909–26

Conversation No. 909-26

Date: May 2, 1973
Time: 12:11 pm - 12:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William P. Rogers.

Meeting with Willy Brandt

Watergate

The President talked with the White House operator at 12:11 pm.

[Conversation No. 909-26A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-139]

[End telephone conversation]

President’s statement

-Economic Stabilization Program


Watergate

-Special Prosecutor

-Elliot L. Richardson

-Senate resolution, May 1

-Senators’ understanding
-Significance
-Implications of “no confidence” vote
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]

The President talked with Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. between 12:11 and 12:12 pm.

[Conversation No. 909-26B]
 -44-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-26 (cont’d)


[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-140]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate
-Senate resolution, May 1
-Barry M. Goldwater and James L. Buckley
-Possible statements
-Charles H. Percy’s role
-Percy
-Possible statement on Elliot L. Richardson
-Motives

John B. Connally

-Political affiliation

-Possible role in administration

-Defense Secretary

David Packard

-Forthcoming meeting with President

-Possible role as Defense Secretary


Counsel to the President

-President’s conversation with Cole

-Role

-John W. Dean, III

-Possible candidates

-Qualifications

-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Rogers’s opinion
-Cabinet
-Congressional relations
-Possible candidates

-George H. W. Bush

 -45-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-26 (cont’d)

-Commitments
-Republican National Committee [RNC] chairman
-Strengths

-Bush, Bryce N. Harlow

-Strengths

-Bush

-Possible role


White House staff organization
-Chief of Staff
-President’s preference

Spiro T. Agnew
-Conversation with Rogers, May 1
-Meeting with President, May 1
-Watergate
-Public statements

-Intelligence, dignity

-Possible foreign travel

-Domestic Council

-Attendance

-Role


Quadriad meeting
-Agnew’s attendance
-Phase III of Economic Stabilization Act
-Announcement

-Pre-reporting requirements

-Large corporations


Counsel to the President
-Possible candidates

-Bush and Harlow

-Donald H. Rumsfeld

-Suitability
-Senate candidacy
-Interpersonal relations
 -46-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-26 (cont’d)

-Bush

-Harlow

-Bush

-Qualifications

-Precision
-Authoritarianism
-Bush
-Republican National Committee [RNC] commitments

Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Compared with Sherman Adams
-Relations with Republicans, Democrats

Counsel to the President
-Possible candidates

-Bush

-James T. Lynn

-Qualifications
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW] Secretary
-Workload
-Lynn
-Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Secretary
-Previous experience in Washington, DC
-Maurice H. Stans
-Commerce Department
-Congressional relations
-Age

-Strength

-Bush

-Capability

-Compared to Prescott S. Bush

-Integrity

-Intelligence

-Decency

-Need for legal background

-Possible candidates

 -47-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-26 (cont’d)

-George McKinnon

-Health

-Current judgeship

-Integrity

-Pension

-Age

-Retirement
-Pension

Watergate
-Special Prosecutor

-Richardson

-Edmund G. (“Pat”) Brown

-Rogers’s viewpoint

-Previous experience

-Temperament

-Possible Democrat
-Barnabas F. Sears
-Qualifications
-Rogers’s conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Qualifications

-John N. Mitchell

-Difficulties of forthcoming prosecutions

-Burden on prosecutor
-Jury
-Possible motion for change of venue
-Mitchell, other possible defendants
-Washington, DC

Counsel to the President
-Possible candidates
-John W. Byrnes

-Finances

-Family

-Intelligence

-Experience

-Possible dynamic with President

 -48-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-26 (cont’d)

-Meeting with Rogers
-Interest
-Bush
-Lynn
-Rogers’s check
-Age
-Strengths
-Experience
-Precision
-Working style
-Relations with colleagues, Cabinet
-Bush
-Working style
-Ambition
-Loyalty
-Byrnes
-Telephone call with Rogers
-Interest

Rogers’s schedule

-Brandt’s Head of State visit, German officials

-Opera


President’s Schedule
-Haile Selassie
-Head of State visit
-Dinner
-Toast
-Possible message to Dr. Minassie Haile
-Florida
-Timing

Rogers left at 12:30 pm.
 -49-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 909-27 (cont’d)