President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies for managing negative economic news, specifically an anticipated rise in the unemployment rate, by emphasizing positive job growth metrics and leveraging economic spokespeople like Herbert Stein and Marina Whitman. They also review the political handling of the ITT hearings, focusing on efforts to secure Senator James O. Eastland's cooperation to end the proceedings. Nixon directs Colson to ensure Republican leadership frame any continued hearings as a partisan "political inquisition" and filibuster to minimize political fallout.
On April 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:12 pm to 7:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-093 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 22-93
Date: April 5, 1972
Time: 7:12 pm - 7:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/05/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[022-093-w001]
[Duration: 9m 29s]
1972 campaign
-Wisconsin primary
-Stock market response
-Past performance
-Democrats
-Figures
-Volume
-Democrats’ loss
-Public response
-Significance
-Press reaction
-George S. McGovern
-Increased strength
-McGovern
-Massachusetts primary
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Liberal constituency
-Support for McGovern
-George C. Wallace
-Democrat convention
-Impact
-Miami
-Supporters
-Compared with Eugene J. McCarthy
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-John V. Lindsay supporters
-New York
-Strength
-Lindsay's candidacy
-Massachusetts
-Nomination
-Chances
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-Richard Scammon's opinion
-Muskie
-Decline
-Scammon's opinion
-Compared with George W. Romney
-Republican support
-McGovern
-Nomination
-Big states
-Compared with Barry M. Goldwater
-Compared with Hubert H. Humphrey
-Humphrey
-Effects of Wisconsin primary
-Strengths
-Standing
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-Busing issue
-Rhetoric
-Impact
-Harris poll
-Humphrey image
-Trial heat with the president
-Humphrey support base
-Loss of youth support
-Jews
-Blacks
-Poor
-The President's support
-Catholics
-Catholics
-Importance as voting bloc
-Busing issue
-Constituency
-White; ethnic; middle class
-Former Democrats
-Humphrey
-Aid to parochial schools
-Abortion issue
-Mailing lists
-Catholics
-Pennsylvania
-New York
-New Jersey
-Northern California
-Abortion issue
-Candidates’ stand
-Nixon
-Humphrey
-Aid to education
-Busing
-Effect on Humphrey
******************************************************************************
Stock market
-Increase
-1000 mark
-Predictions
Economy
-Unemployment
-Latest figures
-Increase
-March 1972 figures
-Seasonal adjustment
-October 1971
-Jobs
-Increase in number
-Job force increase
-Figures
-Married males
-Adult women
-Herbert Stein
-New jobs
-Validity of figures
-Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]
-Geoffrey H. Moore
-Percentage of work force
-Inconsistency with Census figures
-George P. Shultz
-Summer months
-Unknown person’s testimony in Congress
-Joint Economic Committee
-William Proxmire
-Colson’s view
-Colson’s talk with Shultz
-James D. Hodgson’s call to Colson
-Decline
-Survey
-Work force
-Stein
-Wholesale food prices
-Marina von N. Whitman
-Visits to supermarkets
-Compared with Virginia H. Knauer
-Colson’s view
International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Hearings
-Schedule
-Colson’s meeting with Clark MacGregor, John N. Mitchell, Richard G.
Kleindienst, Robert C. Mardian, L. Patrick Gray, III and Wallace H.
Johnson
-Republicans
-James O. Eastland’s position
-Mitchell observation
-Filibuster
-Edward M. Kennedy and John V. Tunney
-Mitchell’s and Kleindienst’s role
-Republicans’ positions
-MacGregor’s and Johnson’s observations
-Eastland and Robert C. Byrd
-Outcome
-Hugh Scott and Roman L. Hruska
-Public statements
-Political inquisition
-Filibuster
-Administration response
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/05/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[022-093-w002]
[Duration: 1m 5s]
The President's support
-Henry C. Cashen II's report to Colson
-Philadelphia
-John Cardinal Krol pronouncement
-Catholic school holiday in honor of the President’s visit
-Cashen's meeting with Krol
-Krol's views regarding the president
-Frank L. Rizzo's views regarding the president
-Discussion with Krol
******************************************************************************
ITT case
-Hearings
-TerminationThis transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.