What do you know about this man’s presidency so far?

1. What do you know about this man’s presidency so far?

2. A Conservative Turn • Appealed to conservative, middle class • New Federalism • More money/power in hands state/local • In 1973, Nixon had impounded almost $15 billion – decrease size federal government • Earl “Warren” Court to Warren “Burger” Court (Nixon Court)

3. Successes in International Affairs • 1972 – improved relations with China and the USSR • limited strategic nuclear weapons

4. George McGovern

5. What was Watergate • Political scandal that occurred between 72-74 • Watergate itself refers to an apartment complex with adjoining office buildings

6. In one vision, Watergate turned Americans into cynical people, mistrustful of government, ready to believe the worst of their leaders.

7. Stepping into a bad situation

9. Watergate • Political scandal between 72’-74’ • Watergate Hotel in D.C. and complex (office buildings) – DNC office • Committee to reelect president bugs offices • June 17th, 1972 DNC office burglars caught fixing wiretap • 5 men arrested – contact G. Gordon Liddy • Think money laundering – FBI • Reporters Bob Woodward Carl Bernstein assigned on Post • Link to committee – one burglars committee coordinator • 2 address books left behind and checkbook with howard hunt (WH) • Close aid then connected • Reporters knew he was paranoid (Pentagon Papers) • Disappears in 3 weeks (Story) • Baldwin – Hunt and Liddy dirrected breakin • Grand jury indicts 5 burglars & L – H • Woodward - Reporters – confidential source meeting • Involved (WH) & lots of this stuff • Nickname deep throat • Find out more • Nov 7 – largest electoral landslide – NIXON • Judge thinks deeper conspiracy – grills if WH involved - who paying burglars legal bills • Liddy and mccord – guilty – no larger conspiracy – judge urges senate look deeper • Senate committee – last campaign Nixon illegal and did nixon know • Open letter – mccord = political pressure plea guilty and remain silen t- ATTENTION - dean talks to investigators – asked to resign – also plan to remove top aids • Tells nation own staff involved (nixon tells nation) • May – senate watergate hearings begin - live • Person assigned to ivnestigate Nixon’s connection – Dean set to testify before committee (1853) • 245 page statement – natinoal audience – dirty tricks of Nixon – bugging, burglarized – • What did the president know? When did he know it? • Ask about listening devices in oval offices – realize tapes exist – what has Nixon said on the tapes – shock staff • Special prosecutor waits week to subpoena tapes – why doesn’t nixon destroy in that time (cox subpoenes nixon refused release for months) – Nixon told to fire cox – gets someone else to • Saturday night massacre • Face imperachment if continue stonewall advestigation • Secretary – transcribing tapes – accidentaly “rose mary stretch” – erases 18 minutes of tape • Feb 74’ avoids supb tapes – consider impeachment house • Realase edited transcripts – surprised vulgar language president • July 24th – supreme court orders to realese tapes – hung himeself with own tapes – june 23, 1972 most devastating – “smoking gun” proves president obstructed justice 6 days post breakin - persuade agency hold an FBI probe – telling chief of staff interferve watergate investigation • House judiciary articl eimpeachment – 2 more abuse power, contempt congress (first obstruct justice)- • Put interest american public above – never wanted leave office –need full time president and congress – shall resign – avoids trial – would senate removed from office?

10. What were the burglars looking for? • Info from DNC chairman • Weird held double digit lead over mcgovern – nixon wanted to win big • Liddy hired gather intelligence nixon’s enemies – 250,000 – permission break in headquarters • Brought in former CIA – howard hunt – • Paraonoid about links to press hurt international agenda – country dicvided over war – did not want to lose war (tarnish legacy) – very dangerous time • Pentagon papers – paranoid - threatened national security • Created “plumbers’ plug leaks – gather info on ellsburg even shrinks info! 1971 labor day – howard hunt & libby hire people break into shrink’s office – did not find file – same burgers enter watergate on behalf committee relect president • Wanted to learn??? Advance knowledge DNC campaign tactic s- mostly easdropping office gossip secretaryies – some bugs defective – sent back in • Cleaning staff taped doors open – so di dnot think anything (mccord) – frank wills security guard saw taped and remove d- saw retaped and called police • Secr guard knew cleaning staff gone home – • More concerned about ellsburg job! 3 days post breakin – met with holden (chief of staff) 18 min missing • Yes looks likely – erased nine different times – • Same time bob woodward digging deaper – met confidential source at parking garage • Deep throat – role criticial – fall 72’ returned for elads – woodward protected identity (30 years – mark felt – associ director FBI) – felt interacted infrequentlly with woodward but importatn – felt not source all – felt wanted to expand investigation into dirty tricks nixon campaign – gov wouldn’t – so went to woodward to dig deeper • WH had feeling felt – when j e hoover retired wanted an outsider so picked felt • Nixon knew if revealed source3 Felt could go public with all info • Jan 15 1973 – ask watergate burglars if wh involved – said no – who payi8ng burglargs bills – committee relect paid directly out nixon’s relection campaign - legal counsel kne wcover up out of control bc only keep quite as pay money to them • Dean said “hush money” never end – fired people in administration - faced scandal alone • Butterfield – aid – told ocmmitee (senate) had listening devices – staffers had stumbled on info – for memoirs – since FDR had done it – he had most extensive to date – • President could have destroye d- his – intended to erase most sensitive –d id not - had bronchicial nem – turned holman chief of staff for help – holdmann thought conver help mor ethan hurt president • Yes republican senators would have removed – nixon did not have votes to avoid conviction – need 2/3 majority (barry goldwater told him) • Created plumbers, spying, that lead up to watergate even if did nto approve that himself (keeps asking more info) • Power prestige presidency decrease – cut post war funding – led fall saigon – over rode veto pass war powers act - disclsoe campaign funds • Pardoned one month after ford • Carter – integrity

11. Taped Long before the Watergate scandals, Herb Block was pointing out excessive use of government power to wiretap or otherwise investigate the activities of citizens an administration felt were at odds with its policies. In 1970, the Civil Service Commission admitted to having a Security Investigations Index with over 10 million entries, and the armed forces revealed surveillance of Americans involved in anti-Vietnam war activities. Taped, January 18, 1970

12. New figure on the American scene • On June 13, 1971, the New York Times began publishing installments of the "Pentagon Papers," documents about American involvement in Indochina from the end of World War II to the mid 1960s. The Nixon administration moved to block further publication of the papers, and Attorney General John Mitchell obtained a temporary injunction against The New York Times. The Washington Post then released two installments before being similarly enjoined. Other papers picked up the series, until June 30, when the Supreme Court rejected the government's request for a permanent injunction. The "New Figure" cartoon was one of many depicting President Richard Nixon's attempts to curb public information, partly through government control of broadcast stations owned by newspapers. • New figure on the American scene, June 20, 1971

13. "Now, as I was saying four years ago–" • In his 1968 bid for the presidency, Richard Nixon announced to the war-weary country that he had a secret plan to end the Vietnam War. When he ran for re-election four years later, American troops were still fighting in Indochina, with casualties continuing to climb. • "Now, as I was saying four years ago–", August 9, 1972

14. Nixon, with sign, "I am not a crook" • On November 17, 1973, President Richard Nixon told 400 Associated Press managing editors that he had not profited from public service. "I have earned every cent. And in all of my years in public life I have never obstructed justice. People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook," he declared. On April 3, 1974, the White House announced that Nixon would pay $432,787.13 in back taxes plus interest after an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and a congressional committee. Among Nixon's benefits to himself were improvements in his properties, supposedly necessary for his protection. These included a security ice maker, a security swimming pool heater, security club chairs and table lamps, security sofa and security pillows. • [Nixon, with a money-bag for a face, carries a sign, "I am not a crook"], April 4, 1974

15. Nixon awash in his office • By June 1973, the country had become transfixed by the investigation of Watergate via the televised hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. On June 25, former presidential counsel John Dean began his testimony, the first before the committee to directly accuse President Richard Nixon of involvement in the coverup. • [Nixon awash in his office], June 26, 1973

16. Nixon hanging between the tapes • Even more damning than President Richard Nixon's profiting from public office were the disclosures of his corruption and attempts at corruption of the government itself including the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon and even the Secret Service. A taping system that had recorded most of President Nixon's conversations in the Oval Office provided the "smoking gun" that spoke of crime and corruption. Nixon refused to release the tapes until the Supreme Court ordered him to do so. • [Nixon hanging between the tapes], May 24, 1974

17. Nixon, "unindicted co-conspirator" • By July 14, 1974, President Richard Nixon stood almost alone. His vice-president Spiro Agnew, pleaded nolo contendere to a charge of tax evasion, and was forced to resign. Many of Nixon's closest aides had been convicted of illegal activities. Nixon himself was named an "un-indicted co-conspirator" by the Watergate grand jury. A few days later, the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment, and the Supreme Court required him to turn over all subpoenaed tapes. When even his closest friends, reviewing these tapes, agreed that the evidence against him was overwhelming, Nixon bowed to the inevitable, resigning on August 9. • [Nixon, "unindicted co-conspirator"], July 14,

18. Tried to make the Supreme Court more conservative • Prayer in school unconst’l; right attorney; Miranda rights; redistrict • Earl “Warren Court” to the Warren“Burger” Court (Nixon Court) in 69’ • Did not really work! • Forced busing; strict guidelines capital punishment; abortion