Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 001-031
Date: Wednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:46 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-031

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] yeah mr coulson sir hello hello mr president hello chuck how what is your soundings tonight well we got to we got a very very enthusiastic response from uh labor people in particular mr president i understand but it's hard to put it in writing it was just a feeling that you get on the telephone with people genuinely genuinely moved i think the ending of that speech was just tremendous uh i think you
[0:30] Well, we'll see.
[0:31] All I can know, all these people are, you know, we had very few friends before this began, and now a few of them may come along, but what the hell.
[0:41] Well, I think you're going to start getting, Mr. President, some of that same coalition back.
[0:46] I think the Rafferty, who's the rising star among the building trades.
[0:52] Who?
[0:53] Rafferty.
[0:54] Yeah.
[0:54] He's the painter's union.
[0:56] Oh, yeah, he's a good man.
[0:57] Oh, he's a solid man, and he's a...
[0:59] Only a goddamn fool would tell the enemy when he was getting out.
[1:03] He said, what the devil do these people want?
[1:05] We're with the president.
[1:07] And just tell them we'll do anything for it.
[1:09] Well, let's see if some of them can't say that and see if Meany can't make a real strong statement.
[1:14] Brennan might make a good statement.
[1:16] That'd be helpful, you know.
[1:17] Yes, sir.
[1:18] Well, they're going to be here in Washington, the building trades, in another 10 days.
[1:21] Well, try to get them to say it now, you know, tomorrow.
[1:24] Well, a number of them said they would.
[1:25] Fitzsimmons, the team's just putting up... Oh, is he all right?
[1:28] Oh, he's... Yeah, he's just seven.
[1:30] Good.
[1:31] But you... You did it again, Mr. President.
[1:34] You caught that mood.
[1:36] I know that some of the sophisticates in the media are going to say that it was a corny ending and... Bullshit.
[1:43] That's right.
[1:45] They had activists who...
[1:46] It was not corny.
[1:47] Of course not.
[1:48] It was very, very deliberate and honest and true.
[1:53] Well, I...
[1:54] We know what the cynics will say, but you hit middle America right where you wanted to be hit.
[1:59] Thank you.
[2:00] Thank you, Mr. President.