846–16

Conversation No. 846-16

Date: February 1, 1973
Time: 3:05 pm - 4:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Linwood Holton, Winfield Dunn, John A. Love, Arch A. Moore, Jr.,
Robert D. Ray, Francis W. Sargent,John R. (“Jack”) Williams, George H. W. Bush, Kenneth R.
Cole, Jr., James H. Falk, and J. Marsh Thompson

Greetings

Seating arrangements

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

Retrieval
-Executive Office Building
-Plaque of Massachusetts

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Reporters and photographers entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

Photograph session
 - 43 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Governors
-Bush
-Cole

[Photograph session]

The reporters and White House photographers left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Seating arrangement

Bush
-Schedule

Cole
-Role in meeting

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

President’s birthday
-New York
-Plaque o Massachusetts

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Agenda
-1974 election
-Role of governors
-Candidates
-Governors
-Congress
-State legislators
-Intergovernmental relations
-Governor’s perspectives
-Holton
-Bush’s schedule
 - 44 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)




**********************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1974 election
-State level
-Candidate selection
-Bush
-Republican majority
-House of Representatives
-Senate
-Selection process
-Republicans’ Governors Association
-Bush
-Field staff
-Charlie Porter
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Consolidation of committees
-Field staff
-Recruitment
-Two party system
-Priorities
-New Jersey
-William T. Cahill
-Intentions
-Vacation
-Possible primary problem
-Alaska
-Donald E. (“Don”) Young
-Bush
-Republican National Committee [RNC] Chairman
-Political Activities
-Cabinet meetings
-Republican leaders meetings
-Campaign committees
-Problem Governors
 - 45 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Senate
-House of Representatives
-National Chairman
-Influence
-Spokesman
-Preservation of incumbents
-Senate
-Sensitivity
-William E. Brock, III
-Tennessee
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Candidate recruitment
-Political outlook
-Massachusetts
-Alabama
-House of Representatives
-Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown, Jr.
-Candidate selection
-Clarence J. Brown, Sr.
-Ideologue
-Pragmatism
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-Bush
-Brock
-Gubernatorial candidates
-Weakness
-Selection by RNC
-State politics
-New York
-Rockefeller
-Approval of candidates
-California
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Role of Governors
-Congressmen and Senators
-Role of President
 - 46 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Candidate selection
-Rockefeller
-Reagan
-Procedure
-Cooperation
-President’s advice
-Possible Presidential candidates
-John B. Connally
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Charles H. Percy
-Bush
-Connection to White House
-Clark MacGregor
-John N. Mitchell
-Assistance
-Financing
-Candidates
-Age criteria
-George Murphy
-California
-Robert H. Finch
-Role of Governors
-Rockefeller
-Primaries
-Bush
-Potential Presidential candidates
-Agnew
-Bold
-Rockefeller

Bush
-Schedule
-California
-Advice to Governors
-RNC
-Holton
 - 47 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Dunn
-Relations with governors
-Political stance for 1976 election
-Bush’s meeting with Rockefeller
-Cooperation from White House staff
-Staffing
-Bill Stoddart [?]
-Visits to states

Surrogate systems
-1972 campaign
-Women
-Anne L. Armstrong
-Cabinet
-Wives
-Members
-Former members
-Administration personnel
-Presence of non-political people in administration
-Availability

Republican campaign finances
-Coordination
-Sharing with governors
-Effect on fundraising
-Competition with other campaigns
-National Majority, Nixon Majority, Republican Majority
-Role of governors

Governor’s relationship with Bush
-Brock
-State Legislators
-Reagan
-California
-Legislature
-Jack William’s opinion
 - 48 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)




Bush’s departure

Recruitment of candidates
-Incumbents
-Harold E. Hughes
-Impeachment
-Evangelist
-Orator
-Need for opposition research
-Opposition research
-Role of RNC
-Brock
-Computer
-Use by governors
-Schedule
-West Texas
-Sacramento
-United Nations [UN]

Bush left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Bush
-Cooperation

Republican party
-National party
-Confederation of state parties
-Plans
-State level
-Role of President
-Access
-Cooperation
-Clout
-Relationship with President
-Bureau of the budget
 - 49 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Employment
-Cole
-Bush

Cole as liaison with governors
-Vice President’s office
-White House
-Procedures
-Domestic policy
-National chairman
-St. Louis
-Domestic counsel
-Appointment
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
-Budget problems

President’s schedule
-Telephone call

Federal appointments
-Department of Justice
-District Attorneys
-Assistant District Attorneys
-Anti-Nixon
-Antiwar
-Anti-Republican
-Clearance procedures
-Agriculture
-Antagonistic appointments
-Swearing-in
-Clearance procedures
-Tightening
-Approval of governors
-Anti-Nixon, Antiwar, Anti-Republicans
-Names
-Possible appointments
 - 50 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Jim Haymer [?]
-President’s business counsel
-Approval of governors
-Democrats
-Tolerance

Intergovernmental relations
-Communication
-Tennessee
-County chairmen
-Cole’s role
-Appointments
-Nixon Democrats
-C. Beverly Briley
-Nashville
-Mayor
-Coordination
-Holton
-Louis B. Nunn
-President’s veto of Appalachian bill
-Lead time
-Farm programs
-Program cuts
-Cole
-Candidates
-Rural Electrification Administration [REA]
-Wheat funds
-Environmental program
-Farmers, citizens
-Soil erosion
-Pollutions problems
-Explanations
-Cole’s role
-Input from governors
-Information to governors
-Constituents
 - 51 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Preparation
-Black Lung
-Staff
-James H. Falk
-Marsh Thompson
-Vice President’s staff
-Ray L. Ash
-Political knowledge
-OMB
-Ehrlichman
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Foreign policy
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Centralization
-Agnew
-Communication with his staff
-Bush
-Governors compared to President as executives
-Appointments of Democrats
-Funding cutbacks
-Political plans of Sargent
-Communication
-Relationship with Cabinet
-Cole
-Responsiveness to governors’ telephone calls
-Weinberger
-Press
-Accessibility
-Governors
-White House
-Cole
-Responsiveness from Cabinet members
-Procedure
-Agnew
-Office of Intergovernmental Relations
 - 52 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-White House
-Cole
-Letters to President from governors
-Form letter
-Cole’s acknowledgement
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Public assistance rolls
-Ineligibles
-Policies
-States
-Spot check
-Full check
-Weinberger
-Relationship with Cole
-Direct line

Stephen B. Bill entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

President’s schedule
-Edward R. G. Heath

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Intergovernmental relations
-HEW
-Weinberger
-Political awareness
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-James T. Lynn
-Personality
-Transportation Department
-Claude S. Brinegar
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-Political sense
-Agriculture Department
 - 53 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



-Butz
-Political awareness
-Labor Department
-Peter J. Brennan
-Democrat
-Commerce Department
-Frederick B. Dent
-North Carolina
-South Carolina
-Personality
-Defense Department
-Base closings
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Treasury Department
-George P. Schultz
-Patience
-Agnew
-Cole

Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

President’s schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:02 pm.

Governors’ support for President
-Vietnam settlement
-Hanoi
-1972 election
-Republican majority
-State elections

Farewells
-Candidate selection

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
 - 54 -

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-09)
Conversation No. 846-16 (cont’d)



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


Holton, et al., left at 4:02 pm.