Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 273 › Conversation 273-005

Nixon & Colson on Economic policy and Political strategy

Thursday, August 12, 1971 · 2:31 PM–2:38 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation273-005 on Tape 273 (tape position 00:09:21–00:16:22)StartThursday, August 12, 1971 at 2:31 PMEndThursday, August 12, 1971 at 2:38 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 273-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon and Charles Colson discuss communication strategy, focusing on how to frame economic performance in contrast to the Democratic administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. They emphasize criticizing the historical link between Democratic policies, wartime spending, and unemployment. The conversation concludes with an agreement to push a narrative that attributes economic stability to the current administration while framing past prosperity under Democrats as tied to the Vietnam War.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:09:21 – 00:16:22

273a.mp3
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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
I think Erlichman did a very good job.
I didn't read the wire, but I gave him the bottom line.
They're out of town.
They want to promise you everything.
And then on your side, .
And the questions will be ready so that when they come up, the questions are as intelligent as possible to be asked.
That's the important thing.
Today, I think he's coming in.
Tomorrow, we'll be trying to get him to come in.
I think that man's failed not to have the best patience.
Right.
Okay.
Good.
Good, that's good.
Right.
He seems to be pretty healthy.
Well, that, after all, too, that can reflect his, uh, because we had his analysis, how he waits, how many moves, good, uh, just fair, and so forth, you know what I mean?
The dandy, I mean, he is doing better.
I mean, Pastor, I was glad you brought him in that night.
He was all, uh, all right, a guy like he, but I can tell he's a man of principle, that's all.
I said that to you.
He's so mean.
I wondered about it, but I... From what you said, he just stands up there and bats a bat.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Well, I think he ought to answer and says, let's not go back to the Democratic, quote, prosperity.
Prosperity built on war or Johnson years or 6% unemployment in the Kennedy years.
Yeah.
Why don't you get it?
Why don't you get it?
Just making that simple point, crack them hell, that their prosperity is war prosperity.
The only prosperity the Democrats have ever made will be war prosperity.
This administration, thank God, has a digital peace prosperity, and we're going to reach that.
We're going to reach it.
Yeah.
That's right.
He should be, and it's another just average, the three Kennedy years, 61, 62, 63.
Yes, sir?
All right.
That's right.
Okay.
Fine.
I need you to come up where we talk a few minutes before George gets there.
I hope I don't have to do that all the time.

NARA Description

On August 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:31 pm to 2:38 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 273-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 273-5

Date: August 12, 1971
Time: 2:31 pm - 2:38 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

Charles W. Colson talked with the President.

     John D. Ehrlichman
          -Press conference

     Vietnam
          -US policy
               -Elections

     Michael J. Mansfield
         -Investigation

     Unknown man

     National economy
          -Unknown man's possible statement
                -Democrats
                    -Prosperity
                          -Lyndon B. Johnson's administration
                                -War
                          -John F. Kennedy's administration
                                -Unemployment rate

     President's schedule
          -George P. Shultz

Also recorded on August 12, 1971

  • 562-006 12:45 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, III, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 562-007 1:17 PM · 34 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 1:17 pm on August 12, 1971 and 8:59 am on August 13, 1971.
  • 273-001 1:20 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 2:31 pm.
  • 273-002 1:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 2:31 pm.
  • 273-003 1:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 2:31 pm.
  • 273-004 1:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 2:31 pm.
  • 273-006 2:45 PM · 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:45 pm to 3:10 pm.
  • 273-007 3:11 PM · 1 hr 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:11 pm to 4:20 pm.

All 51 conversations from August 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 273-005, August 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/273-005 (accessed October 12, 2026).