President Nixon and Charles Colson met to strategize on public relations and campaign management during the 1972 election cycle. The conversation focused on countering critical media coverage from outlets like CBS and The Washington Post, including potential challenges to the latter's television license, and managing the political fallout from Watergate-related hearings. They also discussed administration efforts to discredit opponent George McGovern and the campaign's surrogate communication strategy.
On September 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:50 pm to 3:41 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 359-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 359-15
Date: September 14, 1972
Time: 2:50 pm - 3:41 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 38s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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(rev. Oct-06)
Grain deal and foreign trade
-Earl L. Butz
-Public relations efforts
-George S. McGovern’s statements
-Butz
-Colson’s view
-Butz’s statements
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Forthcoming statement
-McGovern’s statement
-Negotiations
-Relations between US and Soviet Union
Wright Patman’s Committee hearings
-Maurice H. Stans testimony
-Colson’s view
-Margaret M. (“Peggy”) Heckler
-Support of the President
-News summary
-Television
Campaign charges
-McGovern
-Attacks on administration officials
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ehrlichman
-Butz
-Colson
-Clark MacGregor
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 41s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
(rev. Oct-06)
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Public relations
-Campaign contributions
-George Meany’s actions
-McGovern
-Meany’s views on policies
-Effect
-United Auto Workers [UAW]
-Jay Lovestone
-Newsweek
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
William L. Taub
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Herbert G. Klein
-Kissinger
-Conversation with Colson
-San Clemente
-Alleged associates
-Ronald L. Ziegler
News coverage and media relations
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Colson's call to William S. Paley
-Watergate coverage
-McGovern
-Chicago aldermen
-Vito Marzullo, James D.S. Coleman
-Watergate coverage
-Stans testimony
-Surrogate response to McGovern
-Frank F. Mankiewicz
-George W. Romney
-Virginia H. Knauer
-Robert H. Finch
-Washington Post
-Pre-election activities
-Colson's actions
(rev. Oct-06)
-Stock acquisition
-[Katharine L. Graham]
-Graham
-WTOP radio station license renewal
-Colson’s conversation with William J. Casey
-CBS
-Power
-Recent and forthcoming coverage
-McGovern
-Stans
-1968 campaign coverage
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Time of election report
-Idea of competition
-Administration action
-Colson's call to Paley
-Richard S. Salant
-Colson’s view
-Businessmen
-Howard K. Smith
Watergate
-Indictments
-Response
-David Brinkley’s commentary
-Response
-MacGregor
-[Joseph R.] McCarthyism
-Civil suit
-Countersuit
-Press
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 10m 36s ]
(rev. Oct-06)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 2:50 pm.
Stephen B. Bull
-The President's location
-Oval Office
-Time
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 3:41 pm.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 11s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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The President and Colson left at 3:41 pm.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.