AP: WatergateTerms

1. Watergate Scandal2. Silent Majority3. “Enemies List”4. Wiretap5. Pentagon Papers6. Credibility Gap7. “Plumbers”8. CREEP9. “Dirty Tricks” 10. “Hush Money”11. “Cover Up”12. Special Prosecutor13. Impeach14. Obstruction of Justice15. “Imperial Presidency”16. Executive Privilege17. 25th Amendment

Names1. Richard Nixon2. Daniel Ellsberg3. Spiro T. Agnew4. Bob Haldeman5. John Ehrlichman6. John Mitchell7. Henry Kissinger8. Judge Sirica9. Senator Muskie10. Senator McGovern11. Bob Woodward12. Carl Bernstein13. Senator Ervin14. John Dean15. Gerald Ford16. Archibald Cox17. George H.W. Bush

Scandals in American History

• Ulysses S. Grant

• Warren G. Harding

• Richard Nixon

• Ronald Reagan

• Bill Clinton

• Whiskey Ring

• Teapot Dome

• Watergate

• Iran-Contra Affair

• Whitewater, Paula Jones, “Troopergate”, Monica Lewinsky

Watergate

The events that led to the resignation of President Nixon

Watergate—Pathways p. 838• 1. Richard Nixon• 2. Watergate Scandal• 3. Wiretap• 4. Pentagon Papers (p. 813)• 5. Special Prosecutor• 6. Impeach• 7. 25th Amendment• 8. “Imperial Presidency” (see notes)• 9. “Silent Majority” (see Glossary or p. 814)• 10. Gerald Ford

1. Nixon, the man

• Childhood in California• Duke University, service during WWII• Marriage to Pat• Congress and Senate--Republican• Election Tactics• Alger Hiss case• The Checkers speech • Vice-president under Eisenhower

2. Elections of 1960s

• The press• The debate• The election of 1960—loss to JFK• Feelings of being “the outsider”• Loss in 1962 for governorship of California• Election of 1968 (Republican Nixon over VP

Humphrey and the splintered Democratic Party)• “The Silent Majority”

3. The Imperial Presidency

• “dirty tricks”• “enemies list”• “plumbers”—they plug up leaks• Leaks—information exposed unintentionally• Paranoia?• “The Credibility Gap” (the truth vs. what the

government presented as the truth)• The Pentagon Papers• Daniel Ellsberg and his psychiatrist

4. Watergate• Five men break-in, June 1972 (before the convention and presidential election in

November) at the Democratic Party Headquarters in The Watergate Office Building

• Goal: To steal the secrets of the McGovern campaign for President

• Arrest and arraignment—they “take the fifth”—prison

• They are connected to the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP)

• Nixon told CIA and FBI not to pursue investigation

• Two reporters—Woodward and Bernstein—investigated for The Washington Post (book and film, All the President’s Men)

• Secret news sources—newspaper coverage

• President won re-election by a landslide

• More newspaper coverage leads to a televised Senate investigation

• Meanwhile, after accusations of bribery, VP Agnew resigned—appointment of Ford as VP

5. Executive Privilege• Special prosecutors were appointed by the President• White House aides fired by President • Aides brought before Senate and reveal little • John Dean tells committee about a taping system in Oval Office• Congress subpoenas tapes• “I am not a crook”• Special Prosecutors fired by the President• “Saturday Night Massacre”• Public Outrage• Transcripts of tapes released• Supreme Court ordered release of tapes• 12 minutes missing

6. Exposure of the President

• “Cover up” and “Hush Money” exposed• House of Representatives votes for articles of

impeachment—Obstruction of Justice• Republican Party Chairman, George HW Bush

advises resignation• Nixon announces resignation, August, 1974• Nixon retires to California• Ford sworn in as President

Men who went to prison• Haldeman• Ehrlichman• Dean• Burglars• “Plumbers” and others…

• In 1974, President Ford issued a full pardon of Nixon, thus ending a two-year nightmare

• Governor Nelson Rockefeller became Ford’s VP

7. Positive Aspects of Nixon’s Presidency

• Troops came home from Vietnam in 1973 (Vietnamization)

• 26th amendment—18 year olds got the vote in 1971

• Historic visit to Communist China, 1972• Détente (friendship) with USSR • SALT I (arms limitation treaty)• Clean Air Act• National health insurance program proposed

8. Changes since Watergate

• Full investigation of public officials• Freedom of Information Act• Scrutiny of candidates and records• Skepticism of public• Aggressive/assertive press

• In a later interview, Nixon affirmed that as President he was “above the law.” Do you think that our current President is “above the law”?