Conversation 393-003

TapeTape 393StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:13 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:33 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On January 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:33 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 393-003 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 393-3

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: Unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:33 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

       Harry S. Truman funeral
            -Washington memorial service
                  -The President's attendance
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           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                      Conversation No. 393-3 (cont’d)

                -Press coverage
                -Gerald L. Warren
                -Lyndon B. Johnson’s attendance
                -Private funeral in Independence, Missouri
           -Dean Francis B. Sayre
                -Possible remarks
                      -Press coverage

Public relations [PR]
      -John A. Scali
      -Sayre
             -Opposition to Vietnam War
      -Antiwar sentiment
             -Public opinion
                   -Normalcy
      -The President's public image
             -John D. Ehrlichman
                   -1972 campaign
                   -Richard M. Scammon
      -Roberto W. Clemente
             -Importance to Americans

US bombing of Vietnam
     -Press coverage
           -Scali
           -Henry A. Kissinger
                  -Source
           -Max Frankel
           -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
           -Frankel
           -Kissinger
           -Scali
           -Colson’s reading of article

Vietnam
     -Democratic caucus
         -End-the-war resolution
         -Senate
         -New members
                -Doves
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                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                             Conversation No. 393-3 (cont’d)

                        -Andrew J. Young, Jr.
                             -S. Fletcher Thompson
                        -Barbara Jordan

Colson left at an unknown time before 3:33 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.

... ... ... ... ...
I agree.
I think that I made my mistake.
I don't think you do it twice.
I think it's also a very large answer to why the President of the United States of America did that.
That's because he's the President of the Council of the United States of America.
And this is a secret.
This is an opportunity for people to run a little private service at independence and make a respect here in Washington.
That is a minor story.
It's a story of old.
Whereas being said and appreciated,
to stop the killing, to stop the killing.
The memory of the, you know, this great man of peace, he had a team of men who looked after him on the ground.
But that, I mean, it almost sort of, like you said, it's a very important thing.
That's what I'm trying to do.
I'm trying to, well, that's my image of a brother.
You know, just, you know, crushed from scally a bit in that direction.
You know what I'm saying?
That's what I'm saying.
You know, he's a man.
He really is.
You know, prior to my death,
You can't forget the emotions for an accident.
You can't forget what it is, what you are, what you're doing.
Imagine doing it with them.
You've got to explain to them what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is, what it is,
Just bite them off and win.
The other thing, it looks like a bunch of snowmen, a bunch of people, going out and walking around.
They, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they
We're raising hell, God's upon us.
I can't even listen to that.
People want them.
They were saying this morning that they were not going down.
They weren't going to the election.
People were in protest.
They cut it out.
They kind of want normalcy.
Right?
It's kind of the same present.
They can see.
They have to see.
Right?
But then when you see me out talking, I'm getting serious, terrible problems, you know.
But one of the problems I have with my doctor early in the morning, he always wants to, he always wants to solve the problem.
I remember that terrific argument we had where he came up to me and said, why don't I go business in the market?
Because the price of agriculture is, I mean, that was the, I was never going.
I mean, first, it's not residential.
It's the other way around.
Second, it's got a building issue.
I like the list of them.
You know, I don't believe we've ever built something like that.
So we're all listening in.
It's a great business.
I don't know if you can see them.
I don't know if you can see them.
Plus, Joe's business is going to be fast.
And every day, every day, every day.
And the average Joe gets, look, I'll bet he's lost a few years.
The first thing you think is that a lot of Americans, you know, that anything we can do, we're going to try to do first.
You know, it's hard to just do it in a quick way.
You know, that's what, that's what we're going to do first.
We're going to do it in general.
We're going to do it in places.
We're going to do it in a little bit.
Yeah.
And also in the bottom, we're going to do it in the back.
We're going to do it in the back.
We're going to do it in the back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I can't get with that.
I can't get with that.
I can't get with that.
I can't get with that.
I can't get with that.
I didn't prepare myself to sit in front of the president.
I didn't do it.
I hope you understand what he said.
He was right then.
He went in front of the five-voting bill because he was worried about what he was going to do.
Five-voting is the only criticism he did about the president.
Mary, why don't you let me explain it to you?
The girls in Memphis kind of forced me.
I don't know if this kind of thing is going to explain it to you.
I don't think you should admit it, but it's the kind of thing that's going to happen.
This is a very excellent question, but I can't say that it's the best.
It's a lot.
It's pathetic, but it's worth it.
Scotty had very, very good windows, and this was possible, and this was possible.
And he just, as he was going, he said, he said, he said, he said, I think he just said, I think he probably didn't say it properly.
But the rest of the service, having allowed itself to appear in the best light, that rest very probably lived in the rest of our Frankl, Frankl, Michael, Frankl community.
It's very possible that either the Frankl, the Frankl, not writing, even the rest of the community, right?
Because Frankl wasn't writing.
Well, he's writing now, or he's writing some years.
That's right.
The story of church life is very similar.
I started doubting what he was trying to do, and frankly, I was rejecting that.
I made the answer that he said.
We also rejected the bill that said he had said a lot.
That was really a slip of the tongue.
Didn't he go?
That's what it's like to do what's not right.
But also, didn't he get what he was all about?
And that's what he said.
And then, in the run-up, of course, I said, I'm going to do it.
I can't respond.
I can't.
I can't respond.
I can't respond.
I can't respond.
I can't respond.
So on the other hand, not all I have to trust him.
He's got a great history.
So that's what's not really here.
It's only, you know, what is broken now.
It's very, you know, basically it's the same, same thing.
So I'm trying to put it back together.
So I think it's important to not, to try and not have to consider it.
That's the message.
That's the message.
The scaling is, I think so, it's not, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I think so, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's,
I'm going to
I would like to make a consideration for somebody important to my institution.
I don't think it's a good thing.
It's a very good thing.
It's a good option.
I don't think it's a good thing.
I don't think it's a good thing.
I don't think it's a good thing.
I don't think it's a good thing.
I'm going to go to the hospital.
It's an idol of ours.
No, they won't pick up the set.
They'll mention it.
They're a little wild.
It does, it does.
It does.
It does.
It does.
It's a pretty good...
I'd love to see it for the long term, but I don't know if it's going to be long term, so I don't know.
I think it's a little long.