On September 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 4:55 pm to 4:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 010-014 of the White House Tapes.
Transcript (AI-Generated)This 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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.
Mr. Collison, sir.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
I'm just meeting here with the leaders, and there's really a monumental problem with regard to this pay deferral.
There's absolutely no mail that's coming up there.
They're being deluged from the government unions, and they haven't heard from the NAM, they haven't heard from the Chamber of Commerce, they haven't heard from the Citizens Committee or the rest.
Jerry Ford says, understand, this has to go to the House members, Democrat and Republican.
Now, is there some reason that did something fall between the stories?
No, not that I know of, Mr. President.
We had the chamber of the NIM in.
We didn't have the Citizens Committee in.
We got the JCs in.
They all started a mail campaign about a week ago.
They doubled now about 10 days ago.
Yeah.
Shanebury takes credit for turning around two Democratic votes on that committee.
On a committee, but what I'm getting at, Hal, is that we need mail up there, and we need it fast.
You see what I mean?
Now, God damn it, I want them to get off and get going.
And this is really shocking to me.
You know, we really do need it because...
You know how some of those idiots are up there.
They weigh the mail rather than the evidence.
I'm surprised if they haven't gotten any because... Well, it's just hardly a smattering.
They've been checking it out.
It's got to be on this issue, not just on this issue.
Don't break the...
It's kind of price-free, you know, and so forth and so on.
It's really, I don't know how you can do it, but it's... Oh, they're good when they turn the machines on.
The chamber has always been good for several thousand letters.
Maybe they're just slow on this one.
But you see the boat's going to be Tuesday.
Right.
So you'll push them, will you?
Okay.
Yes, sir.