Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 2:05 pm – 2:29 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Discontinuities occurred at the time of original
recording.
Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s recent press briefing
-John A. Scali’s view
-Kissinger’s possible briefings for networks and wire services
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-1972 election as factor in negotiations
-Nature of agreement
-Compared with George McGovern’s position
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Integrity of South Vietnamese government
-Arms and assistance to South Vietnamese
-Complete withdrawal of US forces
-Timing
-Press interpretation
-Lead press story
-“Peace is at hand”
-Assessments of Kissinger’s briefing
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Charles W. Colson
-Scali
-Points to be made at briefing
-The President’s view
-Herbert G. Klein
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Skill as a briefer
-Compared with Kissinger
-Stage of negotiations
-Timing
-Kissinger
-McGovern’s position
-Administration response
-Nguyen Van Thieu’s role
-Kissinger
-Signing of agreement
-Haig’s concern
-Timing
-Thieu
-Administration strategy
-Public opinion
-Colson’s analysis
-Corruption issue damage
-Soft suburbanites
-Labor
-South
-Bombing pause
25
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Haig
-John B. Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Preparation of talking paper
-Surrogates
-“Peace with honor” compared with “peace with surrender”
The President’s schedule
-The President’s forthcoming trip to West Virginia and Kentucky
-Timing
White House staff and public relations
-John D. Ehrlichman
Vietnam pace settlement negotiations and 1972 campaign
-Kissinger and the President
-Forthcoming trip to California
-Thieu
-Possible statements
-Statements about McGovern’s campaign tactics
-Clark Macgregor, Robert J. Dole
-Colson
-Unity of White House statements
-McCovern stance on Vietnam
-White House attacks
-Surrender
-POWs
-Administration readiness to attack McGovern
-McGovern’s strategy
-Colson’s view
-Haig’s view of the press at Kissinger’s briefing
-McGovern’s supporters in the press
-Reaction to progress in the peace talks
-Kissinger’s response
-Murrey Marder’s reaction
-Settlement
-Press view
-Coalition government
-Thieu
-Partial cease-fire
-POWs
26
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Incompleteness
-Public relations
-Translation issues
-Press
-Kissinger’s meeting with Scali on briefing preparation
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Haldeman left at 2:29 pm.