Conversation No. 32-65

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 11:53 pm - 12:21 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

        Vietnam
            -Peace settlement publicity
                -The President’s previous trip to Kentucky and West Virginia
            -Henry A. Kissinger's briefing
                -Colson's analysis
            -Effect on Watergate news story
            -Peace settlement
                -Public hopes
                -Remaining differences
                     -Nguyen Van Thieu
                     -North Vietnam
                     -Resolution
                -North Vietnamese release
                -The President’s position
                     -Advantages
                          49

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                   Tape Subject Log
                     (rev. Oct-06)

-George S. McGovern's response
    -Colson’s view
-Responses
    -George P. Shultz
    -Boston
    -Chicago
    -David E. Bradshaw
    -Public reaction
-Watergate
    -Impact
         -The President’s view
         -Affected groups
-Public reaction
-Kissinger's briefing
    -Television coverage
         -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
              -Length
              -Panel
                   -Martin Z. Agronsky
                   -Hugh S. Sidey
                   -Carl T. Rowan
                   -David Kraslow
                       -Washington Star
    -Sidey's comments
    -Rowan and Agronsky
    -Peter Lisagor
         -Comments
    -Rowan
         -Comments on McGovern
-The President's comments in Kentucky
    -Wording
    -Crowd response
    -Television news coverage
         -Huntington, West Virginia
         -Arch A. Moore
    -Crowd response
    -Rally
         -Size
-Reaction in Ohio and Chicago
-Possible forthcoming criticism
-Public response
                                    50

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. Oct-06)

        -Kissinger's briefing
            -May 8, 1972
            -Colson’s view
            -Television news coverage
            -John A. Scali
        -Possible prisoners of war [POW’s] release
            -Response
        -Public responses
        -Press responses
            -Sidey
                 -Comments
        -Impact on McGovern
            -Colson’s view

1972 election
    -McGovern
        -Watergate issue
    -Peace settlement
        -Public reaction
             -Chicago
                 -Shultz's report
                 -Edward Hirsch Levi’s reaction to Democratic criticism
                      -University of Chicago
             -Editor of Barron's
                 -Article on Democrats
        -Wall Street Journal
             -Editorial
                 -Criticism of Democrats
        -Watergate
             -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                 -Media coverage
                      -The President’s view
                      -Robert J. Dole
                           -Publicity compared with Vietnam settlement news
                           -Timing of McGovern’s statement with network news
                               -Washington Post article
    -McGovern
        -Dole criticism
        -Newspaper stories
        -Washington Post stories
             -Stories on Haldeman
                                   51

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. Oct-06)

              -Possible discovery of memoranda
    -Future strategy
         -Domestic economy
              -Advertisements
-The President's campaign
    -The President’s view
         -Negative advertisements
    -Radio advertisements
         -Defense cuts
              -California
         -Colson’s fund-raising
    -Criticism of McGovern
         -Relentlessness
    -The President’s popularity
-Vietnam settlement
    -Kissinger's role
         -John B. Connally
         -Compared with the President's role
              -Letter
         -Announcement
              -Public reception
                   -Kissinger’s image
         -Briefing
              -Network coverage
              -Credit
              -Call from James L. Buckley
                   -Kissinger's call to William F. Buckley, Jr.
    -Organized labor
         -Frank E. Fitzsimmons
         -Paul Hall
              -Work in San Francisco
         -Issue of a coalition government
         -POWs
         -Reaction
              -POWs
              -Support for the President
                   -Fitzsimmons
         -George Meany
              -Jay Lovestone
                   -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. contact
    -Louis P. Harris
                                              52

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Oct-06)

                    -Kissinger’s briefing
                        -October 8, 1972
                        -Delivery of October 6, 1972 poll results to Kissinger
                    -Reaction to settlement
                        -Impact on election
                    -Call to Colson
                        -Optimism


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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       Parochial school aid statement
           -News accounts
               -Los Angeles
                    -Hispanic Catholics
                         -Polls
           -Rev. C. Albert Koob’s statement

       Foreign policy issues
           -John Cardinal Krol
               -Trip to Poland
               -Meeting with the President
                    -William P. Rogers’s attendance
           -Vietnam
               -Cardinal Krol’s efforts
                    -Conflicts with Council of Bishops
                         -Press conference


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                                                 53

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-06)

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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             -Democrats for Nixon
                 -Briefing for Connally
                     -Television appearance
                 -George E. Christian
                     -Call from Colson
                 -Connally
                     -Call from Henry A. Kissinger
                          -Haldeman
                          -The President’s instructions
                 -Christian
                     -Call from Colson
             -Vietnam settlement
                 -News coverage
                     -Interpretation
                     -Colson’s view