887–7

Conversation No. 887-7

Date: March 22, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:45 am and 12:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with George H. W. Bush, William E. Brock,III, Robert H. Michel and
William E. Timmons. The White House photographer was present at the beginning of the
meeting.


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Greetings

Photographs

Congratulations

Congress

Seating arrangements

Purpose of meeting
-Preliminary meeting
-Elections

Congressional relations
-House campaign committees
-Orientation
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-Candidate selection
-Fundraising
-Candidate selection
-Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown, Jr.
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 887-7 (cont’d)


-Recruitment
-Refusal
-Reasons
-John Rousselot
-Democrats
-Changing Brown’s mind
-Wilson
-Gerald R. Ford
-Grand Rapids
-Carleton J. King
-Rousselot
-Harold R. Collier
-Wilson
-Motivations
-Bush’s political role
-Timmons
-Candidate selections
-Recruitment of a director of campaign
-Age
-Qualities
-President’s role in 1974 campaign
-Support for all incumbents
-Political orientation
-1974 election
-Vulnerabilities
-Age
-Candidate recruitment
-President’s role
-1970 election
-Support role in final campaign
-Spiro T. Agnew and other potential 1976 presidential candidates
-Assistance to candidates
-Money
-Speakers
-New candidates
-Quality
-White House support for House candidates
-Selective support
-Incumbency
 -13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 887-7 (cont’d)


-Age of new candidates
-Maximum age for House of Representatives
-Congressional leadership
-Candidate in Pennsylvania
-Alvin W. Levenhagen
-Age
-Herbert C. Hoover
-Emphasis on youth and Freshmen Republicans
-Wilson
-Minority status
-Selection
-Criteria
-Program
-Wilson
-Brown
-White House assistance
-Youth vote
-Kenneth S. Rietz
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Support for Republicans
-Current candidates
-Qualifications


Republicans
-Conflicts among Congressional Campaign Committees and Republican National
Committee [RNC]
-Jealousy
-Money
-Work of Bush, Brock, and Michel
-Cooperation
-Research staff
-Polling
-White House staff
-Polling
-Use of Federal funds for issue polling
-Cooperation
-Frequency
-White House help
 -14-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 887-7 (cont’d)


-Congress
-“Doves” Liberals
-Senate
-Vietnam War, defense
-Budget
-Tolerance
-Governors
-Independence
-New York
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s standing
-California
-Selection of candidate
-Role of Ronald W. Reagan
-Need for study by RNC
-New Jersey primary
-William T. Cahill
-Noninvolvement
-Congressional Campaign Committees
-Recruitment
-Tactics
-Flexibility
-Incumbents
-President’s influence
-Retirements
-Marlow W. Cook
-Henry L. Bellmon
-William B. Saxbe
-Ohio
-Opposition to retirement
-Bellmon
-Desire to retire
-Reaction to Senate
-Governorship
-Personality
-Oklahoma
-Charles B. (“Bud”) Wilkinson
-Race for Senate
-Chances
-Democratic opponent
 -15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 887-7 (cont’d)


-David Hall
-Compared with Arkansas race
-Problems
-Race for governor
-Bellmon
-Attitude
-Meeting with Bush
-Energy
-Grassroots
-Dewey F. Bartlett
-Governors
-Small states
-Size of problems
-Fundraising
-Problems
-Watergate
-Public relations funds
-House races
-Lack of funding
-Richard Simpson
-RNC
-President’s schedule
-Spring dinners
-House Campaign Committee
-House dinners
-New Majority campaign
-Fundraising for House candidates
-Governors
-Division of funds
-Simpson
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Fundraising
-Senators
-House contests
-Incumbents
-Amounts distributed
-Senate
-William Scott
-Dinners
 -16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 887-7 (cont’d)


-Jesse A. Helms
-Winners
-Amount of work
-Gordon L. Allott, Jack Miller, J. Caleb Boggs, Margaret Chase Smith
-Defeat in 1972 election
-Tennessee
-Appreciation of President

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Bush, Brock, Michel, and Timmons left at 12:12 pm.