578–2

Conversation No. 578-2

Date: September 24, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:13 am and 9:05 am
Location: Oval Office

President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman; an unknown person was present at the beginning of
the conversation.

President's schedule
-September 24
-Afternoon
-Departure for Northwest trip
-Day
-Time

Press relations
-The President’s question and answer [Q&A] session at Detroit Economic Club,
September 23, 1971
-Television coverage
-Evening news
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
 2

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Time Length
-Wage and price control Phase II question
-News reporters coverage
-Comparison to television coverage
-Haldeman's conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
-Type of coverage
-Effect
-Impact
-Ziegler's analysis
-Amount of coverage
-Demonstrators
-Television coverage
-\"Today Show\"
-Lead story
-Wage and price control
-Type of coverage
-Still shots
-Demonstrators
-President's comments
-Pollution
-Employment
-Amount of coverage
-CBS
-Question on Supreme Court nomination
-Television coverage
-Impact
-Frequency
-Local telecasts
-Detroit
-Coverage for administration
-Chicago
-Illinois
-Wisconsin
-Indiana
-Ohio
-Key States
-Michigan
-Time
-Length of coverage
-Effort
-Ziegler's handling of press
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Ziegler's analysis on coverage
-Administration's position
-Type of impact
-Amount of effort
-Pros and cons for results
-President's appearance
-Questions and answers
-Preparation
-Type of question
-Responses
-President's responses
-Questions asked by newsmen
-Politeness
-Pros and cons
-Antagonism
-Comparison to press conference
-News coverage
-Unknown person
-Time of day
-Television
-Detroit
-News coverage
-Night time
-Past experiences
-Coverage
-President's efforts
-Trips
-Guidelines by administration
-Restrictions on questions
-Balance of questions
-Foreign
-Domestic
-Questions
-Vietnam
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Conservative revolt
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Significance
-Number of people
-Types of questions
-Election in Vietnam
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Number
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-Vietnam
-Technical preparation and staffing
-Mark I. Goode
-Type of individual needed
-Richard A. Moore
-Director of operations
-President's experience in Detroit
-Introduction of President for newsman
-Panel of questioners
-Television audience
-Awareness
-Type of introduction
-Television and radio audience
-Need for introductions
-Radio audience in Michigan
-Comparison to television audience
-Lack of knowledge of President's appearance
-Demonstrators
-Location
-Moore
-Goode
-William H. Carruthers
-Demonstrations
-Moore
-Goode
- Carruthers
-Demonstrators
-Moore
-Completion of question period
-Cut-off
-Goode or Moore
-Control of situation
-Format
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] speech
-Future press situations
-Limitation on answers
-Buchanan
-Number of words
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Background information
-Wage and price freeze question
-Number of words statement
-International monetary conditions
-Profits
-Preparation of answers
-Thought process
-Type of response
-Number of words
-\"One liners\"
-Henry A. Kissinger's preparations
-John B. Connally's preparations
-Buchanan
-George P. Shultz
-Kissinger
-Paul W. McCracken
-Questions
-Types of questions
-Question of who should answer questions
-Back ups
-Buchanan
-Review of speeches
-Example
-The President’s comment about welfare and work
-Speech writers
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Buchanan
-Politics
-Repetition by President
-Concern
-John F. Osborne
-John F. Kennedy
-Quote
-Number of repetitions
-President's speeches to Congress
-Type of lines
-Repetition
-Types of lines
-Welfare and employment
-Type of line
-Impact
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Repetition of statements
-Possible audience assumptions
-Old material compared to new material
-Listening ability of audience
-Appearances after 9:00 pm
-Television coverage
-Questioners
-Atmosphere
-Inhibitions because of television
-Detroit television
-Working people
-Location
-Office compared to home
-Detroit trip
-Type of coverage
-Preparation
-Grand Rapids
-Demonstration
-Willie J. Usery
-Teamsters
-United Auto Workers [UAW]
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organization
[AFL-CIO]
-Reasons for demonstration
-Anti-police
-Blacks
-Anti-war
-Organization
-Signs
-Actions
-Laughter
-Audiences
-Type
-Advance men
-Planning for audience
-Program
-Warm-up of audience
-Rock music
-Meeting with milk producers
-Detroit Economic Club
-Detroit response to President's appearance for Economic Club
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 578-2 (cont.)


-Amount of preparation time
-Precedent
-Detroit
-President's appearance
-Impact
-Press reactions

PRC announcement
-Kissinger
-Connally

Press relations
-Phase II
-Possible press conference
-Line of questioning
-Teachers’ salaries
-Specifics of questions
-Comprehensiveness
-Duration
-Connally

Haldeman's conversation with Arthur F. Burns
-Meeting
-State Department

The President and Haldeman left at 9:05 am.