404–26

Conversation No. 404-26

Date: January 23, 1973
Time: 1:59 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

Colson's lawsuit against Time
-Publicity
-Wire services
-Colson’s conversations
-Libel suits
-Richard G. Kleindienst’s analysis
 -38-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)

-Hung jury
-Settlement
-Hill case before Supreme Court

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Timing
-Conditions
-Cease-fire in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
-Right of South Vietnam to hold elections
-The President's strategy against opponents
-White Hose staff meeting
-Henry A. Kissinger
-December 1972 bombing
-Tone
-Colson's role
-Kenneth W. Clawson, Herbert G. Klein, John A. Scali
-Labor leaders
-Calls
-Personal letters from the President
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's list
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons, George Meany
-Veterans leaders and other groups
-Kissinger
-Tone
-Announcement by Colson and Scali
-Political left
-Unknown man
-Statement
-Duration
-Possible effect
-The President's opponents
-Attacks compared to attacks on Herbert Hoover
-Counterattacks
-Effect
-Tone
-The President's goals in Southeast Asia
-Future
-Cease-fire
-Violations
 -39-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)

-Cambodia
-US withdrawal
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-The President's opponents
-Republicans
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., William B. Saxbe, Jacob K. Javits, Clifford
P. Case
-George D. Aiken
-Meeting with Colson
-Attendance at Congressional leaders meeting
-Call from Colson
-Hugh Scott
-Aiken
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Aiken
-Remarks
-Meeting with Colson
-Support for President
-Possible counterattacks
-\"Doves\" effect
-Aiken
-Criticism of President
-Counterattacks
-Raymond K. Price [?]
-Press relations
-The President’s opponents
-Congress
-The President's speech
-Audience
-Importance
-Length
-Congress
-Equal time
-The President's opponents in press
-Scali's view
-Clawson's view

Support for the President's decisions
-Laos, Cambodia, Peking
-William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, White House staff
 -40-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:59 pm.

Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:30 pm.

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Timing

White House staff
-Haldeman
-Loyalty
-Haldeman, Colson, and Patrick J. Buchanan
-Principles
-The President's inaugural speech
-The President's conversation with Haldeman
-Conservatives
-Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff
-Washington Post

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:59 pm.

Colson's plans
-Washington Post, Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:00 pm.

Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Kissinger, Haldeman
-Meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu
-Thieu's response
-October 1972 agreements
-1972 election

Vietnam settlement
-Possibility of earlier settlement
-1973 Inauguration
 -41-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)

Press relations
-Colson's interview with Time
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Jerold L. Schecter
-The President’s courage
-Effect of peer groups
-Schecter
-Press as the enemy
-Scali's view
-Loyalty to United Nations, to the President
-Compared to Klein
-Clawson
-Background
-Wife
-Future
-Labor report
-Ziegler

Scali
-Personality
-Future

Klein
-Personality

Laird
-Personality

1972 campaign [?]

Rogers [?]
-State department

Elliot L. Richardson

Bureaucracy

Vietnam settlement
-Controversy
-Press relations
 -42-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)

-Bombing
-Effect
-Press relations
-Concerns
-Joseph W. Alsop [?]
-Answers
-Henry Grewhite [?]
-Paul Harvey
-The President’s accuracy


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

-Conclusion
-George S. McGovern
-Democratic Party
-Opinion of the President’s policies
-US interests

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************


The President's opponents
-\"Doves\"
-Buchanan
-Goal of the President's plan
-Mathias, Saxbe, McGovern, Donald Riegle, Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.,
Mansfield, J. William Fulbright
-\"Doves\"
-Frank F. Church
-McGovern's remarks on era of good feelings
-The President's plan
-Possible speech
-Agnew
-Attack on press
-\"Doves\"
-Agnew's role
-Effect
 -43-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-26 (cont’d)

-\"Doves\"
-Expected response to cease-fire, bombing

Colson left at 2:30 pm.