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This file contains:
From Colson to Haldeman RE: the RNC's shutdown of its ethnic operation, and what can be learned from its failures. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Democratic opinions on China. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1971
From Carl L. Shipley to Haldeman RE: curtailing political demonstrations and materials directed against RN. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Letter], 4/19/1971
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WHSF: Contested, 4-26
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26144687
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WHSF: Contested, 4-26
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This file contains:
From Colson to Haldeman RE: the RNC's shutdown of its ethnic operation, and what can be learned from its failures. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Democratic opinions on China. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1971
From Carl L. Shipley to Haldeman RE: curtailing political demonstrations and materials directed against RN. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Letter], 4/19/1971
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
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Subject
Document Type
Document Description
4
26
5/6/1971
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: the RNC's
shutdown of its ethnic operation, and what
can be learned from its failures. 2 pgs.
4
26
5/6/1971
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Democratic
opinions on China. 1 pg.
4
26
4/19/1971
Campaign
Letter
From Carl L. Shipley to Haldeman RE:
curtailing political demonstrations and
materials directed against RN. 2 pgs.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Page 1 of 1
May 6, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Ethnic Operation in RNC
As you will see from the attached memo which George Bell
has sent to me, the RNC is effectively curtailing the ethnic
operation, particularly Mexican-American and Catholic.
It may be that Evans is dissatisfied with the way Laszlo
Passtor has been running the outfit. If that is the case, he
should be replaced with someone more effective. In principle,
however, curtailing it at this point in time would seem to me
to be ill-advised. This is the times when we should be sending
organizational people and field people in to cultivate ethnic
groups.
While I recognize that most ethnics will not rally around the
Republican Party banner, it is important to have political
operatives on the Committee payroll working inside of these
groups identifying key leaders, gathering intelligence and
working with us on strategy.
One of the biggest problems we have had in ethnic areas is that
we have no good means of communication. We deal, of course,
through this office with all of the organized groups, which is
excellent from a symbolic standpoint, but that really doesn't
represent the masses, The vast majority of ethnic groups are
totally disorganized. Hence, the only real political intelligence
that we have gotten has been through Passtor's operation and it is
our best means of communication and access.
The same function could be undertaken by the citizens committee
and if that is what is contemplated by reducing Passtor's role,
then I should not be concerned about this. This is not a time,
however, to deemphasize the cultivating of ethnic groups. It
should be done somewhere.
I recommend that you ask Evans for a full explanation of this
and we should then decide whether the operation should be
continued, where it should be continued and under whose direction.
I will be glad to see that it is properly organized from here if
you want me to, We haven't done at all badly in this area sub-
stantively, and we have done a lot of cultivating of individuals
and groups, but we need the appartus to come in for a political
kill at the right time.
May 6, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Democratic Aspirants on China
Awhile back you and the President made the point that the
Democratic candidates for President have been strangely
silent in the China issue. We have been trying to get this
point out. Scall feels that it will be turned in due course
to their embarrassment. Shumway was successful in
getting a small piece of a Coldsmith/Allen column which
has wide distribution. A copy of this article is attached
for your information.
Republican
National
Committee.
L. Shipley
imber for District of Columbia
National Press Building
shington, D. C. 20004
783-1647
April 19, 1971
Honorable H.R. Haldeman
Executive Office of the President
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Bob:
I was in Boston over the weekend visiting my older boy
who is at Harvard and got the attached "Dump Nixon" material from
a distributor at Harvard Square. This stuff was being handed out
by well organized crews, and was conspicuous on billboards, etc.
I assume it is being distributed at rallies organized all across
the country. It is not the spontaneous work of innocent college
pranksters or even well-meaning persons who disagree with the Nixon
Administration. This looks more like the effort of enemies within
and without who will do anything to destroy America and undermine
public confidence in our institutions. The attached Evans and Novak
column bears this out.
On Saturday I stopped in Boston Common to hear a black
revolutionary named Florence Kennedy harangue a crowd, purportedly
of womens' lib types, but Kennedy's whole thrust was an attack on
President Nixon, and a call to come to Washington and block the
streets and try to disrupt the Government on April 24.
It is hard to believe this is happening until you actually
attend these rabble-rousing affairs.
We should have a political "truth squad" or "fight-back"
task force to counter-attack -- in open discussion. Bob Dole's recent
defense of the FBI is the sort of thing we need. Any repulsion of
these militants would cause sympathy. Instead, we should expose them
and answer on the merits then and there.
Honorable H.R. Haldeman
April 19, 1971
Page Two
They must be financed by outside hostile forces -- such
bums would not have the brains or resources to carry on as they do
without financial help and experienced guidance from more competent
sources. In any event, we cannot wait as LBJ did -- it might really
get away from us. These birds mean business. The Washington Post
of April 19 shows how eager the anti-Nixon media are to exaggerate
this activity.
Carly Shipley
CLS:sb
Enclosure