494–4

Conversation No. 494-4

Date: May 8, 1971
Time: 10:33 am - 1:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

President's schedule
-Previous meeting
-Dinner, May 7, 1971
-Glen Campbell
-Johnny Cash
-May 8, 1971
-John D. Ehrlichman


Public opinion polls
-Time of completion
-Time of release
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]
-Narrative report
-White House cover sheet
-Content
-Distribution of Congressional leaders
-Gerald R. Ford
-Another poll
-Possible results
-White House cover sheet
-US withdrawal from Vietnam
-George H. Gallup
-Checks on figures
-Haldeman's work
-Questions
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Wording

\"Salute to Agriculture\"
-Coverage
-News Summary
-Lawrence F. (“Larry”) O'Brien
-Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin
-Thomas E. (“Tom”) Jarriel Conv. No. 494-3 (cont.)
-President's appearance at Agriculture Department
-Farmers' complaints
-Reasons
-Cost
-Release of figures
-Manufacturers
-Agriculture Department exhibit
-John C. Whitaker
-Need for public relations coordinator
-Agriculture Department staff
-Cost
-Public opinion
-O'Brien
-Dinner, May 7, 1971
-Farmers and wives
-Press coverage of numbers
-Farm leaders and editors
-Previous farm dinners
-Effort involved
-Coverage
-News summary
-Television, written press
-Planning and coverage
-A film for distribution
-Farm publications
-Dinner, May 7, 1971
-Number of farmers present
-Coverage
-Compared with labor dinners
-Head of grain The National Grange
-Head of the American Farm Bureau Federation
-Head of farmers' organizations and unions
-Coverage
-Possible White House response
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Business Council meeting
-Coverage
-White House staff
-A statement on inflation
-Ronald L. Ziegler and staff
-George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Peter M. Flanigan, Peter G. Peterson
-President's record on business Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-John B. Connally
-Flanigan, Peterson
-President's future meetings
-White House counter efforts
-Flanigan
-\"Gideon's Army\"

“Salute to Agriculture”
-Dinner attendees, May 7, 1971
-California farmers
-Bruce Gibbon
-Position in 1960 election
-Rose Mary Woods
-Position in 1960 and 1968 elections
-[Ray J.?] Arbuthnot
-[Forename unknown] Cox (?)
-Gibbon
-Future attendees at social functions
-Criteria
-Gibbon
-Government subsidies

Cotton subsidy program
-California dealers
-Southern senators and California senators
-Future action by President

“Salute to Agriculture”
-Dinner attendees, May 7, 1971
-California farmers
-Gibbon
-Woods
-Possible contribution to President
-Woods
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Seating
-Seating at President's table
-Gibbon's philosophy
-John N. Mitchell
-A youth's question concerning D.C. demonstrations
-Mitchell's response
-Seating for President's table
-Youth Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)

Public relations
-Agricultural programs
-Value
-An unknown man
-Statement about agricultural exhibit
-Possible response by Robert J. Dole
-Perception of President

White House correspondents dinner, May 8, 1971
-Award to Max Frankel
-Ziegler
-President's attendance
-Time of arrival
-Possible photograph
-An award to President

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:33 am.

President's schedule
-Ziegler

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:53 am.

White House Correspondents' dinner
-An award for President
-A torch by a silversmith
-American Revolution
-John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Richard Nixon quotations
-John P. Sutherland
-President's attendance
-Award to Frankel

Ziegler entered at 10:53 am.
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




[Transcript #1: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]
Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
White House Correspondents dinner, May 8, 1971
-Award to Frankel
-President's attendance
-Photograph
-Schedule
-Award to Frankel
-President's attendance
-Time of arrival
-Raymond Clapper Memorial Award
-Sutherland's remarks
-Award to Frankel
-Clapper Memorial Award
-President's attendance
-New York Times
-Possible photograph
-President's attendance
-Time of arrival
-Schedule
-President's arrival
-Awards presentation
-Sutherland's remarks
-Entertainment
-Award to President
-President's remarks
-Sutherland's role
-Delaware Room
-President and entertainers photograph
-Julie and David Eisenhower
-Clapper
-Role
-Location
-Head table
-Cabinet officers
-Association officers
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Ziegler
-President's attendance
-Timing
-Frankel, Clapper Memorial Award
-Ziegler's role

Ziegler left at 11:00 am.
Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
Clapper
-Political philosophy

[Transcript #2: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Public relations
-Foreign policy accomplishments
-John B. Connally's advice
-Cancer program
-Value
-National Institutes of Health [NIH], Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare [HEW]
-Possible action
-Domestic Council
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Edward L. Morgan
-Position
-Work
-Compared with Herbert G. Klein's office
-Narcotics program
-Egil (\"Bud\") Krogh, Jr.
-Morgan
-Mitchell
-Melvin R. Laird
-William P. Rogers
-Government reorganization
-Morgan
-Health program
-Elliot L. Richardson
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Cole
-Haldeman's efforts
-Cole
-Importance for domestic programs
-Ehrlichman and Domestic Council
-Efforts
-Significance
-Tax program Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-1972 election issue
-Foreign policy
-1972 election
-Accomplishments
-Congress
-Domestic programs
-Cole and staff
-Efforts
-Importance
-Ehrlichman
-Seminars at Camp David
-Issues in 1972 election
-Economy and Vietnam war
-Ehrlichman's staff work
-New American Revolutions
-Importance
-President's accomplishments
-Public perception

White House Correspondents dinner
-Award to President
-New American Revolution
-Clayton Fritchey's column

Public relations
-Cancer program
-Cole's work
-Cole, Morgan
-Division of labor
-President's role
-Christmas event[?]

1972 campaign
-Rationale for federal grants
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Peter M. Flanigan
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Federal budget compared with Kennedy family's money
-Deficits
-Inflation and unemployment

Ehrlichman's seminars
-Cole Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-1972 legislative programs
-President's program for second term


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 32s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**********************************************************************


White House staff organization
-Ehrlichman
-George P. Shultz
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ehrlichman
-Staff
-Morgan, Whitaker

Public relations
-Connally
-Department of the Treasury
-Work
-Unemployment statistics
-Networks, newspapers
-White House efforts
-Future
-President's San Clemente press conference
-Klein
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Business Council
-Inflation
-Flanigan, Shultz
-White House staff
-Cancer program
-Cole
-President's responsibility, HEW responsibility
-President's role in decision making Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Kissinger's, Shultz's, and Ehrlichman's papers
-Pressures

[Transcript #3: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

\"Salute to Agriculture\"
-Dinner
-Glen Campbell's band
-Appearance
-Campbell's statements
-Support for the President

Press
-An unknown man
-Unknown women

\"Salute to Agriculture\"
-Response of farmers and farm organizations
-Department of Agriculture
-Long-term benefit
-Press
-Compared with labor press

Presidential appearances
-Importance
-Connally

Economy
-A May 8, 1971 New York Times article
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Predictions by President, McCracken, Shultz, Connally

Arms Control
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Effect of possible Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] treaty
-Democrats
-Effect of a SALT treaty
-President's, Haldeman's, Kissinger’s, and Alexander M.Conv.
Haig'sNo.
views
494-4 (cont.)
-Public opinion
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-War
-John F. Kennedy's test ban treaty
-Clifford P. Case
-Proposal concerning testing
-Testing
-SALT treaty
-William P. Rogers
-President
-USSR
-Rogers, Gerard C. Smith
-Congressional Leaders
-Announcement

Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Dedication

Rogers
-Trip
-Work
-Kissinger
-President's foreign policy objectives
-Rogers' foreign policy efforts
-Press coverage
-Middle East
-Future

Foreign policy
-Rogers’ efforts
-Kissinger
-President policy
-Backgrounders
-Precedent
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Appearances on television, radio
-Appearances before editors
-President's previous press conference
-Chicago Daily News editorial
-President's April 7, 1971 speech
-Points

White House staff Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Recognition of needs
-Planning
-Importance
-Cole, Edwin L. Harper
-Ehrlichman

Public relations
-Morgan, Krogh, Ehrlichman, and Cole
-Defined
-President's trip to Gateway East
-President's trip to San Clemente
-An event
-Richard Nixon Beach
-Gateway East trip
-Cole's and Haldeman's conversation
-Naming of park
-President, Mrs. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, David Eisenhower
-Freedom Park
-Naming of public buildings
-Mayors
-\"Sam Jones\"
-Huey Long
-Naming of park
-Eisenhower Park

Ziegler entered at 11:35 am.

President's schedule
-Gateway East
-Ziegler's announcement
-Attendees
-Senate and House Interior Committees
-Mayors
-Helicopter
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Press
-Importance
-Mayors, governors, Secretary of the Interior, press, senators, Interior
Committee
-Jacob K. Javits
-Rogers C.B. Morton
-Kenneth A. Gibson
-Whitaker, Dwight L. Chapin, Ehrlichman Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Interior Committee senators
-Role in legislation
-Whitaker

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 11:35 am.

Legislation
-Staff response
-Revenue sharing
-A forthcoming meeting
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Ehrlichman, Shultz, and Connally
-Connally's approach
-Mills
-Supersonic transport [SST]

President's schedule
-Florida trip
-Lyndon B. Johnson Library
-Trip
-Republican tour of Air Force One, ride in helicopter
-Value
-An unknown man

[The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:35 am]

[Conversation No. 494-4A]

-Revenue sharing meeting

[End of telephone conversation]

Ziegler entered at 11:35 am.
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Gateway East
-Attendees
-Senators, committees
-John V. Lindsay
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-William T. Cahill
-Lindsay
-Announcement by Ziegler Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Morton
-Lindsay
-Announcement
-Lindsay, governors

Ziegler left at 11:36 am.

Lindsay
-Possible attendance at Gateway East event
-Lindsay's work

Ronald W. Reagan
-Press coverage of tax program
-Possible source
-State and national level
-Student reporter

Ehrlichman entered at 11:37 am.

-Lesson for election year
-State income tax office
-Student reporter
-State office source
-Reagan staff

Presidential appointments
-John S. Nolan
-Department of the Treasury
-Leaks to press
-Connally

Revenue sharing
-Mills
-Meetings with Shultz
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Wire story
-Forthcoming speech to Tennessee legislature
-White House response
-Connally's, Shultz's positions
-Ford
-Work in Congress
-Mills’ plan
-Cities Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-States
-Block grants
-Shultz’s perception
-Mills
-Shultz's meetings
-Possible action
-Ehrlichman's talks with Shultz
-Morgan
-Rockefeller, Reagan
-May 10, 1971 meeting
-President, Connally, Shultz, Clark MacGregor and Ehrlichman
-Connally
-Ehrlichman's forthcoming talk
-Position
-Mills
-Shultz's and Connally's views
-Possible endorsement
-Shultz
-Content

Ziegler entered at 11:43 am.

President's schedule
-Gateway East
-Lindsay, Rockefeller, Cahill, Morton
-Gibson
-Ziegler’s role

Ziegler left at 11:45 am.

Revenue sharing
-Mills
-Possible meeting with Shultz and Connally
-Possible meeting with President
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-John W. Byrnes
-Position
-Shultz, Ehrlichman
-Ford
-Position
-Attendance at May 10, 1971 meeting
-President, Ford
-Byrnes Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)

President's schedule
-Gateway East
-Departure time
-Revenue sharing meeting
-Time
-Gateway East
-President's role
-Revenue sharing meeting
-Time
-Importance
-Mills
-Shultz, Connally, Ford, MacGregor, Ehrlichman
-Time
-Gateway East
-Departure time
-Revenue sharing meeting
-President's role
-Mills
-Time
-Mills
-Mills
-Tennessee speech
-Aspirations
-Position in Democratic Party
-Compared with Carl B. Albert
-Possible strength as Speaker of the House of Representatives

Albert
-Ehrlichman’s actions
-Habits
-Mrs. Albert
-Ford
-Habits
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Role as Speaker
-Les Arends

[Transcript #4: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not Conv.
guarantee
No. its
494-4
accuracy.]
(cont.)

[End of transcript]

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:45 am and
11:49 am]

[Conversation No. 494-4B]

[See Conversation No. 2-124]

[End of telephone conversation]

Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Upcoming vote in Congress
-White House efforts
-News Summary
-Ford
-George Meany

[The President talked with John N. Mitchell between 11:49 am and 11:51 am]

[Conversation No. 494-4C]

[See Conversation No. 2-125]

[End of telephone conversation]

Revenue Sharing
-Meeting
-Mills

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with the telephone
conversation]
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



President's schedule
-Revenue sharing meeting
-Time

SST
-Ford
-President's possible meetings with Congressmen
-Richard H. Poff Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-H. Allen Smith
-Lockheed
-A Small Business Administration [SBA] official
-Ford
-Efforts


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 9s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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-Compared with other Congressional leaders
-Upcoming House vote
-Opposition
-Possible vote changes
-Ford
-White House efforts
-Meany
-Lockheed
-Lockheed
-Warren G. (“Maggie”) Magnuson and Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-MacGregor
-Senate
-House and Senate conference committee
-Cancellation costs
-transportation appropriation
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Frank T. Bow
-Airlines
-Upcoming House vote
-Possible vote changes
-Poff
-Senate
-Possible vote changes
-David H. Gambrell, Alan Cranston and John V. Tunney
Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Lockheed

[Transcript #5: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Press
-Dan Rather
-Ehrlichman's backgrounder on demonstrations
-Effect
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Future backgrounders
-Ziegler
-Richard S. Salant
-Future treatment
-Ziegler
-Robert Roth
-Ehrlichman's backgrounder
-Effect
-Rather
-White House relations
-Ehrlichman meetings in past
-Salant
-White House relations
-White House relations
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Harry Reasoner
-Coverage
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Ratings
-Types of audiences
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Life
-Audience appeal
-Readers' Digest
-Audience appeal
-Life
-A scandal article on Virgin Islands
-Disposition
-Hubert H. Humphrey, Democratic leaders Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Ralph [?] Paewonsky
-Morris or Stewart Udall
-Possible White House contact with reporter
-Ehrlichman's backgrounders
-Ziegler
-Wire service reporters, John Terrell of the Baltimore Sun, Herbert E. Kaplow,
Thomas E. (“Tom”) Jarriel, an unnamed Metromedia reporter

[Transcript #6: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

The President left at an unknown time after 11:51 am.

Taping system
-Ehrlichman’s knowledge

Ehrlichman's schedule[?]

\"Salute to Agriculture\"
-Coverage
-Objectives

The President entered at an unknown time before 12:00 pm.

[Transcript #7: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Public opinion polls
-Washington, D.C. demonstrations
-Sample
-Gallup polls
-Questions
-Approval polls
-Figures Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
-Effect on public opinion of events
-President's Vietnam policies
-End-the-war amendment in Congress, U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam
-\"No opinion\" answers
-Prisoners of War [POW's]
-\"No opinion\" answers

[Transcript #8: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Civil rights
-Washington, D.C. demonstrations
-Wiretapping
-Public opinion
-J. Edgar Hoover and Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
-White House handling
-Wiretapping
-Other administrations
-Robert F. Kennedy
-Carl T. Rowan on WTOP
-Unauthorized, authorized taps
-Hoover
-Nixon administration
-Rowan's commentary
-Unauthorized, authorized taps

Wiretapping
-National security taps
-Unauthorized
-Compared with Kennedy era
 23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Hoover[?]
-Congressional testimony

President's schedule
-Revenue sharing meeting
-Time
-Ehrlichman's calls
-Ford Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
Ehrlichman left at 12:42 pm.

[Transcript #9: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Public opinion polls
-President' Vietnam policies
-Questions

Cancer Institute announcements, May 11, 1971
-Director
-Responsibility
-Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York City
-Possible appearance by President, May 10, 1971
-Logistics
-Police, demonstrators in New York City
-White House handling

Flanigan
-Business group
-\"Gideon's Army\"

Polls
-End-the-war votes in Congress
-Changes in public opinion
-President's speech, press conference
-Changes in public opinion
-President's speech, press conference
-POW's
-Changes in public opinion
 24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Al Capp

[Transcript #10: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
Conv. No. 494-4 (cont.)
[End of transcript]
Polls
-President's Vietnam policies
-Changes in public opinion
-President's press conference
-\"No opinion\" answers
-Gallup polls
-White House polls
-Shift
-A poll
-Release

President's schedule
-Patrick J. Buchanan and Shelley A. Scarney wedding

Haldeman left at 1:12 pm.