Ask the Scholar

On March 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 688-012 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with John D. Ehrlichman. Weather Earl L. Butz - Farm income - Food prices - Middle man - Grace period - The President's forthcoming press briefing - Farm income Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:24 pm. Europe - William P. Rogers - Talk with Kissinger - Rogers's possible forthcoming trip to Europe - Allies - Schedule - Soviet summit - Iceland - North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] Council - Staff - Publicity - White House - Announcement - Ronald L. Ziegler - State Department - Environmental conference - Stockholm - Ireland - The President - Timing - NATO - Delegation - Russell E. Train - William D. Ruckelshaus - Talk with Ehrlichman - Cabinet officers - Elliot L. Richardson - Soviet Union - Negotiations - Soviet summit - Train - State Department - Edward R.G. Heath - Georges J.R. Pompidou - Willy Brandt - The People's Republic of China [PRC] trip - Shanghai Communiqué - Mao Tse- Tung - Leonid I. Brezhnev - Possible leak - The President's possible statement - Soviet summit - Allies - State Department - Foreign Service officers Kissinger left at 12:30 pm. State Department - Reorganization - Ehrlichman's talk with John B. Connally -1972 election - Rogers - Foreign trade - Foreign economic policy - Foreign service officers - Rogers - Soviet summit Rogers - Possible resignation - Soviet summit - Campaign - Reelection of the President - New Secretary of State - Connally - Reelection of the President - Completing term The President's forthcoming press conference - Oval Office - The President's talk with H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman - Questions and answers [Q&A] - Radio - Television - Equal time Busing - March 16, 1972 speech - News summary coverage - Television - Democrats - Blacks - The President - Leonard Garment - Speech - Tone - Left - Michael J. Mansfield - Democratic candidates - Hubert H. Humphrey - Moratorium - Right wingers - Strom Thurmond - Media - Court ordered busing - Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW] - Harry S. Dent - Explanation to Southerners - Ziegler - Charles W. Colson - Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. - Thurmond - Dent - Mayors - Local press - Colson - Editorial comment - Ziegler - Local representatives of newspapers - Wire services - Intervention - Announcement - Richmond - Memphis - Michigan - Edward L. Morgan - Importance - Court orders - Ehrlichman's forthcoming talk with Stewart J.O. Alsop - Explanation - Thurmond - Donald Oberdorfer, Jr. - David S. Broder - William S. White - Holmes Alexander - Conservatives - Patrick J. Buchanan - James J. Kilpatrick, Jr. - Briefings - White - Instructions - Conservative line - Clark MacGregor and his staff - Briefings for members of Congress - James O. Eastland - Leaders meeting - March 16, 1972 speech - Max Frankel articles - New York Times - Oberdorfer articles - Washington Post - Washington Post editorial - Meg Greenfield - George C. Wallace - Constitutional amendment - Television appearance - Executive order - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson - Constitutional amendment - Senators - Congressmen - Audience reached - Children - Colson - Kenneth W. Clawson - Dita D. Beard - Calls to editors - Southern states - Trips - Key states - Virginia - Richmond - Moratorium - Tennessee - Ehrlichman's talk with Howard H. Baker, Jr. - Nashville - Memphis - Intervention in Nashville - Michigan - Intervention - Status of cases - Robert P. Griffin - March 16, 1972 speech - Left wingers - Arthur Goldberg - Parren J. Mitchell [?] - Jacob K. Javits - South - Reactions - Griffin - Moderates - Baker - William E. Brock, III - Intervention - Texas - John G. Tower - Moratorium - Federal government - Local school board - Morgan - Austin, Corpus Christi, Texas - National Broadcasting Company [NBC] - George S. McGovern - Cases - Court orders for racial balance - Press conference - Federal judges - Racial balance - Intent - Effect - Reasons for busing - End of discrimination - Racial balance - Morgan - Richardson - Press conference - Answer - Judges - Courts - Press - Morgan Ehrlichman's schedule Busing - Congress - New compared to old money - Education support - Politics - Democratic candidates - Wallace - Jackson - Congress - Vote - Moratorium - Russell B. Long's conversation with Haldeman - Haldeman's talk with Ehrlichman - Reelection - Connally - House Resolution [H.R.] 1 - Passage Social Security - Ehrlichman's talk with Connally - Connally's forthcoming meeting with the President - Percentage - Cost of living - Longshoremen strike - Pay Board - Anti- Inflation stand - Possible compromise - Richardson - Arthur S. Flemming - Inflation - Taxes - The President's memorandum to George P. Shultz - Talk with the President - Old age benefits - Economic issue - Connally Longshoreman strike - Harry Bridges - Pay Board - Employers - Productivity - Choices - Effect on costs - Shultz - Lawyers William Brock [not William E. Brock III] - Letter - Football teammate of the President at Whittier College - Orthogonian Society - Political affiliation - Race - Possible position in administration - Frederic V. Malek Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:30 pm. Photostatic copy of a document - Job - Malek - Government Bull left at an unknown time before 1:15 pm. Judgeships Hiring [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/09/2022. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [688-012- W003] [Duration: 7s] Jack Drown - Tennis court International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case - Dita D. Beard memorandum - Typewriter - Ribbon - Time period used - Committee - Press - Colson - Press - Leak story - Beard - Statement - Headline in Washington Star - John V. Tunney - Richard G. Kleindienst - Edward M. Kennedy - Jack N. Anderson - Colson - Memorandum - Anderson's secretary - Beard's secretary Ehrlichman's schedule - Alsop meeting Busing - Constitutional amendment - Inferior compared to superior education - Alsop - Desegregation - Old cases - Ehrlichman's meeting with Alsop - Senators Ehrlichman's schedule - Vacation - Weekend - Possible speech to a federal group - Hawaii - The President's forthcoming trip to California - The President's forthcoming trip to Florida - Time - Ehrlichman - San Francisco - Time - Christian scientists - Los Angeles - San Francisco Busing - Left wing - Washington Post editorial Ehrlichman left at 1:15 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Bull, Stephen B.