722–7

Conversation No. 722-7

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:01 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John B. Connally; Ollie F. (“Ollie”) Atkins was present at the beginning
of the meeting.

Greetings

Vietnam
-President's previous speech on the blockade
-Connally’s view
-Delivery
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-6 (cont.)


Photographs
-Atkins
-Connally ranch
-Gift to John and Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally
-Quality
-Location
-Kay Dobson [?]
-Tom O'Connor
-Woody [surname unknown] [Horses?]
-Norman [surname unknown] [Horses?]
-Surget [sp?]

Research
-Book, Twentieth-Century Glass, American and European
-Metropolitan Museum of Art
-Engraving

Vietnam
-President's previous speech on the blockade
-Public opinion
-Treasury Department
-Working people
-Blacks
-Chauffeur
-Arthur F. Burns's report
-Support for action
-Support for President
-Alexander P. Butterfield [?]
-Blockade
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Connally's speech
-Cabinet meeting
-Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Opposition
-Length
-Melvin R. Laird
-William P. Rogers
-Stance
-The President’s view
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Connally's support for President
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Rogers and Laird
-Opposition
-Reasons
-Bureaucratic leadership
-Qualities
-Connally’s view
-Compared with business leaders
-Laird
-Opposition
-Success
-NSC meeting
-Rogers and Connally
-Rogers's view
-The President’s view
-Kissinger
-Alternatives for US
-Bargaining power
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-North Vietnamese offensive
-South Vietnamese defeat
-Consequences for President and US
-Forthcoming election
-US defeat
-President's response

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 3:09 pm.

-Blockade
-Ziegler's briefing
-Report from Michael J. Mansfield and Hugh Scott
-Statement for press
-Personal greeting
-Chou En-lai
-Speeches
-Discussion of President's speech

Ziegler left at 3:11 pm.

-Opposition
-Motives
-Necessity
-Mining
-Air strikes
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Rails
-Petroleum, oil and lubricant [POL] dumps
-Military expectations of success
-The President’s view
-Rails
-POL
-Connally’s view
-B-52s
-Laird
-Gen. Creighten W. Abrams, Jr.
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Possibility of success
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson's tactics
-Limitations
-President's tactics
-Rails
-Intensity of bombing
-Rails
-Repairs
-Equipment
-Compared with World War II
-Targets
-Priorities
-Power plants
-Public opinion
-Intensity
-Benefits
-Power failures
-Destruction of North Vietnam machinery
-Impact
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Kontum
-Hue
-South Vietnamese countermeasure
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Air strikes
-Blockade
-A treaty
-Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-Public opinion
-Support for President
-President's attendance
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Conditions
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Compared to Dunkirk
-Criticism
-President's previous support for John F. Kennedy
-Democrats
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Edward M. Kennedy
-George S. McGovern
-Cessation
-President's offers
-Connally’s view
-Troop withdrawals
-Thieu
-North Vietnamese rejection
-Reason
-North Vietnamese demands
-US response
-Compared to Armageddon
-US great power status

Public opinion
-Connally’s view
-Influence of Edward Kennedy, Muskie, McGovern
-Unrest, frustration
-Proportions
-Situation in Texas
-Governor's race
-Voting results
-Ben F. Barnes
-Dolph Briscoe
-Frances T. (“Sissy”) Farenthold
-McGovern support
-Runoff
-Briscoe
-Farenthold
-Barnes
-Briscoe
-Background
-[Forename unknown] Walker media campaign
-Effect
-Attorney General's race
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-John Hill
-The President’s view
-Parallel to US
-Issues
-Revenue sharing, welfare reform
-Leadership
-George C. Wallace and McGovern
-Response
-Humphrey
-Lack of support
-Influence of \"Atomic Age\"
-Nagasaki, Hiroshima
-Psychological effect on US
-Previous wars
-Psychological effect on US
-Influence on international affairs
-Influence on monetary affairs
-Influence on domestic affairs
-Government
-Manifestations
-Political leadership
-State and local levels
-Congress
-President's role
-Public expectations
-President's role
-Necessity
-Possibility of arnarchy
-Democrats' leadership
-1972 candidates
-Edward Kennedy
-Humphrey
-McGovern
-Impact on US
-Longshoremen's strike
-President's role in ending
-Busing
-Administration's actions
-Delays
-Studies
-Amendment
-Rhetoric
-Deficiencies of plan
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Responsibility
-Rhetoric
-Quality
-President's speech
-Show of leadership
-Congress
-Conflicts with President
-Connally’s view

Forthcoming election
-Incumbents
-Past elections
-Governors
-Florida
-Farris Bryant
-Georgia
-Carl E. Sanders
-Kentucky
-Bert T. Combs
-Defeats
-Polls
-Reliability
-Undercurrents
-Shortcomings
-Texas election
-Polls
-Defeat of Barnes
-Farenthold
-Position on social issues
-Radicalism
-Abortion, marijuana
-Briscoe
-Connally’s view
-Age
-Background
-Family
-Education
-Character
-Intelligence
-Home
-Constituency
-Democrat primary
-Defeats
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Democratic Party
-Unrest
-1972 compared with 1968 convention
-Texas primary
-McGovern vote
-Wallace vote
-Uncommitted
-Humphrey, McGovern supporters
-McGovern vote
-Reasons
-Support for President
-Contrast with Ohio and Illinois
-President's leadership
-Domestic
-International
-Democrats
-McGovern
-Vulnerabilities
-Taxes
-Amnesty
-Abortion
-Marijuana
-President's response
-Nomination
-Edward Kennedy
-Humphrey
-California
-Weaknesses
-Lack of support
-Compared with the President
-Edward Kennedy and McGovern
-Divisions in nation
-Convention
-Turmoil
-McGovern supporters
-Intellectuals
-Liberals
-Blacks
-Chicanos
-Lack of leadership
-John V. Lindsay
-Richard J. Daley
-Illinois delegation
 23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-New York
-Pennsylvania
-California
-Samuel W. Yorty
-Joseph Alioto
-Texas
-Colorado
-Wisconsin
-Minnesota
-New York
-Connecticut
-New York
-McGovern support
-Lack of brokers
-Harry S. Truman
-Samuel Rayburn
-Johnson
-Daley
-Robert Wagner
-David Lawrence
-Continuity
-Lack of leadership
-McGovern supporters
-Anarchy
-Edward Kennedy
-Nomination
-Anarchy
-President's leadership
-Need
-Rhetoric
-Major issues
-Attacks on Congress
-Budget issues
-Spending cuts
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger, George P. Shultz
-Size of government
-Cuts
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Social Security
-Job programs
-Manpower training
-Results compared with costs
-Taxes
 24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Increases
-Reforms
-Problems with Congress
-Possible recession
-Effects
-Primary results
-Democrat candidates
-McGovern
-The President’s view
-Connally’s view
-Comparison with Barry M. Goldwater
-The President’s view
-Edward Kennedy
-Connally’s view
-Humphrey
-The President’s view
-McGovern
-Radicalism
-Ideology
-Edward Kennedy
-Patriotism
-Connally’s view
-Political ambitions
-Connally’s view
-Robert F. Kennedy
-Previous election
-Attacks on law enforcement
-Stakes in election
-Political opinion
-Need to mobilize
-Sense of lack of control
-Need for leadership
-Possible dictatorship
-Need for President's leadership
-Need to take a stand
-Communism
-Connally's stand on international trade, monetary affairs
-Public reaction
-Need for leadership
-Appealing to instinct
-Need for leadership on Vietnam
-Necessity of action
 25

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

Media
-View of US
-President's approach
-Agnew’s attacks
-Popular appeal
-Biases
-Columnists
-Television newsmen
-Editorials

Jews
-Liberals
-Influence
-Actions to take against
-Connally’s view
-The President’s view
-Department of Justice
-Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]
-Lawyers in government
-Control
-Frederic V. Malek

The federal government
-Actions in second term
-Presidential appointees
-Park Service director
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo's report
-Dismissals
-Impact
-The President’s view
-Incestuousness of philosophies
-Treasury Department
-Tax lawyers
-Economists
-Harvard University Business School
-Harvard University
-Yale University
-Stanford University
-University of Chicago
-Influence on government
-Harvard University
-State universities
-Texas
 26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Ohio
-Environment
-Presidential appointees
-Resignations
-Cabinet
-Resignations
-Changes
-Pentagon shakeups
-Robert S. McNamara associates
-Systems analysts
-State Department shakeups
-Planning
-Malek
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Dismissal list
-The President’s view
-Loyalists
-Number
-Appointments
-Business people
-Loyalties of appointees
-Interior Department, Bureau of Land Management, Federal
Communications Commission [FCC] , SEC, Treasury
Department
-Congressional patronage
-Andrew Jackson and the spoils system
-Benefits
-Civil Service
-The President’s view
-Disadvantages
-Need for loyalists

Supreme Court
-The President’s view
-Replacements
-Number
-Importance
-Potter Stewart
-The President’s view
-Connection with the “Georgetown social set”
-Voting record
-Influences
-Warren E. Burger
 27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Harry A. Blackmun
-William H. Rehnquist
-Lewis F. Powell
-Thurgood Marshall and William O. Douglas
-Departure
-Effect on Court
-Effect on nation

Forthcoming election


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 38s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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Congress
-Connally’s view
-Charles Vanik
-Henry S. Reuss
-Sam M. Gibbons
-William Proxmire

Economy
-Strength
-Unemployment

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Connally's forthcoming statement
-National Security Council [NSC] interview with Robert B. Semple of
New York Times
-Press conference
-Television
 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 722-7 (cont.)

-Democratic caucus
-Connally's press conference rebuttal
-George Meany
-Support

Connally left at 4:01 pm