701–9

Conversation No. 701-9

Date: April 4, 1972
Time: 10:46 am - 11:46 am
Location: Oval Office

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

Robert S. Ingersoll
-Praise from the President
-Comments on the President's foreign policy
-Lincoln Memorial
-Abraham Lincoln
-Compared with the President

Political support for the President
-General public
-Gallup poll
-Press

Press
-Ronald L. Ziegler's list of names
-Number
-Hugh S.Sidey
-John F. Osborne
-Friends of the President
-Return calls
-Peter C. Andrews of Buffalo Courier Express
-New Republic and Life
-News summary
-References to Sidey and Osborne
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Importance
-Friendly journalists
-Potential importance
-Andrews
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Unfriendly journalists
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Ziegler
-Osborne
-Possible influence
-Sidey
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Avoidance
-Haldeman's enforcement

Julie Nixon Eisenhower entered at 10:49 am.


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 46s ]


Julie Nixon Eisenhower left at 10:53 am.


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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White House Staff
-Parties
-The President’s concern
-Movies
-Paul Fisher

Photographs of the President
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Problems
-William L. Safire
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
 26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Selection
-Frank Leonard
-John R. (“Tex”) McCrary
-Leonard
-Similarities of style
-Atkins
-Photographs of the President
-Image presentation
-Eye on Nixon


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 19s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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News summary
-Comments on the President's personality
-Source
-Osborne
-Spectrum
-Unknown journalist
-The President's trips
-Human interest stories
-Trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Press reports
-Trip to PRC
-Impact
-Presentation of the President as a person
-The President’s image

Julie Nixon Eisenhower entered at 10:58 am.

Photograph session
-Scheduling
-Atkins
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-The President's availability
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Location


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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-Time and day
-Family picture
-Preparations
-Timing
-Mrs. Nixon


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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-Preparations
-Mrs. Nixon

Julie Nixon Eisenhower left at 11:00 am.


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 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 16s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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Press
-Attacks
-Press conferences
-Unknown White House staffer’s suggestion
-Imitation of John F. Kennedy
-Kennedy's conferences
-Comparisons to current administration
-Reports in press
-Contents
-The President's conferences
-Handling by media
-Comparisons
-Osborne and Sidey
-Meeting with the President
-Timing
-Ziegler
-Osborne
-Journalists
-Cultivation of friends
-President’s instructions
-1972 election
-Ziegler

Drug speech
-TV appearance
-John D. Ehrlichman's advice
-Other’s view
-Need for reason
-President’s previous conversation with Ehrlichman
-Fireside chats
-Radio
-Value
-Photographs
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Value
-Florida trip
-Timing
-Hotline
-Timing
-Plans
-TV coverage
-Haldeman’s opinion


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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-George S. McGovern
-Statements
-Denials
-Corporate taxes
-Amount
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] reports
-Misrepresentation
-Media hostility to the President
-McGovern's reception by press

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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 30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




-Contributions
-Republicans
-Maurice H. Stans's statement
-Richard A. Moore
-Legal requirements
-John N. Mitchell
-Amounts
-Publicity
-W. Clement Stone
-John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy
-Problems
-List of contributors
-Publication of list
-Problems
-Current actions
-Jackson
-List of contributors
-Publication
-The President's contributors
-List of names
-Publication
-Effect on primaries
-A mailing
-Results
-List
-Publication
-Publicity
-John W. Gardner's criticisms
-Public reaction
-Criticisms of the President's campaign
-Reaction
-ITT
-Democrats
-Edward M. Kennedy

William P. Rogers
-Trip
-Announcement
-Possible timing

George H. Gallup group
-Call to Haldeman’s office
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-PRC trip
-Relations with White House
-Louis P. Harris
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Charles W. Colson
-Reports to the White House
-Interest in the polls
-Figures
-Problems
-Sampling techniques

Media
-Writers
-Appearances on Television
-Credibility
-Neil MacNeil from Time
-Spectrum television show
-ITT case
-Harm to administration
-Credibility
-Press relations
-Peter Lisagor
-Sidey
-James Keogh
-Osborne
-Boycott
-President Nixon and the Press
-Condensation in Reader's Digest
-Readership
-Comparisons

Acupuncture
-Interest
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Articles
-Gen. Walter R. Tkach
-Article
-Interest
-Fascination
-Age of technique
-PRC
-Abolition and reinstatement by Mao Tse-tung
-Cultural revolution
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Article by James A. Michener


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 11s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.

The President's schedule

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 11:46 am.
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 17s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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Polling Presidential popularity
-Thomas W. Benham’s analysis and numbers
-Major issues
-Reversals in public opposition
-November 3, 1969 speech on Vietnam
-Cambodia
-Economic discussions of Phases I and II
-PRC trip
-High points
-Attrition
-Reasons
-Beginning of term
-Successes
-High approval
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry S. Truman
-Unsolvable problems
-Approval downturn
-Vietnam
-Impact
-Republican minority
-Public support
-Depth
-Expectations
-Current strategy
-Problems
-Inflation
-Food prices
-Labor
-Food prices
-Food chains
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Reduction of prices
-Safeway stores
-Advertisements
-Possible price freeze
-Weak areas
-Groups
-Independents
-Reasons for voting
-Party loyalty
-Importance
-Mitchell
-New voters
-Party affiliation
-Independence
-The President's inroads
-Vietnam
-PRC opening
-End of draft
-Women
-High prices
-Administration record
-Equal opportunity
-Appointments
-Nixon family
-Concerns
-Status of women
-Patricia R. Hitt
-Young women
-Liberal leanings and idealism
-ITT
-Budget consciousness
-Cost of goods
-The President and Muskie
-Comparisons
-The President's personality
-Projection
-Importance
-Press
-Awards
-Presentation of awards
-Timing
-Image as President rather than as candidate
-Course of the President's popularity over first term
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-High and low points discussed
-Moon landing
-November 3, 1969 speech on Vietnam
-Withdrawal from Cambodia
-Laos
-Pentagon papers
-Phase I and Phase II discussions
-PRC trip
-Gallup poll
-Range
-John F. Kennedy
-Johnson


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 48s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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Media
-Radio speech on drugs

Education
-Forthcoming speech to the National Catholic Education Association [NCEA]
-Ehrlichman
-Draft
-Timing
-Problems
-Non-public schools
-Aid
-Colson
-Administration's position
-Division within White House
-Harris polls
-Results
-Catholic attitudes
-George P. Shultz's study
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Ehrlichman
-Financing
-Tuition
-Parish funds
-Contributions
-Tax deductibility
-Problems
-Non-Catholic students
-Percentage
-Shultz and Ehrlichman
-Opposition to aid
-Shultz
-Support for private schools
-Ehrlichman
-Busing issue
-Busing
-Forum for handling
-Television press conferences

Media relations
-The President’s recent press conference
-Press reports on the President's tone and physical condition
-Osborne
-Sidey
-Lisagor
-Sidey
-The President's aging
-Description from Sidey
-Osborne
-Comments
-Difference of opinion
-The President's press conferences
-Reports
-The President's tenseness
-Dan Rather
-Inaccuracies
-Press conferences
-President’s dislike
-Keogh's book
-Osborne's review
-Possible press corps view of the President
-Press boycotts
-Osborne
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Ziegler’s role
-Sidey
-Osborne

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.

The President's meeting with Prisoner of War/Missing in Action [POW-MIA] lawyers
-Press picture
-Advantages
-American Bar Association [ABA]
-Format
-Number
-[Louis] Patrick Gray, III
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:45 am.

John B. Connally
-Illness
-Return home
-Postponement of meeting with Arthur F. Burns

Haldeman left at 11:45 am.