464–12

Conversation No. 464-12

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 12:26 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Conv. No. 464-10 (cont.)
President’s schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Time
Polls
-President’s credibility
-George H. Gallup poll
-Percentages
-Vietnam War
-White House-sponsored poll

An unknown person [Stephen B. Bull?] entered at an unknown time after 12:26 pm

President’s schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Time

The unknown person [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 12:36 pm

Polls
-President’s credibility
-Vietnam War
-White House-sponsored poll
-Gallup poll
-Louis Harris poll
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
-A 1967 Gallup poll

Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Possible attendance at Congressional leaders meetings


Japanese textile trade negotiations
-Peter M. Flanigan’s role
-Kissinger
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Japanese industry
-Wilbur D. Mills’ involvement

Cabinet meetings
-Leader
-Cabinet secretary
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-John D. Ehrlichman Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-George P. Shultz
-President’s role

Polls
White House staff
-Public relations group
-Frequency of meetings

Polls
-Chilton poll
-Percentages
-Date
-Effect of President’s press conference, televised conversation, State of the
Union
-Gallup poll
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-January figures compared with March figures
-Gallup poll
-1970 figures
-Chilton poll

Rose Mary Woods entered at 12:36 pm

Presidential gifts
-Robert H. Abplanalp, Elmer B. Bobst, and Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Pen set
-Clock
-White House glasses

Woods left at 12:38 pm
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Polls
-Effect of State of the Union address
-Harris poll
-Gallup poll
-Possible effect of Laos operation (Lam Son)
-January figures
-John B. Connally’s view
-Harris poll Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-December, 1970
-Before and after State of the Union address
-Gallup poll
-ORC poll
-Gallup poll
-Before President’s press conference
-Next polling
-Questions
-Vietnam War
-Gallup and Harris polls
-Approval ratings
-January and February figures
-Effect of Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Gallup poll

Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm

President’s schedule
-Kissinger meeting
-Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm

Polls
-Gallup poll
-January

Kissinger’s schedule
-Meeting at State Department
-Postponement

Peter G. Peterson
-Knowledge of textiles
-Foreign trade
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Polls
-Gallup poll
-Vietnam
-January

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm

A letter from the President Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm

[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:05 pm]

[Conversation No. 464-12A ]

Delivery of poll information

[End of telephone conversation]

Polls
-A question regarding shortening the war
-Harris and Gallup polls compared with ORC poll
-Sample
-Timing
-President’s press conference
-Cambodian operation
-Compared with Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Approval ratings
-Results
-Compared with Cambodian operation
-Effect of events
-Press conference
-President’s foreign policy report
-State of the Union address
-President’s televised conversation
-President’s Cambodia announcement

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm

Poll information

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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Polls
-Changes
-President’s credibility
-Media credibility
-Commentators, press
-Congressional credibility
-President’s credibility
-Laos operation (Lam Son) Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-Television networks’ credibility
-A question on withdrawal from Vietnam
-Wording
-Question on credibility of press
-Vietnam War

White House staff
-Public relations group
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Effort regarding President’s credibility and effort
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.’s office
-A suggestion by Connally

Presidency
-Price’s view
-Traits
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Connally’s view
-Public perception of President
-President
-President’s public appearances
-Des Moines
-Campaign behavior compared with presidential behavior
-President’s view
-Press coverage

President’s schedule
-Meetings with Congressmen and young Senators
-Public relations
-Surrogate speakers
-Breakfasts
-A scheduled breakfast
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]

[Conversation No. 464-12B]

Call to Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen

[End of telephone conversation] Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)

Campaigning
-Connally
-Scheduling
-1970
-President’s activity
-President’s actions
-Prospects for 1972
-Current
-Motorcade
-Crowd shots
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]

[Conversation No. 464-12C]

President’s call to Frelinghuysen

[End of telephone conversation]

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]

[Conversation No. 464-12D]

Call to Frelinghuysen’s secretary

[End of telephone conversation]

Frelinghuysen’s support for the President
-President’s appreciation
-William P. Rogers
-W[illiam] Stuart Symington’s comments
Polls
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Trends regarding President’s Vietnam policy
-Influential events

[The President talked with William T. Kendall between 1:05 pm and 1:06 pm]

[Conversation No. 464-12E]

Frelinghuysen’s statements Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-Congressional Record
-President’s appreciation for support

Mills

[End of telephone conversation]

Kendall’s statements to President

Polls
-Trends regarding President’s Vietnam policy
-Influential events
-Approval ratings
-Gallup poll
-White House-sponsored poll

Press credibility
-Possible White House action
-Need for public relations efforts
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Connally
-Buchanan
-Price
-William L. Safire
-Buchanan
-Leak of plan

Vietnam
-Possible White House public relations effort
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Kissinger’s view
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Tchepone
-Approval ratings
-Melvin R. Laird’s view
-Chou En-lai
-Hanoi trip
-Negotiations in Paris
-Kissinger’s view
-Effect of Lam Son Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-Possible Kissinger trip to Paris
-Secrecy
-President’s view
-Military action
-North Vietnam
-Possible White House public relations effort
-President’s leadership
-Laos operation
-Public comments
-Kissinger and Haig
-US accomplishments
-Military action
-Rogers
-Kissinger

Middle East
-Forthcoming meeting

White House staff meeting
-Connally
-Kissinger
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Connally
-Kissinger

An unknown man [Bull?] entered at an unknown time after 1:06 pm

Call to Harry S. Dent
-Possible telephone call

The unknown man [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm

Public relations efforts
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Haldeman’s memorandum
-President’s leadership
-Kissinger, Ehrlichman, Shultz, Connally
-President’s view
-Johnson
-Meetings with the President
-Need for more effort
-Recognition of needs Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-Safire’s request of President
-Connally’s meeting with Haldeman
-Comments on President

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:06 pm

Dent’s schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm

Public relations
-Connally
-Comments on President
-White House staff and Cabinet officers

Textile trade negotiations with Japan
-President’s meeting with Peterson
-Proposed action
-Mills
-Connally
-Mills’ dealings with Japanese
-Peterson’s actions
-Mills
-Peterson
-Peterson and Shultz’s position
-Compared with Mills
-Dent’s position
-Maurice H. Stans’ position
-Follow-up meeting between Peterson and Haldeman
-A proposed letter from the President to Connally
-Effects
-Alternatives
-Peterson
-Kissinger
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Peterson
-Shultz
-Rogers
-Stans
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Possible job as Special Trade Representative
-Loyalty to the President
-Role Conv. No. 464-12 (cont.)
-Possible meeting between President and Mills
-Bryce N. Harlow and Clark MacGregor
-Harlow’s role
-Mills

Polls
-Changes
-Effect of President’s press conference
-Effect of stock market
-Increases

Vietnam, Laos
-Haig
-Prospects
-Public statements

[Unintelligible]

The President and Haldeman left at 1:30 pm