In this meeting, President Nixon met with Charles Colson, Manolo Sanchez, and John Ehrlichman to discuss political strategy and campaign messaging for the 1972 election. The discussion centered on managing legislative issues, such as potential vetoes of social spending bills, and neutralizing corruption allegations related to the Watergate scandal. Participants also reviewed the effectiveness of campaign rhetoric against George McGovern, focusing on his foreign policy positions and the authenticity of anti-war statements, while strategizing on how to appeal to specific labor and ethnic constituencies.
On October 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, John D. Ehrlichman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:40 pm to 2:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 366-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 366-9
(rev. Aug-03)
Date: October 14, 1972
Time: 1:40 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson and Manolo Sanchez.
The President's schedule
-Congressional schedule
-Camp David
-Transportation
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:30 pm.
-Speech
-Photograph session
-Congress
Congressional relations
-Water bill
-Veto
-Federal spending
-The President’s Atlanta speech, October 12, 1972
-Moral values
-Taxes
-Social Security bill
-Veto
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Water bill
-Possible veto override
-Congressional schedule
-Watergate
-Edward M. Kennedy
-James O. Eastland
-Senate Judiciary Committee
-Wright Patman
1972 campaign issues
-Corruption charges, Watergate, sabotage
-Possible effect
-George S. McGovern’s Seattle speech, October 13, 1972
-National defense
(rev. Aug-03)
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Audience
-Lawyers
-McGovern’s forthcoming television [TV] speech
-Vietnam
-McGovern
-Use of tape of alleged Vietnam veteran
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Authenticity
-Jerry Williams
-ABC
-Boston
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC] investigation
-Possible conspiracy charge
-Comparison to Joseph McCarthy
-Composite photograph of Miller Tydings [and Earl Browder]
-Charges of corruption
-Richard (“Dick”) Tuck
-Peter Lisagor
-Albert E. Sindlinger poll
-Sindlinger’s syndicate
Southern trip by the President
-Atlanta
-The President’s speech
-News coverage
-Colson’s conversation with Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin
-News summary
John B. Connally
-TV speech
-Colson’s recent
Issues
-McGovern's trustworthiness
-Economic issue
-McGovern’s welfare proposal
-Foreign policy
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s forthcoming National Press Club
speech
-Rogers
(rev. Aug-03)
-Connally’s TV speech
-Vietnam
-As US ally
-McGovern’s recent speech
-Press reaction
-New York Daily News editorial
-Right
-Joseph C. Kraft, James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-George Meany’s statement
Press relations
-Use of terms “Republican”, “Democrat”
-Time
-Democrats for Nixon
-New York Times editorial
-National defense
-McGovern
-Op-ed article
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Adlai E. Stevenson, III
-Connally’s TV speech
1972 campaign
-Colson’s conversation with George Shultz, October 13, 1972
-George Meany
-John F. Henning
-California
-Speeches
-The President
-Connally
-California, Colorado
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial
Organizations [AFL-CIO]
-Paul Hall
-Post 1972 election
-Unknown magazine [The American Federationist] [?]
-McGovern
-Labor
-The President’s recent conversation with John D. Ehrlichman and Raymond
K. Price, Jr.
-Peter Lisagor
(rev. Aug-03)
-Big business
-The American Federationist [?]
-Readership
-Politicians
-Business community
-Photograph sessions
-Suburbanites
-White Plains, New York, Pasadena, California
-View of Meany, Italian-Americans
-View of blacks
-John V. Lindsay
Ethnic groups
-Italian-American Catholics
-Unknown organization
-Carl Lozano [?] [sp?]
-Democrats
-Building trades
-1968 campaign
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters
-Communists
-Thomas J. Houser
-Polish-Americans
-Ohio Polish Congress
-Republicans
Political strategy
-South
-“Solid South”
-Texas
Polls
-Ohio
-Possible trends
-George C. Wallace
-Michigan
-Detroit News
-Michigan
-McGovern
-Detroit News
-George W. Romney
(rev. Aug-03)
-1966 election
-Busing
-Standard ballot
-Wallace
-Sindlinger, George H. Gallup, Richard M. Scammon, Louis P. Harris
-Effect of the President's May 8, 1972 decision
-Patriotism
-Daniel Yankelovich, Scammon, Gallup, Harris, Sindlinger,
Samuel Lubell
-Vietnam War
1972 campaign
-McGovern
-Connally, Wallace
-Public appearances
-Corruption charges
-Evidence
-Joseph McCarthy
-Campaign practices
-Tone
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Lisegor
-Press relations
-Catherine Mackin
-McGovern rhetoric
-Congressional schedule
-William S. White
-Vietnam
-McGovern’s charges and claims
-Attacks on institution of Presidency
-Response
-Robert J. Dole
-Clark MacGregor
-Attacks on Republican headquarters
-Response
-List publication
-News coverage
-News summary
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-McGovern
(rev. Aug-03)
-Lawrence F. O’Brien, Jr.
-Dole’s TV appearance
-Comments
-Youth
-Joseph McCarthy
-Financial statements
-Lawrence O'Brien
The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 2:30 pm.
[Conversation No. 366-9A]
Congressioanl relations
-Legislation
-William E. Timmons
-Federal spending cuts
-Defense
-House Resolution [HR] 1
[End of telephone conversation]
Corruption issue
-Harris poll
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 1:40 pm.
The president’s schedule
-Item for helicopter
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 2:30 pm.
Corruption issue
-Harris poll results
-Campaign contributions
-Campaign practices
-Democrats
-Watergate
-Civil liberties
-Importance
-Involvement of the President and aides
-Cynicism
(rev. Aug-03)
-Campaign practices
-Public expectations
-Bombing, violence
-Morality
-Proximity to 1972 election
-McGovern
-1956 campaign
-Adlai Stevenson, II’s charge
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-The president’s experience as vice president
-Reaction
-John B. Connally’s TV speech
-Tone
The President’s schedule
-The President's speeches
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Radio Address on Crime and Drug Abuse, October 15, 1972
-Radio Address on the Philosophy of Government, October 21, 1972
-Radio Address on the American Veteran, October 22, 1972
-Veteran’s Day
-New York
-Education
-Price
-Aid to parochial schools
-Advertising
The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 2:30 pm.
[Conversation No. 366-9B]
Speech drafts
-Aid to parochial schools
-Price
-Taxes
-Timing
-Camp David
-Price
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's administration
(rev. Aug-03)
-McGovern
-Spokesmen
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Shultz’s activities
Speech
-Tax policies
-Property taxes
-Senior citizens
-Timing
-Aid to parochial schools
Colson left at 2:30 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.