
-Responsibility
 -53-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

-Republican Party
-Campaigning
-Decision making
-Elections
-Parties, ideas
-Details
-Airports
-Appointments
-1972 election
-Massachusetts
-District of Columbia
-Massachusetts
-Harvard University
-Administration
-Compared to Johnson’s [1964] victory
-National results
-New York, California
-South
-The President’s future
-Leadership
-Travels to the country
-Policies
-Congressional relations
-[Democrats]
-1972 election

Regards to Mrs. Nixon
-The President’s trip to the Soviet Union
-Moscow
-Gosudarstvennyi Universal’nyi Magazin [GUM]
-Ice cream

Saul Pett’s gratitude

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with George P. Shultz
-Federal spending
-Inflation
-Budget ceiling
 -54-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 827-21 (cont’d)

Photograph session
-Window
-Contemplation

[Photograph session]
-Decision making
-Past and future
-Press relations
-TV

Saul Pett and Burroughs left at 3:49 pm.