Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 628 › Conversation 628-011

Nixon & Colson on Tax legislation and Senate opposition

Thursday, December 2, 1971 · 2:07 PM–2:19 PM ET · Oval Office · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation628-011 on Tape 628 (tape position 02:35:06–02:44:17)StartThursday, December 2, 1971 at 2:07 PMEndThursday, December 2, 1971 at 2:19 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 628-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss legislative strategy regarding tax policy and potential Senate opposition. Nixon outlines a plan to maintain a firm public stance against unfavorable tax legislation, suggesting that if it passes, he will signal his disapproval and commit to seeking its repeal in the upcoming legislative session. The conversation reflects the administration's focus on managing political optics and controlling the economic agenda heading into the 1972 election year.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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, hi.
Well, I went off to Florida after I'd seen Mrs. .
Yeah.
Yeah, like I said last night, we don't want somebody else doing the damn thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sure.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
But I don't think that the Congress doesn't have much impact.
I think that as of May, the end of May, that's completely what we want.
And in the meantime, I think the House of Representatives is going to start roughing it up.
I think we're, I think really it's our old friends that are destroying us on these seasonal adjustments.
I just have that feeling.
More.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I'll put him over there.
He's just got to stand there on it anyway.
All right.
All right.
Yeah, put Peter to it.
I'll tell you that if you die out here.
That's the 518.
How much of that?
It goes up a little bit, and that's expected.
That's right.
That's not a great deal.
Right.
Yeah, I heard about that.
I heard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's good.
Yeah.
Gregor got, I don't know if he'll ever get through the Senate, but I heard when he was a little boy about a tax check on something.
No, he moved the date to 73.
Yeah, he moved it to 73.
Well, of course we can't.
I got so close.
The point is that the Senate is likely hiding to turn it down.
I'm not sure if that's the problem.
because how they don't they don't know those candidates over there didn't vote for that who's 76 they're voting for 72. you know i'm gonna come to you
I'm taking still a hard line.
My objection to this is the principle.
Now, if it comes down, if they can pass it with that end, then I can probably say I totally disapprove this and will submit legislation for its repeal on January.
See what I mean?
I think you can get away with that.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
You see what I mean?
Nothing happens in 72 at all.
So, no, no, no, that's what I mean.
It's perfect.
It would be, it would be an environment where you can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
You can't stay here.
Yeah, I felt a little more stable instead of spending my $50 million for the purposes of license and the taxpayer money we used to keep his promises.

NARA Description

On December 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:07 pm to 2:19 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 628-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 628-11

Date: December 2, 1971
Time: 2:07 pm - 2:19 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 15-202]

Also recorded on December 2, 1971

  • 015-199 1:50 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-200 1:50 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-201 1:50 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 628-009 2:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:03 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 628-010 2:03 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:03 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-202 2:07 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:07 pm to 2:19 pm.
  • 628-012 2:19 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:19 pm.
  • 628-013 2:19 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gordon M. Metcalf, William M. Batten, George P. Shultz, Richard A. Moore, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:19 pm to 2:50 pm.

All 40 conversations from December 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 628-011, December 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/628-011 (accessed October 12, 2026).