157–26

Conversation No. 157-26

Date: December 9, 1972
Time: 12:22 pm - 12:58 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 235-4]


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Democratic National Committee [DNC]
-Voting
-Robert S. Strauss
-McGovernites
-George W. Mitchell
-Maine
-South
-Labor
-George Meany
-Support for Mitchell

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

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Labor Department
-Peter J. Brennan
-Recent hiring of assistant
-George Meany’s view
-Relationship with Meany
-Public reaction to appointment
-Meany
-Relationship with George P. Shultz
-Brennan
-Colson’s conversation with Shultz
-Press reaction
-Public reaction to appointment
-“Working man”
-Tokenism
-Black, Mexican-American appointments
-Brennan’s conversation with unknown person in Florida
-Brennan’s schedule
-Apollo XVII launch
-Donald F. Rodgers
-Martin Durkin
-Public reaction to appointment
-Brennan’s conversation with unknown person
-Party registration change


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Democratic Party
-DNC Chairman
-Cleavage

New Majority
-Republican Party
-Support for the President

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

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Plane crash
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s wife, Dorothy
-Death
-Chicago
-Possible effect on Watergate trial
-Cancellation
-Delay
-Dorothy Hunt
-Family
-Catholicism
-Howard Hunt
-Possible effect on Watergate trial
-Delay


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1972 election results
-Percentage compared to Lyndon B. Johnson victory in 1964
-Vote count
-Press coverage
-Republican National Committee [RNC] chairman
-Percentages
-Arkansas
-New Jersey
-Missouri
-Massachusetts
-New York
-Rhode Island
-Absentee ballots
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

National economy
-New York Times
-Washington Post
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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-Media and press relations
-Networks
-New York Times and Washington Post
-1972 election
-[Bureau of Labor Statistics] [BLS]
-1972 election
-Unemployment statistics
-1970, 1971, 1972
-Seasonal adjustments
-Brennan
-Meany
-Chart
-Brennan’s reaction
-Commissioner
-Geoffrey H. Moore
-Departure
-Teaching
-Treasury Department
-Colson’s conversation with Shultz
-Deputy Commissioner
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Economic news
-Timing
-1972 election
-Christmas
-Retails sales
-Public confidence
-The President’s role
-George S. McGovernites, media

Press and media relations
-Life
-Hugh S. Sidey
-Time
-Possible column
-“Watching the President”
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-Format
-Sidey
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s view
-“Martin Z. Agronsky Show”
-Establishment
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters article
-Hiring of Colson
-Edward Bennett Williams
-Story source
-Firing as General Counsel
-Washington Post and New York Times article
-Watergate case
-Edward Bennett Williams’s claim
-Colson
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
-Washington Post and New York Times

Lobbying firms
-Opponents
-Lloyd N. Cutler
-Clark M. Clifford
-Washington Post
-Charls E. Walker
-Conversation with Colson
-Public relations [PR]
-Colson’s firm
-Shultz
-Connally
-Republicans
-Opponents
-Williams
-Cutler
-Colson’s role
-“Kitchen Cabinet”
-Colson’s conversation with Walker
-1972 Republican National Convention
-Meetings with the President
-Establishment
-Clifford, Cutler, Williams
-Williams
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-Press

Media relations
-Media ratings
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Edith Ephron
-The President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Compared to National Broadcasting Company [NBC], American
Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Accuracy in media
-Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] study
-Liberals
-Edwin Diamond
-Syracuse University study
-American Enterprise Institute [AEI] study
-CBS
-William Small’s inquiries at White House
-Colson’s activities
-Lawsuits
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo’s friend
-Charles Crutchfield
-Patrick J. Buchanan’s comments\\


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Robert Novak article
-Media bias
-George S. McGovern gains

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Media relations
-Bias
-1972 campaign
-Robert D. Novak article
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-Precincts
-Detroit
-Thomas W. Braden
-Novak
-Buchanan’s article
-James Keogh
-Kevin Phillip’s article
-Colson’s speech in New England
-CBS-Washington Post “axis”
-Effect
-Media credibility
-Phillip’s readership


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Study on 1972 campaign
-Syracuse University
-[First name unknown] McClure and [first name unknown] Patterson
-Influence on voters
-Issues
-Watergate
-Vietnam negotiations
-Votes for McGovern
-Democrats for Nixon
-Spot advertisements
-Hardhats
-Welfare
-Voter recollection
-Clark MacGregor
-Negative advertisements
-California
-Michigan
-Impact
-Massachusetts
-Haldeman
-Robert J. Dole

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

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Second term reorganization
-[Internal Revenue Service] [IRS]
-George D. Webster
-Conversation with Colson
-The President’s meeting with Webster
-Departures
-Retribution
-Letter
-Background
-East Tennessee
-Republican
-Education
-Maryville College
-Compared to Whittier College
-Solicitor General
-Robert H. Bork
-Colson’s viewing on television [TV]
-Bork’s physical appearance
-Beard
-Deputy Solicitor General
-[Jewell S. LaFontant]
-Bork
-Drafting of anti-busing position
-Network coverage
-Frederic V. Malek meeting with Colson
-Polish-Americans
-Italian-Americans
-Italian-Americans
-John A. Volpe
-John A. Scali
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s effort
-William P. Rogers
-Compared to Brennan
-Malek
-Bias
-John A. Stella
-Harvard University
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-Malek
-Claude S. Brinegar
-Error
-Catholicism
-Catholics
-Scali
-Brinegar
-Italian-Americans
-Scali
-Roy L. Ash
-Brennan
-Michael P. Balzano, Jr.
-Polish-Americans
-Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]
-Mitchell Kapelevski [sp?]
-John A. Stastny, home builders
-Colson’s conversation with James T. Lynn
-Polish-Americans and Italian-Americans
-The President’s meetings with Assistant Secretaries
-Photographs
-Distribution to local presses
-Scali
-Brennan
-Publicity
-Compared to other Cabinet members
-News summaries
-Conservatives
-Hardhats
-Scali
-Press relations

Press and media relations
-CBS
-Daniel Rather
-Robert Pierpont
-Daniel L. Schorr
-Watergate stories
-Life
-The President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Andrew Heiskell
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-Postal rates
-Bill
-US Postal Service
-The President
-Horatio Alger
-1972 election
-Mandate
-Republican Party
-Media
-Establishment
-Photograph coverage
-John F. Kennedy
-Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
-Networks
-Economic power
-Background
-Rand Corporation
-Exclusion
-CBS
-William S. Paley
-Calls to Colson
-NBC
-Possible conversation with Colson
-Howard K. Smith
-Teamsters
-Colson
-Tone
-John Chancellor
-Colson
-CBS
-Teamsters
-Williams
-Washington Post
-Rather
-Administration handling
-ABC
-NBC
-Chancellor
-Possible conversation with Colson
-Julian Goodman
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Apr.-08)

Conversation No. 157-26 (cont’d)

-CBS