Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-077
Nixon phone call with Colson on Republican Party and Congressional relations
Wednesday, October 13, 1971 · 9:09 AM–9:13 AM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min
AI Summary
President Nixon expressed frustration to Charles Colson regarding the lack of vocal enthusiasm and public support from Republican congressional leadership for administration initiatives. Nixon urged Colson to ensure that congressional leaders, specifically Clark MacGregor and William Timmons, take a more proactive role in managing public statements from GOP lawmakers. Colson agreed to coordinate with staff to draft messaging and provide the direct guidance necessary to encourage Republican members to publicly champion the President's policy agenda.
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Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. Coates and Mr. President.
Yeah.
Good morning, sir.
Hi, Chuck.
I was just checking over some things here.
I wondered if you could see to it that our Republicans, for change, you know, I mentioned this briefly to you last night, could really...
demonstrate a little enthusiasm about these major leadership, I mean, the initiatives particularly that mean to help foreign policy.
The thing is, frankly, if you take a look at the news summaries and the best statements are basically by Democrats.
I mean, when there is one, it's by a Democrat and the Republicans say sort of a dog in the manger, mealy mouth sort of a thing, you know, well, can't do any harm or something like that.
Scott and Ford were...
Scott and Ford were better they were pretty good yeah you know what I mean because they were there but I just have a feeling Chuck some way or other that and maybe you just got to sit down with McGregor and talk to a little cold turkey and say now look what are the hell is the matter with these guys I mean it's it's sort of typical Kissinger was talking to me about the is rather shock at the cabinet meeting where they were all a bunch of
You know, sitting on their butts, not doing anything except the Rogers.
And it's the old story that we've really got something very strong going for us here.
Sure as hell do.
And, I mean, it's very exciting.
But are they incapable of excitement?
Is that the problem?
No, I don't think that's it, Mr. President.
They need to be led by the hand.
For Christ's sakes, why do they have to be led in a thing like this to see what this is?
I've been talking to Bob about this over the last several weeks.
We very much need a guy up there who can do this.
I don't know.
No, that is really the problem.
I discovered this weekend, for example, I called two fellows, direct, wrote their stuff for them, handed it to them, and they did it.
And Javits was all over the front pages.
Yeah.
The point is that... Well, goddammit, why is it that you have to write the stuff and deliver it to Javits?
I mean, I would think McGregor would be doing that, or Timmons.
We got about...
30, 40 people down here, secretaries.
We need one fellow, basically, who just does nothing but that, and I'm convinced it can be done better than we're doing it, and it's just a matter of...
But I do a hell of a good job on getting the votes.
That's one thing that I've got to say.
But I think the statement thing is a more difficult thing.
It's also a different kind of a proposition.
You're going to a fellow on a different basis, and...
It can be done, and I've discovered how to do it.
It's just now getting someone to do it.
As far as the present issue is concerned, I had two of our fellows writing last night.
We'll have stuff available up there this morning.
I tried to get Ed Brook last night, but he was out today.
Oh, well, try to see what you can do to follow up on it.
You shouldn't even have to be thinking about it.
I just had that feeling as I took a look at the news.
No, I agree.
I do think one thing, Mr. President, is the news was so heavy yesterday that they probably wouldn't get in.
I don't think they said anything, though, if my guess is right.
Well, I think you're probably right.
But today we'll have a lot of stuff up there, and we'll just take them by the hand and over to the galleries and get it done.
It isn't just that.
Perhaps they have to be gotten together, and you might talk to Chuck about it,
I mean, to McGregor and have a little, you know, pep session.
Well, that would be... Rather than their coming whining and, I mean, Jesus Christ, I mean, I never see Gallup or Griffin or any of these guys unless they're whining.
Well, I know.
That's a problem with these fellows.
Of course, you've...
You've taken such strong leadership that right now they ought to get up off their ass and give us a little... Don't count on it.
Okay.
Well, we'll go to work on it immediately, Mr. President.
Yes, sir.
NARA Description
On October 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 9:09 am to 9:13 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-077 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 011-077
Date: October 13, 1971
Time: 9:09 am - 9:13 am
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 590-2B]
Republicans
-Congress
-Hugh Scott
-Gerald R. Ford
-Clark MacGregor
-Henry A. Kissinger's impression of Cabinet meeting
-William P. Rogers
-Congressmen
-Colson's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Colson's involvement
-Jacob K. Javits
-MacGregor
-William E. Timmons
-Need for positive statements
-Economics
-Edward W. Brooke
-MacGregor
-Possible meetings with the President
-Gordon L. Allott
-Robert P. Griffin
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542Also recorded on October 13, 1971
- 011-076 8:53 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:53 am and 9:09 am.
- 590-002 8:53 AM · 2 hr 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Charles W. Colson, Ancher Nelsen, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:53 am and 11:06 am.
- 011-078 9:13 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:13 am and 9:22 am.
- 011-079 9:22 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ancher Nelsen talked on the telephone from 9:22 am to 9:25 am.
- 011-080 9:25 AM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 12:37 pm.
- 011-164 9:25 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 12:37 pm.
- 590-003 11:06 AM · 56 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Walter E. Washington, Jerry V. Wilson, John D. Ehrlichman, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:06 am to 12:02 pm.
- 590-004 12:03 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry C. Clausen, Mrs. Henry C. Clausen, R. Lee Lockwood, Mrs. R. Lee Lockwood, Joshua K. Shepard, C. Fred Kleinknecht, George A. Newbury, Donald L. Witter, Harvey R. Doane, Sir Ralph Hone, Lady Sybil (Simond) Hone, R. A. Ingham Clark, Sir Basil McFarland, Sir Ian A. Johnson-Gilbert, Robert Burnett, William E. Timmons, Henry C. Cashen, II, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:14 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 011-077, October 13, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-077 (accessed September 28, 2026).