364–4

Conversation No. 364-4

Date: October 5, 1972
Time: 12:26 pm - 1:36 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

The President's October 5, 1972 press conference
-Press conference
-Tone
-John F. Kennedy
-Tone
-George S. McGovern
-John F. Kennedy
-Contrasted with the President
-McGovern
-Voice
-Radio

H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 12:29 pm.
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:29 pm.

Request for briefing book

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:35 pm.

Issues
-Amnesty
-Marijuana
-Youth
-Welfare
-Increases
-Vietnam
-Imposition of communist government
-National defense
-US compared to the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics [USSR]
-World leadership
-Economy
-Inflation, employment
-Tax reform, welfare reform
-The President's positions contrasted with McGovern's
-Boston advertisement
-Focus on issues
-The President’s view
-Increase in television advertisements
-Amnesty
-Vietnam
-Draft dodgers
-Veterans view of McGovern
-Opposition
-Columbus, Ohio
-Factory workers debate with McGovern
-Welfare
-Effectiveness as issue
-Effectiveness of issues
-Complexity
-Amnesty
-Loyalty question
-McGovern campaign
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Tone
-Compared to the President’s
-Statesmanship
-Staff efforts

The President’s secret press conference
-Jerome R. Waldie
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Support of McGovern
-California
-Congress
-Press coverage
-Colson’s conversation with Jim Cannon [?]
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Comment on October 4, 1972
-Vietnam
-Washington Post
-New York Times, Time, Newsweek, network commentators
-The press
-Importance of issue
-Press fairness
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Watergate
-New American majority
-Support for the President
-Polls
-Marvin L. Kolb
-Taxes
-Congress
-Busing
-Possible constitutional amendment
-The President’s view compared to McGovern’s
-Amnesty
-Welfare
-National defense
-Vietnam
-Busing
-Possible amendment
-Presentation of issue
-McGovern
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

Issues
-Busing
-Advertisements
-The President’s instructions
-Boston advertisement
-St. Louis
-The President’s view
-Compared to McGovern’s
-Kindergarten children
-Detroit
-Colson’s efforts
-Assessing possible damage to McGovern’s campaign

The President’s recent press conference
-Double standard
-Effect

Strategy
-John A. Scali
-McGovern
-The President's press conferences
-Scali’s view
-Surrogates
-Value
-Leadership issue
-Cabinet officials as spokesmen
-William P. Rogers
-Amnesty issue
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-The President’s recollection
-Endorsement of candidates
-Presentation of amnesty issue
-Canada
-Cabinet officials
-Enthusiasm
-McGovern
-Charges against the President's administration
-White House staff
-Corruption
-Defense spending
-Campaign practices
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Previous treatment of Karl E. Mundt
-[1960 election]
-Waldie's charges
-The President’s instructions
-Advertisements
-Campaign
-Tone
-Compared to the President’s
-The President’s recent press conference
-Polls
-George H. Gallup
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Unknown reporter
-Effort to recall
-Questions
-Corruption
-Vietnam
-Negotiated settlement
-Bombing
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Bombing halt
-Wheat deal
-Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
-Property taxes
-Senior citizens
-Watergate
-Tax increase
-Spending ceiling
-Polls
-Gallup
-New American Majority
-Press conferences
-Radio
-Surrogate comment
-Press conferences
-Speeches
-The President’s story about John Foster Dulles
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Political scientists evaluation
-The President's role as President during campaign period
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Taxes
-Radio
-Oval Office press conference

The President's schedule
-Oval Office press conference
-Congressional adjournment
-Ohio
-Congressional adjournment
-Timing

National economy
-Inflation rate
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]

Issues
-Vietnam
-Settlement
-Public relations

Poll results on issues
-Massachusetts
-Unknown poll
-McGovern proposals
-Welfare issue
-$1000 per person
-National defense
-USSR
-Amnesty
-Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology [MIT]
-Foreign affairs
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Vietnam
-Marijuana legalization
-Alcohol
-Busing
-Liberal leanings
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Numbers
-California
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Los Angeles
-Orange County
-Numbers

Haldeman talked to an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 1:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 364-4B]

Poll results
-Los Angeles, Orange County
-North
-San Diego, San Bernardino, San Francisco
-John B. Connally

Instructions to call Ziegler

[End of telephone conversation]

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and
1:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 364-4A]

[See Conversation No. 31-2]

Request for a call to Ziegler

Presidential properties
-Jim Deakin
-Jack N. Anderson story
-Secret Service
-Source
-General Services Administration [GSA]

[End of telephone conversation]

-Modifications
-Swimming pool glass
-lighting
-Telephone lines
-Heating system
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Gas compared to electric
-Safety reasons
-Small fire on the premises
-Florida
-Shark nets
-Secret Service
-Airstrip
-Helicopter pad
-Improvements
-Compared to Johnson
-Ranch
-Heating system
-Electric cost compared to gas cost
-Source of recommendation on modification
-Deakin
-Ziegler
-Handling of issue
-Job performance

The President's schedule
-Columbus Day dinner, October 8, 1972
-Peter Fosco
-New York
-Columbus Day dinner
-Use of Marine Band
-George Meany
-Marine Band, Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
-Gridiron dinners
-Charo
-Viewing stand for the President
-Non-political nature
-Fosco
-Knights of Columbus
-President’s remarks
-Meany
-Italians
-Building trades
-Number of members
-Jay Lovestone
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Colorado
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Upcoming announcement
-McGovern
-Relationship with Meany
-Description as War Hawk

Shriver
-Colorado
-Comments
-Votes for the President
-Labor leaders

The President’s recent press conference
-Agnew
-Vietnam War
-Negotiations
-Hubert H. Humphrey

Vietnam War
-Release of Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Statement from McGovern
-Public reaction
-Enlisted men compared to officers
-Blacks
-Brig. Gen. Daniel (“Chappie”) James, Jr.
-League of Families, POW wives
-McGovern speech


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 31s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************


The President's schedule
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Henry A. Kissinger
-Presentation of issues
-Senior Citizens
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] signing ceremony
-Television coverage
-The President’s view
-The press
-Gromyko

Issues
-Wheat deal
-The President’s recent press conference
-Amount of aid to farmers
-Trade balance, balance of payments
-Creation of jobs
-World trade
-Iowa survey
-Time remaining until election
-McGovern
-Tactics
-Position
-Fringe element
-Law and order
-Vietnam War
-Catholics, Jews
-Appeal
-“Old time” politics
-Intensity of support
-Boston
-Use of time
-Mudslinging
-Charges against the President
-Corruption
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Possible backfire on McGovern


*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 17s ]
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************


Issues
-Veterans education bill
-Benefits
-Call to Colson from an unknown person
-Olin E. (“Tiger”) Teague
-Amount
-Administration's position
-Young veterans


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 7s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************


Issues
-Agnew’s recent statements
-Foreign policy
-Isolationism
-Internationalism
-Credibility of comments
-Peace
-USSR, PRC
-Effectiveness as issue
-McGovern
-Credibility
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 42s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

*****************************************************************


[Unintelligible]

Campaign practices
-Buttons
-Similarities to swastika
-Slogan
-Century Plaza demonstration
-Adolf Hitler
-Anne L. Armstrong

Colson left at 1:35 pm.

The President’s recent press conference
-Kissinger
-Kissinger’s concern
-Transcript

Haldeman left at 1:36 pm.