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This file contains:
From Colson to Bill Rhatican RE: using the VFW's support for RN in the campaign. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/30/1972
From Colson to Malek RE: considering Jerry Riso as a public political operative for the White House. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 5/26/1972
From Colson to Mitchell RE: a discussion with Harris on the political geography of 1972. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/19/1972
From Colson to RN RE: Dick Scammon's observations on the state of the 1972 campaign in May. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/19/1972
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Billy Graham's radio show as a vehicle to support RN. Handwritten notes added by unknown. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/10/1972
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26144709
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WHSF: Contested, 4-37
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1
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id
26144709
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document
title
WHSF: Contested, 4-37
description
This file contains:
From Colson to Bill Rhatican RE: using the VFW's support for RN in the campaign. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/30/1972
From Colson to Malek RE: considering Jerry Riso as a public political operative for the White House. 1 pg. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 5/26/1972
From Colson to Mitchell RE: a discussion with Harris on the political geography of 1972. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/19/1972
From Colson to RN RE: Dick Scammon's observations on the state of the 1972 campaign in May. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/19/1972
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Billy Graham's radio show as a vehicle to support RN. Handwritten notes added by unknown. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/10/1972
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
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no
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26144709
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nara-archive
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1
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33b1d62a389890d3
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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
37
5/30/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Bill Rhatican RE: using the
VFW's support for RN in the campaign. 1 pg.
4
37
5/26/1972
White House Staff
Memo
From Colson to Malek RE: considering Jerry
Riso as a public political operative for the
White House. 1 pg.
4
37
5/19/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Mitchell RE: a discussion
with Harris on the political geography of
1972. 1 pg.
4
37
5/19/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to RN RE: Dick Scammon's
observations on the state of the 1972
campaign in May. 2 pgs.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Page 1 of 2
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
4
37
5/10/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Colson to Haldeman RE: Billy
Graham's radio show as a vehicle to support
RN. Handwritten notes added by unknown.
1 pg.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Page 2 of 2
May 30, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
BILL RHATICAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
I have just had lunch with Cooper Holt and as I suspected he
is feeling somewhat sensitive about not being involved in the
campaign planning process. Cooper said he wanted to turn
the whole VFW organization loose for the campaign and that
they are solidly for Nixon. He has always felt shut out by
Don Johnson and now really doesn't feel a part of it since
Naylor is a Legion man and close to Johnson. Cooper is
very sensitive this way.
This was the one reservation I had when I cleared Naylor's
being hired by the Committee. I was concerned he would favor
the Legion.
The only way to get this off to the right start is for you and I
and Naylor to meet with Cooper so that I can make absolutely
clear to Naylor that he is to work closely with Cooper. Cooper
said none of their former National Commanders have been con-
tacted yet which to me is ludicrous because many of them could
be extremely helpful to the President. They are primarily
Democrats and as we have found out many many times, the VFW
is much more active in their support than the Legion.
Please have a discussion of this with Naylor and then set up such
a meeting.
May 26, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FRED MALEK
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
Jerry Riso impressed me as a very savvy, able individual.
He seems apprehensive about the job, however, and I would
therefore have serious reservations as to whether he can do
it. The only problem I see at the moment is that we are
right up against an absolute and complete deadline. Either
we get someone quick or it will be impossible to mount the
kind of effort we need. I suppose if we have to Hall back on
Burgess, who did it before, we should do so. Although if
Riso could be put in the right state of mind and given the
right guidance, he impresses me as having more native
ability than Burgess.
Maybe we should review a list of potential political operatives
who have had political organizing experience and are good.
Their own identity with ethnics is not important. We can
always use Balzano in public forums. Our principle require-
ment is for a shrewd political operative, someone who can
think in political terms and knows what he is doing with re-
spect to organizing.
May 19, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
JOHN MITCHELL
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
Lou Harris offered today to spend some time with us analyzing
key counties around the country that can be influenced by
specific issues. Lou said that he has spent years studying
poll data in specific areas and he could possibly give us some
advise and help in this area. I suggested that he meet with
Teetor. Lou said in viewoof his great concern with not
compromising his position publicly, he would prefer to meet
with me and one or two other trusted, closed-mouthed political
operatives. He, by the way, has a very high regard for Teetor.
Therefore, if you think he could be helpful, perhaps you would
like to suggest someone he might want to sit down with who could
pick his brains. For whatever it is worth, in passing he observed
that McComb County can swing the entire state of Michigan. It
is always over 60% Democratic in Presidential elections. On the
busing issue, Harris believes it can be flipped the other way and
if we get a majority in McComb County, we would win the balance
of the state. As Lou puts it, he has a very good feel of the
political map of the country. He may not know any more than we
know and perhaps he knows even less, but on the other hand, we
might get some benefit from listening to his views. It also doesn't
hurt in our effort to keep Harris friendly, To have him feel helpful,
The more vested interest, the better.
May 19, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
Dick Seammon called me last evening to give me a very detailed
analysis of the Michigan election. As he put it on the Today Show
Wednesday Morning, it will be "ironic if the Federal Courts against
whom President Nixon has so often campaigned turn out to be the
vehicle through which he is re-elected". Scammon believes beyond
any question that you will carry Michigan in November provided
Wallace is not on the ballot and maybe even if he is. Scammon
spent yesterday studying the poll data on Michigan and drew some
interesting conclusions.
Busing was clearly the most important issue as everyone has observed;
Scammon believes it was, however, virtually the only issue. Even
with voters in the 18 to 24 year old group (Wallace carried the 18 - 24
year olds) one-third listed busing as their reason for voting for
Wallace. Busing was regarded as the more important issue to the
Democratic primary voter than either inflation or unemployment by
margins of better than 3 to 1 depending on the category of voter.
For example, of all the Democratic veeters only 6% named inflation
as the most important issue in determining their vote. To Wallace
voters the ratio is much higher. One in three Wallace voters voted
for him solely because of the busing issue.
Scammon aggues, as he has consistently, that we should step up our
efforts to exploit the busing issue in 15 to 20 critical cities across the
country. The areas need not be only those in which there has been a
busing problem but also where there is a potential busing problem.
Busing is only a code word for the real issue, which is black/white
relations. Wherever large numbers of lower middle class whites live
in close proximity to blacks, the existence of busing or the threat of
busing is, as Scammon puts it, an absolutely decisive issue with any-
where from 20 to 30% of the electorate. Scammon said he could not
understand what appears to be a somewhat restrained posture on our
part on the busing issue; we do not appear to be exploiting it the way
The President
-2-
May 19, 1972
we did law and order, for example, and yet this issue is demonstrably
voter motivational. He volunteered that perhaps those of us in the
Administration are "embarassed" to be strongly pushing this issue
because it "runs against the mainstream of Georgetown thought".
Dick said half-facetiously that if we should prohibit any members of
the Administration from attending any Washington dinner parties until
after the election, that like all of our predecessors our people get so
enmeshed in the Washington social circuit that then we then become
more sensitive to the reaction in Georgetown than the reaction in the
country. He feels that on this issue we may have lost touch with the
folks.
In conclusion, Scammon feels that the issue is stronger than ever, that
we need to do better, that we can exploit this issue in key areas in a
way that will be positively decisive in November and that, if we handle
it properly, the Democrate will be stuck. On the latter point, he feels
that Humphrey and McGovern will try to waffle. If we too seem to be
waffling, the issue will be totally lost. If we are clear and hard their
waffling will only compound their problem. He still argues that a
Constitutional Amendment is the way to put the issue in clearest focus.
Eyes Only
May 10, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H.R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
CHARLES COLSON
SUBJECT:
Billy Graham
Billy Graham is taping a radio show tomorrow which covers
the Bible Belt and elsewhere, I gather. It will be on this
Sunday which evangelists have proclaimed will be a day of
prayer. Fred Rhodes who is working with the Southern
Baptists for us feels that a call from you, if you are
willing, suggesting that on this radio show he say that all
Americans should write the President and the Hill expressing
their support, which people all over the country are doing,
Rhodes assures us that this is worth at least 350 million
votes. letters