Date: December 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman.
[This recording began while the meeting was in progress.]
Press relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s briefings
-Mistakes
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Herbert G. Klein
-Kissinger’s briefings
-Preparation
-Ziegler
-Memoranda
-Points
-Ziegler’s briefing
-Vietnam negotiations
-Saigon and Hanoi
-Prolonging talks and war
-Kissinger’s briefing
Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Press relations
-Unknown woman reporter
-Life
-Conversation with Ziegler [?]
-Washington Post
-Interviews
-Helen Smith
-Washington Post
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
-The President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Philadelphia Bulletin
-Press pool
-Washington Star
-White House social events
-Cabinet
-Timing
-Helen Thomas
-Press room
-Washington Star
-Ziegler
Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Job duties
-Thomas
Kissinger’s press relations
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Vietnam negotiations
-Denial of conversation
-Telephone
-John F. Osborne
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch
-Executive
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Enemies
-Respect
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Foreign policy
-The President’s trips to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and the
Soviet Union
-Personal terms
Vietnam negotiations
-Charles W. Colson’s view
-North Vietnam’s strategy
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
-South Vietnam
-Cut off of US aid
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Resignation
-Kissinger
-Mistakes
-[Oriana Fallaci] interview
-“Peace is at hand” comment
-“Peace is at hand”
-Hanoi’s publishing of peace terms
-1972 election
-Difficulty with North Vietnam, Thieu
-Continuation of talks
-1972 election
-The President’s address, “Look to the Future”
-Need for reassurance
-The President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Emotions
-Foreign policy
-First term
-The President’s credibility
-Public opinion
-Midwest, Far West, South
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-Public mail
-Telegrams
-Cambodia
-Press relations
-Joseph C. Kraft, Peter Lisagor
-Readership
-The President
-Law firm
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
-Readership
-Congress
-Reston, Kraft
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Departure
-Return
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Home
-Arlington
-The President’s credibility
-Kissinger’s credibility
-Compared to George S. McGovern’s and Hanoi’s credibilities
-Kissinger’s press relations
-Newsweek
-New York Times
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Purpose
-White House staff unity
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
Kissinger
-Intelligence
-Compared to William P. Rogers
-Intelligence Quotients [IQs]
-Tactics, strategy
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
Budget
-New York Times article by Eileen Shanahan
-Spending limitation
-Congressional relations
-Plan of Allen J. Ellender
-Vote
-Congressional relations
-Reform
-Credit
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
-Vote
-The President’s credibility
-1972 election
-Effect of campaign
-Vietnam negotiations
Saul Pett
-Book [The Instant It Happened]
-Associated Press [AP]
-Possible meeting with the President
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:13 pm.
The President’s schedule
-Pett
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
Package
-Delivery to Map Room
-Mrs. Nixon
The President’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:50 pm.
Ehrlichman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.
[Conversation No. 392-1A]
Package
Delivery to Map Room
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr. [?]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President’s schedule
-1972 election
-California
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Vietnam negotiations
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Congressional relations
Kissinger’s press relations
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-White House staff unity
-Fallaci interview
-Effect
-Compared to “Peace is at hand”
-Tape recording
-Haig
Press relations
-Experience
-Trust
-Osborne, Thimmesch
-Los Angeles Times
-AP
-United Press International [UPI]
-AP
-Osborne
-Hugh S. Sidey
-John P. (“Jack”) Sutherland of US News and World Report
-Frank Cormier
-Tape recorder
-Washington Post
-Katharine L. Graham’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Press pool
-Exclusives
-White House social events
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Washington Star
-Kansas City Star
The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
[Conversation No. 392-1B]
Kissinger’s schedule
Vietnam War
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Report
-Timing
Washington Special Action Group [WSAG]
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger
-Conversation with the President
Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 5:50 pm.