788–18

Conversation No. 788-18

Date: September 29, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:16 pm and 6:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's schedule

John D. Ehrlichman's schedule

Ehrlichman entered at 5:21 pm.

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:50 pm.

Spending ceiling
-House of Representatives
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Ways and Means Committee
-Amendment to debt ceiling extension
-George H. Mahon
-Carl B. Albert
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Opposition
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Staff meeting
 44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Mahon staff member
-Mills staff member
-Opportunities for the administration
-Expenditures
-Lower taxes
-Support
-Embarrassment
-House Democrats
-Possibility of rebuff
-The President's role
-Republican Congressional leadership
-Surrogates
-Major efforts
-Public interest groups
-Business lobby
-Timing
-Plans
-Meeting
-Possible briefing
-The President
-The President’s view
-Ehrlichman's possible role
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Possible Republican Congressional leadership role
-Cabinet meeting
-William E. Timmons's list
-Letter
-Surrogate
-Outside group support
-Republican challengers issue
-Conference spokesmen

Andrei A. Gromyko’s schedule
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] signing
-Henry A. Kissinger's schedule

Budget
-Meeting with the President
-Key Republican leaders
-Gerald R. Ford
-Leslie C. Arends
-Barber B. Conable, Jr.
 45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Plan
-Mills
-Albert
-Boggs
-Mahon
-Timmons's conversation with Mills
-Possible partisan motivation
-The President’s view
-Environmental statement
-San Francisco
-Spending bills
-Pocket veto
-Water bill
-Possible veto message
-Previous recommendation by the President
-Tax increase
-Veto
-Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
appropriations bill
-Veto
-Audio and video Speech
-The President's previous video speech

US-Soviet Union grain deal
-Haldeman's schedule
-Earl L. Butz
-Preparation

Previous Cost of Living Council [COLC] meeting
-Ehrlichman's schedule
-The President’s view
-Rent
-Senior citizens
-Arthur S. Fleming
-The president’s previous meeting with Robert E. Merriam
-Surrogates
-Donald H. Rumsfeld

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:21 pm.

Haldeman's schedule
-Grain deal
 46
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)


Bull left at an unknown time before 5:50 pm.

1972 Presidential election
-Tax bill
-Ehrlichman's previous meeting
-Department of Treasury information
-John N. Andrews, Jr.
-Radio speech
-Problems of elderly
-Radio speeches
-Debt ceiling
-Future

Grain deal with the Soviet Union
-Handling by government officials
-Grain trading
-Industry role
-Clarence D. Palmby
-Job offer
-Negotiations with Soviet Union
-Carroll G. Brunthaver
-Press release
-Telephone calls to grain dealers
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] special
-False allegations
-Previous Department of Agriculture knowledge of Soviet crop failure

Haldeman entered at 5:50 pm.

-Agricultural attache report
-Moscow
-Facts
-Department of Agriculture
-Chronology
-Butz
-Midwest
-Possible radio address
-Explanation
-Three farm editors
-Meet the Press format
-Possible press conference
 47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Importance of radio
-Question and answer on radio
-Rationale
-The President’s view
-Palmby
-Butz’s view
-Possible changes
-Using industry officials
-Butz's credibility
-Three issues
-Disadvantage to taxpayers
-Possible US subsidy to Soviet Union
-Conflict of interest
-Palmby
-Brunthaver
-Change in policy
-Grain dealer notification
-Confusion
-Democratic information
-14 government officials from grain industry
-The President's law firm
-John N. Mitchell
-Cargill Company
-Representation
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] investigation
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-White House involvement
-Butz's responsibility
-Price consideration
-Cargill Company
-Reaction of farmers
-Louis P. Harris Poll
-The President’s standings in Midwest
-Butz's handling of issue
-Schedule
-Figures of poll standings
-Charles W. Colson
-Harris poll
-Ratings decreases
-Possible reason
-Midwest
-South
 48
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-West
-Michigian
-Detroit Daily News poll
-Minnesota
-Iowa

The President's schedule
-The President's forthcoming meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
-Timing
-Gromyko
-Revenue sharing ceremony in White House
-List of mayors to invite
-Mayors for George S. McGovern
-John V. Lindsay
-Joseph Alioto
-San Francisco, California
-Henry W. Maier
-Milwaukee, Wisconsin
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Lindsay
-Alioto


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


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


US Soviet Union grain deal as issue
-Poll importance
-The President’s view
-Midwest
-Chicago
-Detroit
-Columbus
 49
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Indianapolis
-Concern over grain
-Butz’s view
-Storage sale
-Japan
-Wheat market
-Harris poll

The President's schedule
-Monday meeting
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Timmons
-Cabinet Room
-Timing
-Gromyko

Ehrlichman left at 5:53 pm.


1972 Presidential election
-Possible use of information
-Kenneth W. Clawson's schedule
-White House role
-Mitchell

Radio talks by the President
-Issues
-Ehrlichman
-Number
-Timing

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:53 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Kissinger and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Bull left at an unknown time before 6:03 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
 50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 39s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


Kissinger and Haig entered at 6:03 pm.

Haig’s forthcoming trip to Saigon
-Vietnam peace negotiations

Haldeman left at 6:05 pm.

-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Relations with US
-Haig’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
-Haig’s instructions
-US support
-US-Soviet Union summit
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Bombing
-Mining of Haiphong
-End of war
-The President’s view
-Importance
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Peace negotiations
-Options
-Haig’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Importance of effort
-Strength and moderation
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s example
-Bombing
-Peace proposal
-Rejection of peace proposal
-Haig’s view
-Chance of non-Communist government
 51
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-The President’s view
-North Vietnamese aims
-Thieu resignation
-North Vietnamese Army
-South Vietnam
-US proposals
-North Vietnamese withdrawals
-South Vietnam
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Constituent assembly
-Haig’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
-Importance of withdrawal
-Election in US
-POW issue
-Structure of meeting with Thieu
-Past interest representation
-1968
-Johnson
-1968 election
-Domestic problems
-Difference between 1968 and 1972
-Strategic situation
-Senate support
-Legislation
-Haig’s previous meeting with Thieu
-October, 1971
-Thieu’s position
-May 1972 statement
-Detailing counterproposal
-Effect to Thieu
-Advisory group
-South Vietnamese forces
-Constituent assembly
-New constitution
-Possible South Vietnamese election
-Electoral commission
-Unanimity requirement
-1972 Presidential election effect
-Support for Thieu
-The President’s view
-Support for previous policy
 52
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-US casualties and POWs
-Soviet Union
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-US and South Vietnamese casualties
-Differences
-Instructions to Haig
-Thieu
-Response to peace proposal
-Timing
-US relations with Thieu
-Possible George S. McGovern reaction
-Previous position
-Support
-Haig’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
-House of Representatives
-Senate
-Media
-Student rioting
-Agreement
-North Vietnamese proposals
-Kissinger’s assessment
-Protection of Saigon
-Committee on National Reconciliation
-Haig’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
-Transportation to Saigon
-Aircraft
-Air Force
-List of staff accompanying Haig
-John Negroponte
-Aid in negotiations
-Weapons expert
-Department of State
-Importance of ending war
-Risk of break
-1972 Presidential election
-Plans after election
-B-52s
-Reaction to proposals

Haig’s schedule

Haig left at 6:20 pm.
 53
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)


US-Soviet Union grain deal
-Soviet Union position
-Announcement of trade agreement
-Figures
-Israeli exit visas
-Peter G. Peterson
-Timing of trade agreement
-1972 Presidential election
-Kissinger’s view
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Public opinion
-Knowledge of Soviet food situation
-Farmers' reaction
-Foreign policy
-Dealings with the Soviets
-Startegic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
-Liberals
-Joseph C. Kraft and Milton Viorst
-Charges
-Wheat deal
-Hedley W. Donovan
-Criticism of the President
-Linkage of issue
-Middle East
-Egypt
-Soviet offensive weapons
-Vietnam
-Mining of Haiphong Harbor
-Liberals
-The President’s view


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
 54
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

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


US-Soviet Union relations
-Trade agreement
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Brezhnev
-Peterson
-Gromyko
-William P. Rogers
-State Department
-Possible leaks
-SALT II
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s forthcoming press briefing
-Questions
-North Vietnamese
-Kissinger's previous trip to the Soviet Union
-News coverage of briefing
-Questions on Vietnam

Substance of Kissinger's forthcoming press conference
-SALT agreement
-Vietnam trip
-Separation of questions

Kissinger's schedule
-Peter Peterson
-Trade agreement
-Timing
-Haig

Forthcoming dinner
-Sir Alexander F. Douglas-Home

Kissinger left at 6:30 pm.