watergate. what was watergate? a hotel-office-condominium- shop complex? a third rate burglary? an...
TRANSCRIPT
WATERGATE
What Was Watergate?
• A Hotel-Office-Condominium-Shop Complex?
• A Third Rate Burglary?• An Abuse of Presidential
Power? • A Constitutional Crisis?• All of the Above and Worse?
The Watergate Complex
Richard Nixon
“I AM the President”
Anti-War Protestersand Freaks
The “Berlin Wall”John Erlichman and H.R. HaldemanBerlin Wall?-German last names-isolated Nixon from other advisors
The Pentagon Papers and Daniel Ellsberg- classified documents on activity in Vietnam- Ellsberg get them published in an “article series” in the NY Times
Formation of the Plumbers- group to stop leaks of classified information (response to Pentagon Papers)- branched into a group involved in the illegal activities involving Watergate
Committee to Reelect the President- CRP
(Creep)-CREEP used $500,000 in funds raised to reelect President Nixon to pay legal expenses for the five Watergate burglars.
The Election of 1972
Nixon’s Still the One
Still the One
Board Game for Real
McGovern-Eagleton Ticket
“1000%”(referencing McGovern’s support
for Eagleton)
- Eagleton had suffered from clinical depression in the 60s.- He accepted the offer to withdrawal from the race
New Running Mate:Sargent Shriver
(brother-in-law of JFK)
McGovern’s 4 A’s• Amnesty • Abortion• Acid (LSD)• Appeasement
Source- Eagleton. He told a reporter that McGovern was for amnesty, abortion, and legalization of pot.
“Third Rate Burglary”Ron Ziegler White House Press
Secretary
Election Results
• McGovern-Shriver 1 state( Massachusetts) and the District of Columbia; 17 electoral votes37.5% = 29,170,774 popular votes
• Nixon-Agnew 49 states; 521 electoral votes
60.7%= 47,165,234 popular votes
Ultimately, Eagleton killed McGovern's political career. He would still have likely lost the election, but not by such a landslide.
May 28, 1972:The First Break In
June 17, 1972June 17, 1972The 2nd Break-InThe 2nd Break-In
Caught! (and they made several attempts
before this.)• During the 2nd burglary five men are apprehended
inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building
• During the arrest, they implicated themselves on other counts and charges by voluntarily telling investigators about having committed a "first break-in."
Why did some say they did it?• They believed the Cuban government was giving
money to the Democratic campaign
The Burglars
Security Guard Frank Wills (not Forest Gump)
The Washington PostCan they crack the case?
Woodward and Bernstein
All the President’s Men
• A book published by Woodward and Bernstein about the truth behind the Watergate Scandal.
• The source who revealed it all…- Deep Throat
*name came from a play on a pornographic movie of the time and journalism term “deep background”,
which is used for information provided by a secret source.
Who was Deep Throat?
• William Mark Felt Sr.
• Kept the secret for 30 years- revealed May, 2005
“WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW AND
WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?” Howard Baker
Evidence?
The Battle for the Tapes
Nixon Refuses to Give Up Tapes. He claims…
•Separation of Powers•Executive Privilege•Confidentiality •National Security
Judge John J. Sirica“Maximum John”
(presided over the trial of the Watergate burglars)
“Saturday Night Massacre”October 20, 1973
• Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox appointed to carry out Watergate investigation by Attorney General Elliott Richardson in May, 1973
• Cox subpoenaed Nixon to turn over Oval office tapes.• Nixon refused, at first• Then offers the “Stennis Compromise” but Cox
refused.• President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliott
Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Richardson resigned, instead.
• Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckleshaus to fire Cox. Ruckleshaus resigned, instead.
• Nixon then ordered the Solicitor General/Acting Attorney General, Robert Bork, to dismiss Cox. He does.• In November, a Federal District Judge ruled this firing illegal
18 1/2 Minute Gap:
Nixon’s VP (Agnew) Resigns October, 1973
The New Vice-President
5 Articles of Impeachment
• Abuse of PowerAbuse of Power• Contempt of CongressContempt of Congress• Conspiracy to Obstruct Conspiracy to Obstruct
JusticeJustice• ““Secret Bombing” of Secret Bombing” of
CambodiaCambodia• Income Tax EvasionIncome Tax Evasion
Impeachment Lawyer For Judiciary Committee
Smoking Gun
• June 23, 1972 White House tape• Nixon orders FBI to call off
investigation of Watergate • Claims Watergate a CIA covert
operation• Other tapes show Nixon approved
of payment of “hush money”
U.S. v Nixon(U.S. Wins)
August 8, 1974 :“I have never been a quitter”
White House Farewell:“My Mother Was A
Saint”
Our Long National Nightmare is Over
Full and Free Pardon
“Lessons” of Watergate?
• Did the “System” really work?• To what extent was “Justice”
served?• How effective are campaign
finance reform laws?• Is the President above the
law?