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This file contains:
From Colson to Haldeman RE: instructing Bob Dole on how to attack the Democrats. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/9/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: helping Bob Dole recover from his "tailspin." 2 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/24/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Colson's recent meeting with Dole. 2 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/22/1971
From Colson to George Shultz RE: Jim Suffridge and labor. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 9/21/1971
From Colson to Malek RE: finding a speechwriter for Dole and a deputy press man for Nofziger at the RNC. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/20/1971
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26144695
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WHSF: Contested, 4-30
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26144695
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document
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WHSF: Contested, 4-30
description
This file contains:
From Colson to Haldeman RE: instructing Bob Dole on how to attack the Democrats. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/9/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: helping Bob Dole recover from his "tailspin." 2 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/24/1971
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Colson's recent meeting with Dole. 2 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/22/1971
From Colson to George Shultz RE: Jim Suffridge and labor. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 9/21/1971
From Colson to Malek RE: finding a speechwriter for Dole and a deputy press man for Nofziger at the RNC. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 9/20/1971
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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
Folder List
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
4
30
9/9/1971
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: instructing
Bob Dole on how to attack the Democrats. 1
pg.
4
30
9/24/1971
White House Staff
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: helping Bob
Dole recover from his "tailspin." 2 pgs.
4
30
9/22/1971
White House Staff
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Colson's
recent meeting with Dole. 2 pgs.
4
30
9/21/1971
Domestic Policy
Memo
From Colson to George Shultz RE: Jim
Suffridge and labor. 2 pgs.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Page 1 of 2
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
4
30
9/20/1971
White House Staff
Memo
From Colson to Malek RE: finding a
speechwriter for Dole and a deputy press
man for Nofziger at the RNC. 1 pg.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Page 2 of 2
September 9, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Senator Bob Dole
As you know we have a continuing problem with Bob Dole
attacking many of the Democratic Presidential candidates
who are senators. Senators don't do these things and never
refer to one another on the floor of the Senate in other than
a complimentary fashion.
What Bob has to do is attack hard in speeches when he is
not on the Senate floor. We gave him two speeches in the
last two days attacking Muskie. They were good Buchanan
hardliners. Dole watered them both down considerably
taking out most of the personal references.
I intend to meet with him to talk about this. He seems
generally receptive whenever we talk to him personally
but he needs to be constantly reminded of his role as the
principal partisan defender of the President.
The only purpose of this memo is to suggest that if and
when you are talking to Dole, you lay the point on him very
hard.
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.
Nofziger 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. Nofziger 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.
EYES ONLY
September 22, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
RNC/Senator Dole
I just had a one hour session with Bob Dole to try to crank him up
to do a better job of defending the President and hitting back at the
Democrats. Dole didn't disagree with any of my points but he is a
very different man than he was a few months ago.
1. He is having some serious internal problems with Tom Evans.
I assume you are aware of this.
2. He feels the staff at the RNC is incompetent and Nofziger is not
doing the job he wants done but he, Dole, doesn't feel he can
shake things up.
3. He made the point that we are not giving him enough support,
speeches, material, etc., a point he said he made with the
President. To the extent that we have not done this, it will be
instantly remedied, but I pointed out to Bob that he has the whole
National Committee apparatus and that he shouldn't be leaning on
us and more importantly shouldn't be taking such minor complaints
to the President. I also pointed out that Nofziger had specifically
asked us not to send speeches for Dole, Nofziger wanted to write
them. Dole's answer was that Nofziger hasn't been writing any
good speeches lately.
4. He is obsessed with our lack of support in the farm area and really
acts generally demoralized.
5. He fully recognizes that he has made virtually no news for the past
two months but I think he honestly doesn't know what to do. I
suggested a press conference attacking the Democratic partisan
obstructionists for openers. He may do this tomorrow, but he again
complained that he had no staff help to get ready for a press confer-
ence. I honestly believe his own self-confidence has been eroded
for some reason.
We are going to start pumping him up directly with some stuff from
here. He seems to welcome the idea. You will get loud screams from
Nofziger but we have got to try something to get Dole back out front and
also to buildiup his own self-confidence. The two, I suspect, go hand in
hand.
EYES ONLY
September 21, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
GEORGE SHULTZ
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Jim Suffridge
Attached is the memo that I referred to during our 8:15
meeting this morning. Suffridge is a very level-headed
fellow and that is what disturbs me most about the memo.
Jim is usually very low key. According to George, he
was very forthright and came on very strong.
I am not entirely satisfied that George has the right approach.
I am completely satisfied, however, that we are not doing
the job properly at the moment with respect to labor. I'm
not talking now about substantive matters, I am talking strictly
about political cultivation.
What is apparently most troublesome is that Suffridge had
some very confidential discussion with us about the possibility
of his coming on board. You will remember that you and I
talked about this sometime ago. I was never able to get Hodgson
or Usery to agree to it but apparently Usery let someone at the
AFL-CIO Headquarters know that Suffridge was interested.
This was the one thing Suffridge asked us not to do and I gather
it has greatly hurt his effectiveness within the AFL-CIO Councils --
understandable so, particularly now.
As we head into the campaign we are going to need some people,
either here or at 1701, who can really work extensively in the
political cultivation of labor leaders. I don't think I have ever
succeeded in getting Hodgson and Usery abod understand that
there is an important distinction between their substantive rela-
tionships with labor leaders and our political relationships. The
2.
attached memo simply highlights the problem and it is one that
I think you and I should discuss to see if we can't get it resolved
to everyone's satisfaction.
I would prefer that you not send a copy of George's memo to
anyone, especially to Labor in view of the comments about
Hodgson. I might add, by the way, from the contacts I have
had that Suffridge is in no way overstating the case with respect
to Hodgson.
September 20, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FRED MALEK
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
Bob Dole is looking for a speechwriter. This could be a
great opportunity for ys. We've had trouble getting Dole
programmed lately but if we could put the right man in
as his speechwriter I think we would be way ahead of the
game.
Secondly, Nofziger is looking for a good press man deputy
at the RNC. Once again, this has been a serious problem
area and if we could put "our man" in there, we could really
help ourselves enormously.
Can you give me some help on these ? It is very high priority
that we get the right people functioning in these areas.