Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-108
Nixon phone call with Colson on Pentagon Papers and Consumer Price Index
Tuesday, September 21, 1971 · 7:54 PM–8:11 PM ET · White House Telephone · 16 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson confer regarding the administration’s economic strategy and public relations efforts, specifically focusing on the Consumer Price Index and its implications for October 1971. The discussion touches upon political strategy related to the draft and administrative management, including George Shultz’s role and communications with George Romney. Additionally, the pair evaluates the political fallout surrounding the Pentagon Papers and internal Cabinet dynamics involving James D. Hodgson.
- Pentagon Papers
- Consumer Price Index
- Economic Policy
- The Draft
- Cabinet Relations
- Political Strategy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On September 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:54 pm to 8:11 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-108 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 9-108
Date: September 21, 1971
Time: 7:54 pm - 8:11 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
*****************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 01/03/2017.]
[Unintelligible]
[009-108-w001]
[Duration: 16m 20s]
Pentagon Papers
Cabinet
-James D. Hodgson
Economy
-July figures
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-October 1971
-George P. Shultz
-Charles W. Colson’s talk with George W. Romney
Draft issue
-Debate
-Vote
Economy
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Statistics
-Prices
-Percentages
*****************************************************************Also recorded on September 21, 1971
- 449-018 4:23 PM · 35 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Prince Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, Ibrahim al-Sowayel, Joseph J. Sisco, Camile Nowfels, Harold H. Saunders, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:23 pm to 5:00 pm.
- 449-019 5:00 PM · 52 sec — Manolo Sanchez and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:02 pm.
- 449-020 5:02 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:02 pm to 5:15 pm.
- 449-021 5:15 PM · 23 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:15 pm and 8:20 pm.
- 009-104 6:45 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:33 pm.
- 009-105 7:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:33 pm.
- 009-106 7:33 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:33 pm and 7:37 pm.
- 009-107 7:37 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:37 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 009-108, September 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-108 (accessed October 12, 2026).