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This file contains:
Memo from Colson to Haldeman re: Senator Dole's "tailspin" as partisan spokesman, Dole declining proposed press appearances, Nofziger's depression over situation. 2 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/24/1971
Memo from Colson to Higby re: attached memo from Nofziger about Pasztor, RNC ethnic operation. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/17/1971
Memo from Colson to Higby re: Nofziger's performance, need to "lean on" Nofziger. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 8/20/1971
Transcript of contentious conversation between Colson and Nofziger re: professionalism, communication between the two, recent assignments, especially attack on Muskie. 8 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Other Document], 8/19/1971
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WHSF: Contested, 4-1
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This file contains:
Memo from Colson to Haldeman re: Senator Dole's "tailspin" as partisan spokesman, Dole declining proposed press appearances, Nofziger's depression over situation. 2 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/24/1971
Memo from Colson to Higby re: attached memo from Nofziger about Pasztor, RNC ethnic operation. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/17/1971
Memo from Colson to Higby re: Nofziger's performance, need to "lean on" Nofziger. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 8/20/1971
Transcript of contentious conversation between Colson and Nofziger re: professionalism, communication between the two, recent assignments, especially attack on Muskie. 8 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Other Document], 8/19/1971
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
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Document Description
4
1
9/24/1971
Campaign
Memo
Memo from Colson to Haldeman re: Senator
Dole's "tailspin" as partisan spokesman, Dole
declining proposed press appearances,
Nofziger's depression over situation. 2 pg.
4
1
6/17/1971
Campaign
Memo
Memo from Colson to Higby re: attached
memo from Nofziger about Pasztor, RNC
ethnic operation. 1 pg.
4
1
8/20/1971
White House Staff
Memo
Memo from Colson to Higby re: Nofziger's
performance, need to "lean on" Nofziger. 1
pg.
4
1
8/19/1971
White House Staff
Other Document
Transcript of contentious conversation
between Colson and Nofziger re:
professionalism, communication between the
two, recent assignments, especially attack on
Muskie. 8 pgs.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Page 1 of 1
September 24, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES W. COLSON
SUBJECT:
Senator Dole
I just had a very distressing call from Lyn Nofziger which
underscores a terribly serious problem. I have run out of
gas in trying to solve it.
Bob Dole is really in a tailspin. After my meeting with him
Wednesday he agreed to have a press conference Thursday
morning and to go after the Democrat "partisan obstructionists".
He then revised his plan to issue a statement instead which
Lyn drafted for him and had in his office by 10:30 Thursday
morning. Lyn was also to arrange TV interviews.
Dole simply refused to do it and refused to give Nofziger any
reasons.
We have been trying desperately through A1 Snyder to program
Dole onto a TV show-- our reasoning is that anything that begins
to get him back out front will be helpful. None of the networks
evidenced any interest in him and understandably so. He simply
hasn't been making any news and he's therefore not newsworthy
to put on any TV talk shows. Al pulled a couple of chits of long
standing with the Today Show and got time for Dole to appear
next Tuesday morning. Dole has now declined, however, on the
grounds that he has to be in Witchita, Kansas, Monday night.
Nofsiger tells me that he has nothing scheduled; it's a meeting
with some local party types. It was the only time we could get the
Today Show in the next 3 weeks. Hence we have lost that forum.
Nofziger is genuinely depressed over it, says he hasn't been able
to get through to Dole over the phone and agrees with me that Dole
is really in a state of deep depression. I had the strong feeling that
Page 2
I was getting through to him on Wednesday but it is evident that I
failed completely.
I am really worried about this because if the situation continues we
simply do not have the partisan spokesmen that we desperately need.
This memo is written in some frustration because I don't know
the solution. I do know there is a serious problem. Maybe Dole
doesn't feel he has the staff at the Committee to help him or at
least that's the excuse he uses. But he is also unwilling to do
anything about it. Nofsiger claims that something has, in fact,
"happened" to Dole.
I really don't know what to suggest other than perhaps a meeting
between you and Bob, or you Bob, Nofziger and myself, or perhaps
the President has simply got to have a heart-to-heart talk with Dole.
I am only certain of one thing and that is that we have to correct
the current situation which is deteriorating very rapidly.
June 17, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
LARRY HIGBY
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Attached memo from Lyn Nofziger
My fuse is shortening gast -- all we are trying to get Passtor to do
is the job he ought to be doing or else the RNC ethnic operation should
be folded up. How do you like this answer? I obviously have been
under the mistaken assumption that we are working in the same party.
EThnic FRIDAY tile
August 20, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
LARRY HIGBY
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Lyn Nofziger
Just so you will have some appreciation of what I am up
against, this is the kind of BS that goes on with Nofziger.
First of all, it takes 20 minutes on the phone to get him
to agree to anything and then its grudgingly and with in-
numerable excuses. Apparently his sole complaint is
that I lean on him too hard. In my opinion, we are getting
goddamned little out of him and as long as I am the only
one leaning on him, he is simply going to get mad at me
and continue to do nothing. I have got to have some help
with other people leaning as well.
CONVERSATION WITH LYN NOFZIGER, August 19, 1971
C: Hello, there Lyn.
N: Hello. I think we better get it real straight very quick, Chuck.
I've talked to Higby and Higby said that the President had asked that
you and I get some things done and that Haldeman had apparently
talked to you. I told them that I would work with you but that you had
better stay off my back because I won't put up with any more crap.
So, on that basis we can go or not go as the case may be.
C: Well, I'm always prepared to work on any basis with anybody,
anytime anyplace as long as we are trying to get the same thing
accomplished. I don't care
N:
The one thing is we try to get the same thing accomplished
but you can, you have I must say an aggravating habit of leaning on
a guy to the point where I just have made up my mind that it isn't
worth it, Chuck. That life is much too short to have a guy push,
push, push, push.
C: Hold on a minute. (Tell Rhatican that I'll try to get over, let me
know before he leaves.) The only thing that I don't, first of all Lyn,
let me say this, the fact that you blew up last night and smashed the
phone in my ear, honestly doesn't bother me. I've got a thick hide;
I mean I naturally was a little angry and I was surprised,
because it's not like you to get as mad as you got on the telephone
and it came out of nowhere as far as I was concerned because we
were talking very reasonably and all of a sudden you blew your cork.
Normally you keep you cool, "don't get mad, get even" Nofziger. But
so be it, everybody has the right to blow up once in a while. The only
thing that I guess is difficult for you and I to track together on is that
when I get a call saying "get the RNC to do this on Tuesday" and I call
you Tuesday and we talk about it and you said to me, if you recall the
conversation you said to me, "gee, for once you're being nice" and you
apologized for jumping me, remember I said something about this
is once when Mr. Nofziger and you interrupted and I said, "no, let me
finish" and then you apologized. Good natured banter. The idea was
we would answer Muskie when he finally spoke up. Then we talked
yesterday morning and you were all prepared to do it. Right? And
SO I should just at that point figure well, it's done.
N: It was done, but you see
C: Now wait a minute, Lyn, let me finish. So then, I don't see anything
moving on the wires and I keep watching and I keep getting calls from the
airplane saying "has this been done or hasn't it?" and I gotta say "it's being
done. I can't get you on the phone until 5:30. When I get you on the
phone at 5:30 you say, "I just got around to it and goddamit I've got
other things to do" smash, down goes the phone.
N: You've oversimplified as you well know. You have to realize that
I've got a shop here with some people on vacation, I have dead lines,
I have things that must be done, I have other people to answer to, I
have other duties that if they don't get done today, also don't get done.
I don't sit over here and wait for a call from the White House. That's
number one. Number two, I assigned a guy to write a statement. It
was a bad statement, so I wrote it myself, but number three, that thing
I suppose the thing really that pisses me off is you telling me how good
you are, one, and two, the fact that you tell me that I have 8 hours,
which of course was not so because that thing didn't get out. I think I
got it around 12:00
C: What thing?
N: The Muskie statement.
C: Well, it was on the wires between 11 and 12, that's right.
N: So, and it was out, my statement was out here by around 4:00, I
suspect. Unfortunately, I do have people coming to see me, just like
you do.
C: But that isn't what you told me, you told me when I talked to you at
5:30 that it was just getting out.
N: No, no, that was not, either you misunderstood or something, because
I'msure I said it was out or if I didn't, that, anyway is beside the point.
It was out in time to be distributed before 5:00. But the point, my point,
is Chuck, that you lean awfully hard and I don't like to be leaned on. I
am perfectly willing to discuss, but you see, my own judgment on that
thing, which I think is probably as good as yours, is that that was a bad
thing to react to at all. That it was a nothing thing, that it would get no
play and I saw none. Maybe there was something somewhere.
C: We got some good play out of it, the Griffin thing.
N: No, I mean the Muskie thing.
C: No, I mean Griffin and Muskie got good play together.
N: But, well Muskie may have made a story for Griffin, I mean Griffin
may have made a story for Muskie, also, but, see I'm not convinced
you have to be react to everything and sometimes you give a guy a
credibility that he does not have and frankly, when I looked at that thing
3.
and one of the reasons is that I went up and I discussed this with Evans
and said, "Look, first of all let's see how we put this out, but secondly
let's take a look at this thing and see," well he agreed but nevertheless
I cameback and had it done because I assumed that this is something that
they wanted done. I keep coming back to the point that it's very easy
to call and order something done, but the production is not necessarily
that quick.
C: Yeah, but Lyn.
N: Oh, Chuck, now come on, let's not get into a
C: No, just let me answer this by saying that when a guy like Muskie
puts out a statement and he's the leading contender for the Democratic
nomination, the RNC ought to be in a position where it can respond
N: We can respond.
C
quick.
N: We can respond in the same time
C: It wasn't that big a deal. I mean it was
N: No it wasn't.
C: We'd only need a one paragraph blip and you could run that. I mean
that's the kind of thing for God's sake that I've seen you sit down at the
typewriter and bat out in two second.s.
N: Well, you see, I have an editor gone, I am putting out two MONDAY's
and a First Monday this week and next. I thought I was go ing to be out
of town today, but I, the point is that I'm not sitting over here just
waiting for a call to go ahead and do something.
C: Oh, I know that. You're getting awful thin skinned in your old age.
N: No, I'm not really getting thin skinned, but you see
C: You used to enjoy some good natured needling. Now you get needled
and you blow up and smash the phone down.
N: No, that was not good natured needling on your part as, nor was your
letter, which I thought I had sent back to you, but my secretary likes to
save me from myself, nor was the smart alect remark from you
secretary which I do not appreciate, even though I like her very much.
4.
C: When I couldn't get through to you all afternoon
N: Listen, you can get through to me if you tell, as you know, if you
tell my secretary this is urgent. You will get through, just as I hope
I would get through to you and haven't always as you may recall.
C: No, sure, but when you, we all have that problem, and all afternoon
and finally when I
N: Two calls, Chuck, not all afternoon.
C: Well, alright, but finally the second time when you're secretary
said, can I tell him, he's got someone with him, I don't want to inter-
rupt him, can I tell him anything and I said yea, tell him what the hell
am I supposed to say to the airplane that's been calling me.
N: Well, that isn't how it came across.
C: Well, that was my answer. Well, the more important proposition
is, Lyn, that there are things that are going to have to be done. You
and I don't have to like each other, we can hate each other, but we are
trying to get the same thing accomplished and unless, your supporting
McCloskey
N: No, McGovern.
C: You know, we just, the point is, just from my standpoirt and then
let's just let it drop, is that I can't spend all the time I spent trying to
get, trying to push you to do something that I thought on Tuesday after-
noon we both totally agreed ought to be done and still get everything done
I have to do and it gets very aggravating. And then when you blow your
top and smash the phone in my ear I figure what the hell.
N: Let me make one point. First of all,
C: Let me make one thing perfectly clear.
N: We agreed that something ought tobe done with the understanding
that we would have to see what he said for one thing.
C: Of course, he might have said he supported us.
I
5.
N: Number two, if I'd tell you I will get something out and then I
decide not to. I will call you back, otherwise you're going to have
to just accept the fact that I will get it out just as soon as possible.
Now, this may not be as soon as is totally wanted by some guy up
in an airplane, but he's got to understand too that no matter how
much I might want to I just can't turn a shop loose and say thi S
has to happen and to hell with everything else, because I'll do him
more harm than good that way.
C: Well, I think the point is that if we need an instant response
to a political attack on the President and it should come from
a partisan
N; Well, its such a piss poor attack that it was , had it been a
worthwhile attack, had it been something that, and I'm sure you've
read it and I'm sure you will agree it was a nothing.
C: No, I didn't think it was a nothing, I thought it was a complete
flip flop from Muskie's earlier position which made him very vulnerable.
Last Thursday in Dallas he's calling for wage and price controlsand
to stimulate the economy we do it and he takes three days to think
N: It may have been a flip flop but the attack itself was not an attack
of any great magnitude.
C: Well, when he's on the unpopular side of an issue like he is, then
we ought to build him up.
N: Absolutely, there's no question about that and
C: If we build him up by kicking him in the teeth
N: And we'll do that. One of the complaints we get is that we place too
much attention here on Muskie.
C: You don't get that complaint from me. Well, let's talk about the future.
N: Alright, you have I gather, a batch of things
C: Im' under instructions to get started as of today a daily partisan
attack on the Democrats and on any issues
N: Onlany Democrat on any issue ?
C: Well, any Democratic presidential candidates on any issue.
N: Well, obviously.
6.
C: The theory being that we have cut their legs out on China, we
have cut their legs out on the economy, the time that you really go
after an enemy is when he is down. He's down, so we start firing
back at him, we've got public opinion on our side for a change. The
way to make news is to attack and every day I'm under orders to
have a daily report out to
N: No, every other day is what Higby told me.
C: I'm told every day.
N: You better check that, you may be doing twice as much work
as you need to.
C: In any event, to get reports out on what we are doing to attack
the Democrats. Now, John Connally did a nice job for us this moring
on the Today Show of attacking the Democrats which is really going to
quite great lengths for him as a Democrat to do, but most of the
partisan attacks have got to come , got to be engineered and come from
the RNC. That's the, it seems to me that is going to be hard to do
without the full backing of the RNC.
N: It's hard to do without the Chairman in town with a Co-Chairman
who does not wish to say anthing because he doesn't wish to S tep on
toes and when you have in fact a very sensitive Chairman about such
things and I'm sure you're aware of, we can do it
C: Okay, thatsthe first target. The second target
N: Well, let me make one point here. That some of these things are
going to have to be done by other members of the Administration and
some are going to have to be done my way. In other words, you are
not always going to have a major news story because the attacks don't
always warrant that. Name calling does not necessarily warrant a
big story. So we have to sit and look and see what they are doing what
they are saying and then we have to before I called you I poored some
gin I thought I should be civil.
C: Maybe that's what was the matter with you last night, you hadn't had
your drink.
N: I had not. I had some afterwards, however. I also had had,
C: Last night was the first time I ever heard you lose your cool or
your sense of humor.
7.
N: I had spent about 3 1/2, I've had about 8 hours sleep in the last two
nights combined. I was not in a good mood yesterday.
C: God, you don't have to tell me.
N: I must say, and you will admit, that you are not the most gracious
soul alive.
C: I don't have time to be diplomatic.
N: No, but you have time to be Charles, make an effort. You
don't have to be diplomatic. You merely have to be reasonable.
C: I didn't think you I was unreasonable.
N: Well, you often are.
(LAUGHTER)
N: Aₙ yway, let's, as far as I'm concerned on this
C: You still haven'et apologized for slamming the phone in my ear.
N: Well, I don't intend to. You should know that. Although I probably
should.
C: You know, diplomacy works
N: It would have been more effective had I set it down very softly.
C: You know, diplomacy works both ways, as does graciousness.
If I slammed the phone in somebody's ear I generally apologize.
(MUCHOS LAUGHTER)
C: I'm glad I at least started your sense of humor again.
N: I apologized the other day when I misread your intent. Anyway,
let's come back. What's number two?
C: Number two is to start a steady drumbeat of support for the P on the
e conomy.
N: This we are doing already.
C: I just haven't seen it.
N: Well, I'm sure, , you see one of the problems is if it isn't on the
wires or it doesn't appear in the 3 or 4 papers, you tend to think it
doesn't exist. Now one of the things I ordered done all by by little self
8.
was to go ahead,
get
C: I've got Maury Stans calling me. Well, let's to gether in the
morning and either sit down and talk about it or really see day by
day what we can try to pull off in the next couple of weeks.
N: Well, I think what we have to do is have somebody look at the
paper every day
C:
and decide what the attack will be. Okay , will do it. I'll
call you in the morning.
N: Thanks.