642–27

Conversation No. 642-27

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 11:15 am - 11:42 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Clark MacGregor.

Greetings

Weather

MacGregor's schedule
-Activities

The President's State of the Union message
-Date
-Congress
-Content
-Presentation of vision
-The President's stature compared to that of opponents

MacGregor's schedule
-Meeting with Anna C. Chennault
-Barbara MacGregor
-Chennault's previous meetings with Nguyen Van Thieu, Park Chung Hee and
Ferdinand E. Marcos, December 1971
-Possible summit
-Thailand, South Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Republic of China
and South Korea
-State Department
-Chennault
-Possible location
-Bangkok, Manila
-Timing
-The President's forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China
[PRC]
-Possible meeting with the President
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-27 (cont.)


-Timing
-Australia and New Zealand
-Possible result

[The President talked with Jody Smith between 11:20 am and 11:21 am.]

[Conversation No. 642-27A]

[See Conversation No. 18-5]

[End of telephone conversation]

The President's call to Smith
-Smith's age
-Selection as Iowa delegate to Republican National Convention

MacGregor’s meeting with Chennault
-Possible summit
-Reply
-Timing
-Timing
-The President's view of Asian leaders
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Health
-Chennault


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Chennault
-Age
 42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-27 (cont.)


-Marriage to Claire L. Chennault
-Age
-MacGregor
-Burma
-Age
-MacGregor

Pending legislation
-Revenue-sharing, health and welfare reform
-Views of William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook and Tom C. Korologos
-Title Four on family assistance
-Probable Senate action
-Desired effect for the President
-The President’s view
-Experimental program
-Risk
-Democratic congressmen
-Support for the President
-Robert C. Byrd, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Carl B. Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs,
George H. Mahon and F. Edward Hebert
-Republicans
-Possible duration
-Trade legislation
-Handling
-Delay

The President's record
-Outlook
-Liberals' view
-Clark and Barbara MacGregor’s schedule
-Mel Elfin of Newsweek
-Martin Z. Agronsky
-Conversation with MacGregor
-New Year's Eve party
-Leonard and Grace (Albert) Garment
-William L. and Helena (Julius) Safire
-John Kenneth Galbraith
-Katharine L. Graham
-The President’s leadership
-The President's leadership
-Vietnam
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-27 (cont.)


-Bombing strike
-Forthcoming PRC trip
-India-Pakistan
-US handling
-News media
-Public opinion


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 41s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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The President's interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
-Question on the President's charisma
-Compared with John F. Kennedy
-Kennedy's performance
-Media
-Response the President received from teenage girls at Capitol
-Armed Services Committee
-Celebrities
-Photograph of girl

MacGregor
-Attitude


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 49s ]
 44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-27 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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The President's interview with Rather
-The President's response regarding foreign policy
-Long-term view
-Youth
-PRC
-Korea
-Vietnam
-Nuclear war
-View of MacGregor's daughter
-Clark and Barbara MacGregor
-Question on George C. Wallace
-Content and tone
-The President's response

MacGregor’s gratitude toward President

Attorney General position
-MacGregor
-Rumor regarding position
-MacGregor's conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Source of stories
-Kleindienst’s response to press questions
-John N. Mitchell
-Kleindienst's response
-MacGregor's request
-Story on MacGregor's intentions
-MacGregor’s conversation with Mitchell
-Retraction
-Current position
-Importance
-1972 election
-Post-campaign possibilities
-Cabinet
-Mitchell

Mitchell
 45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-27 (cont.)


-Retention
-Confirmation fight for future Attorney General candidate
-Future political work as Attorney General
-Robert F. Kennedy's example

Cabinet officers
-Honor
-Elliot L. Richardson

MacGregor's health
-Back

The President's schedule
-California
-Forthcoming meetings with Eisaku Sato
-Previous meetings with Georges J.R. Pompidou, Edward R.G. Heath and Willy
Brandt
-Reaction

The President's effectiveness

Manolo Sanchez entered and MacGregor left at 11:36 am.

Misplaced papers
-Sanchez's search
-The President's suit worn previous evening
-The President's sport coat in Executive Office Building [EOB] office
-The President's office
-Sport coat in EOB office

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 11:42 am.