652–5

Conversation No. 652-5

Date: January 20, 1972
Time: 1:33 pm - 2:15 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and Clark MacGregor.

Charles W. Colson
-Schedule

The President’s schedule
-Taping
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Unknown technician

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:37 pm.

State of the Union Address, January 20, 1972
-MacGregor’s view
-MacGregor’s viewing on TV
-Commentary by Paul Duke and Herbert E. Kaplow
-The President’s expectations of Congress
-Welfare reform
-Revenue-sharing
-Government reorganization
-Environment
-Commentary by Hugh S. Sidey, Charles L. Bartlett and unknown black
woman
-Shirley Chisholm
-Politics
-Democrats
-1960s issues
-Demonstrations
-Campuses, cities
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] commentary
-Media commentary
-MacGregor’s secretary
-Notes
-Address compared with 1971 Address
-Language
-Tone

Charles W. Colson entered at 1:37 pm.

-Dan Rather’s commentary
-Democrat leadership
-The President’s political tone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 1:37 pm.

-William H. Lawrence’s commentary
-Strength of speech
-1972 election
-The President’s platform
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


-Economy
-Lewis Gulick’s comments on Associated Press [AP] wire
-Bipartisanship
-Historical comparison
-Democrats

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:37 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Taping

Bull left at an unknown time before 2:05 pm.

State of the Union Address
-John F. Kennedy comparison
-Vietnam
-Schools
-Local control
-Reception by audience
-Hubert H. Humphrey and Edmund S. Muskie
-Applause
-CBS
-Daniel L. Schorr’s analysis
-West Coast dock strike
-Reception by audience
-Congress
-Humphrey’s and Muskie’s reception
-Edward M. Kennedy’s reception
-CBS commentary
-The President’s ad-lib
-Future media coverage
-The President’s schedule
-Tom McCall
-Daniel J. Evans
-The President’s statement from Florida, January 21, 1972
-Calls to Ronald W. Reagan and others
-Reactions to speech
-Publicity
-William E. Brock, III’s views
-Challenge to Congress
-Hugh Scott’s views
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


-Michael J. Mansfield’s views
-Tax measures
-Political strategy
-Kaplow’s commentary
-Neil H. McElroy Commission on school finance
-Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations [ACIR]
-The President’s concern and initiative
-Muskie’s reaction to the President’s reference
-Humphrey
-Muskie’s role on committee
-Attendance at meetings
-National interest
-Tone
-Conclusion
-Contrast with Edward Kennedy’s National Press Club speech, January 17,
1972
-State of nation
-Compared to Edward Kennedy’s and Muskie’s statements
-Confidence in government
-Congressional reaction
-Wright Patman
-Forthcoming Gross National Product [GNP] figures
-Gerald R. Ford
-1972 election
-Margaret C. Smith
-George D. Aiken
-Smith
-Appearance
-Age
-Reelection
-Compared with Aiken
-Republican Congressional leaders
-Mood

Scott
-Commentaries from Pennsylvania newspapers
-Delivery to MacGregor
-1972 election
-Pennsylvania
-Political work
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


Congressional breakfast, January 19, 1972
-William E. Timmons and MacGregor
-Scott
-Ford
-Robert P. Griffin
-Leslie C. Arends
-The President’s submitted State of the Union Address
-Recommendations
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.’s incorporation into address
-Republican Congressional leaders
-Mood

Congress
-Recess
-State of the Union Address
-Election year

State of the Union Address
-Approach avoided
-The President’s treatment of Congress
-Roger H. Mudd’s comment
-Political impact
-Political impact
-Statesmanship
-Length
-Compared to previous addresses
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Price’s view
-Specific passage
-Response to the nation’s critics
-Impact
-State of nation
-Credit for the Administration
-Vietnam
-Casualties
-Troop withdrawals
-Congressional recess
-Griffin’s view of submitted address
-Lincoln Day speeches
-Use by Congressmen
-National defense issue
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


-Response
-Republicans
-Gale W. McGee
-John C. Stennis
-John N. Ashbrook
-Barry M. Goldwater
-J. William Fulbright’s reaction
-John V. Brennan’s observation
-Muskie
-Humphrey
-John Sherman Cooper’s views of Fulbright
-Partisanship
-Cooper’s reaction at meetings of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Welfare reform
-Work
-Lincoln Day speeches
-Reagan
-Family assistance issue
-Reaction received by Colson
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Welfare reform
-Trial program
-Conservative response

Congress
-The Administration’s possible political strategy
-Democrats
-Partisanship
-Allegations by MacGregor’s office
-Duration
-Attendance at sessions
-Passage of the President’s legislation
-Official daily reminder by Republicans
-Number of presidential initiatives
-Scheduling
-Public view
-Polls
-Passage of the President’s legislation
-State of the Union reference
-Proposals
-Budget
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


-Bipartisanship
-Timetable for conciliation
-June 1972
-Democratic National Convention
-The President’s trip to Soviet Union
-Official daily reminders by Republicans
-Samuel L. Devine
-Robert J. Dole
-Humor
-Scheduling
-Democrat reaction
-Sensitivity
-Dock strike
-Possible hearings

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Republican leaders
-MacGregor’s coordination with Haldeman
-Scheduling

MacGregor and Colson left at 2:05 pm.

State of the Union Address
-Tone
-Delivery
-Reception
-Kennedys

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 2:05 pm.

Refreshments

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 2:15 pm.

White House staff
-Richard A. Moore
-Sidey
-William L. Safire
-Moore
-Ability
-Compared with Safire
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)



State of the Union Address
-Length
-Written compared to spoken message
-Delivery on prime time television
-Compared with delivery before Congress
-Written compared to spoken message
-Public and Congress
-Ceremony
-Number of attendees
-Congress, Cabinet and Supreme Court
-TV viewing

Henry A. Kissinger’s briefing
-The President’s previous phone call to Kissinger
-Humor
-Substance

State of the Union Address
-Press and media
-Reaction
-Bi-partisanship

Vietnam
-The President’s forthcoming speech on peace plan, January 25, 1972
-Possible impact
-Secret negotiations
-Ending war
-Congressional involvement
-Talks with North Vietnam and Vietcong
-Secret talks
-Publicity

Kissinger
-Resignation
-Effect
-William P. Rogers

The President’s schedule
-Forthcoming taping session
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 652-5 (cont.)


The President and Haldeman left at 2:15 pm.