919–21

Conversation No. 919-21

Date: May 16, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:49 am and 12:34 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Watergate
-G. Bradford Cook
-President’s previous conversation with John B. Connally
-Testimony before Ervin Committee
-Resignation
-Robert L. Vesco
-President’s reaction
-William J. Casey
-Leonard Garment’s forthcoming investigation
-Vesco
-Possible resignation
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman

President’s previous meeting with Connally
-Secretary of State appointment

-Henry A. Kissinger

-Connally

-Timing

-European summit

-Possible target for Democrats

-Connally’s schedule

-Leonid I. Brezhnev’s visit to US

-Hunting trip

-Texas

-White House staff

-Need for new faces

-John C. Whitaker

-Ronald H. Walker

-Cook

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 919-21 (cont’d)

-Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker
-Jerry H. Jones’s list

Personnel appointments and management
-Haig’s schedule
-Cook’s resignation
-President’s previous meeting with Connally
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Possible role on White House staff
-Compared with Ehrlichman
-Scheduling and public relations [PR]
-John A. Scali’s telephone call to Haig

-Ziegler

-Possible replacement

-Robert J. McCloskey
-Service to William P. Rogers
-Ambassadorship
-Ziegler
-Possible replacement

-Robert B. Semple, Jr.

-Kenneth W. Clawson

-Credibility

-Scali’s view

-John W. Dean, III


President’s meeting with Connally
-Cabinet
-George P. Shultz
-Import surcharge
-Grain prices [?]

Presidency
-Possible resignation
-Impeachment
-Public opinion

-Views of press corps

-Congress

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 919-21 (cont’d)

-Resignation

-New York Times


Watergate
-Dean
-J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-White House response
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Testimony
-Memoranda of conversation [memcons]

-William E. Colby’s possible testimony

-Dr. James R. Schlesinger’s possible testimony

-Walters

-Testimony

-Memcons

-National security

-Cook

-Replacement

-Press coverage

-Popular reaction

-Confidence in government

-Support for President

-Haig’s travels

-Lyndon B. Johnson’s leaving office

-President’s possible resignation

-Guilt

-Vesco

-White House reaction


Personnel management and appointments
-Ziegler’s role on White House staff

-Haig’s role on White House staff

-President’s manager

-PR

-Spokesperson

-Transition

-Timing

 -35-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 919-21 (cont’d)

-Scali
-Emotion
-Appointment
-Ziegler
-Credibility
-Transition
-Replacement
-Scali
-Contributions
-Loyalty

Watergate
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Connally’s opinion
-Conversation with Haig, May 15
-Special Prosecutor
-Confirmation
-Special Prosecutor
-Special Prosecutor
-Warren M. Christopher
-Partisanship
-Possible White House actions
-Christopher
-“Kennedy Democrat”
-Possible actions
-Richardson’s selection process
-Ervin Committee’s input
-Cook
-Dean’s documents
-Diplomatic cables
-Ngo Dinh Diem
-Bay of Pigs

Haig left at an unknown time before 12:34 pm.
 -36-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)