Word: colson
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...prominently headlined Washington Post entry in the tapes derby was questionable. It was a transcript of a Jan. 8, 1973 conversation between Nixon and Aide Charles Colson in which the ex-President purportedly mentioned "goddamn hush money," possibly for the Watergate burglars. But the transcript printed by the Post was an early version that bore a warning of "reduced audibility" on its cover. Later, after publishing its scoop, the Post obtained transcripts of the Jan. 8 tape that had been prepared by experts on the special prosecutor's staff; they had deleted the hush money reference, deeming that section...
Frost looks at his clipboard. Why, then, did Nixon tell another high aide, Charles Colson, that very afternoon that "we're just going to leave this where it is?with the Cubans"? That was a reference to the four Cuban-Americans already charged with the burglary. And why did Nixon also admit to Colson, "At times I just stonewall it" on Watergate...
Nixon shows no surprise that Frost had access to this previously undisclosed Colson tape. It was subpoenaed by Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski for use against Nixon's top aides in their criminal trial, but was not put into evidence. The implication of the tape is that Nixon?on his first day at work after the burglary?was already directing a cover-up effort. Now, for the first time in the days of interviewing, Nixon's speech begins to falter...
...Frost's staff has uncovered two other tapes of conversations in the White House between Nixon and Colson. TIME has secured full transcripts of both tapes, dated Feb. 13 and 14, 1973. On the Feb. 14 tape, Nixon says: "The cover-up is, is the main ingredient... That's where we gotta cut our losses. My losses are to be cut. The President's losses got to be cut on the cover-up deal...
...fact, Nixon has never seen this transcript. (After the session, he asked his aides: "What was that tape? I'm sure I never heard that tape before. Find out about that tape." They immediately tried to locate a transcript in Washington.) The two Colson tapes, of course, contradict Nixon's assertion that he first learned of the cover-up on March 21. They unsettle Nixon...