Watergate: Nixon’s Downfall

Nixon’s New Conservatism• Nixon was determined to turn the US into a more

conservative direction with a sense of order• The US was intensely divided over Nam• Nixon felt LBJ’s Great Society programs gave the

federal government too much responsibility• Nixon’s plan was New Federalism which was to

distribute a portion of federal power to state and local government

• Under the Revenue Sharing Plan state and local gov. could spend Fed. $ how they saw fit

Welfare Reform -_FAP

• Nixon wanted to overhaul welfare which he felt had grown inefficient

• In 1969 Nixon introduced the Family Assistance Plan (FAP) which a family of four would receive a basic family income of $1,500 to $4,000, job training would be given and any job would have to be accepted by the participant

• It passed the House, but was attacked by both parties in the Senate and the bill was defeated

Two Sides to New Federalism• The Nixon administration increased Social Security,

Medicare, Medicare and made food stamps more accessible

• Yet Nixon tried to eliminate the Job Corps, and in 1970 he denied funding for (HUD)

• By 1973 Nixon had impounded more than $15 billion in funds for housing, health, and education (Courts overturned the impounding)

• Nixon abolished the Office of Economic Opportunity

Law and Order Politics• Nixon pledged to end the war in Vietnam• He pledged to mend American divisions• He played to the “silent majority”• Nixon used the FBI and CIA to investigate American

dissidents and political enemies• The IRS was used to audit anti-war and civil rights

activists tax returns• Nixon had a “enemies list” of who to harass• VP Agnew attacked liberals, the media, and anti-war

protestors ( Pit-bull)

Causes of Stagflation• Between 1967-1973 the US faced high

unemployment and high inflation (Stagflation)• High Inflation was caused by LBJ funding the war

and the Great Society through deficit spending• Increased International Competition in trade• Floods of new workers (Domestic Baby Boomers

and Foreign)• Heavy dependence of foreign oil

Nixon Battles Stagflation• To reverse deficit spending Nixon raised taxes and

cut the budget (Congress opposed)• Nixon tried to reduce the amount of $ in circulation

by pushing for higher interest rates• Nixon took the US off the gold standard• In 1971 Nixon froze wages, rents, fees and prices for

90 days it helped in the short term but the recession continued

OPEC and War

• During the 1960’s the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) raised the price of oil

• The Six Days War in 1967 impacted prices• The 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel, Egypt and

Syria causes increased prices• The US sent massive military aid to Israel, Arab OPEC

nations cut oil sales to the US (Oil Embargo) • By 1974 price increased 4x, the market price for oil rose

substantially, from $3 a barrel to $12• Major gas lines and shortages in the US early, mid 1970’s

Nixon and the Environment• Nixon supported the creation of the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) • Nixon improved the Clean Air Act of 1963• Nixon supported the Water Quality Improvement

Act of 1970• In 1973 the Endangered Species Act was passed• Membership in the Sierra Club took off due to new

concerns over the environment• On April 2nd, 1970 the first Earth Day was held

The Pentagon Papers

• Congress was angry with the extension of the war into Cambodia, and in Dec. 1970 they repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• In June 1971,Former Defense Dept. worker Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers to the press

• The papers stated that the government had drawn up plans for entering the war as early as 1964, and they showed their was never any plan to end the war even if it was unsuccessful.

Dirty Tricks• “Dirty Tricks” were used by the administration to

withhold information from the public, discredit critics, and gain illegal campaign contributions for the 1972 election

• The “plumbers” were established to stop leaks of information

• Former CIA agent E. Howard Hunt and FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy headed the re-election team

• “The Enemies List” First target was Daniel Ellsberg who released the Pentagon Papers

Hunt and Liddy

The Imperial Presidency• Nixon expanded the power of the Presidency with

little thought of Constitutional Checks• Impoundment of funds for fed. programs• Invading Cambodia without the approval of

Congress• Nixon felt the office of the Presidency was above the

law

The President’s Men• Fierce loyal advisors• H.R. Haldeman –Chief

of staff• John Ehrlichman – Chief

Domestic Advisor• John N Mitchell –

Attorney General• John W. Dean III –

White House Council

The Drive Towards Re-election • Nixon feared losing elections• Committee to Re-elect the President was formed

(CREEP) with Mitchell as its leader• CREEP hired a security team to bug the DNC

headquarters at the Watergate Office Complex in DC

• On June 17, 1972 five men were caught by a security guard Frank Wills

• The group’s leader James McCord was former CIA and Security Coordinator for CREEP

The Cover-Up

• Nixon was concerned about the break-in• Documents were shredded in Haldeman’s office• The White House asked the CIA to urge the FBI to

stop investigating the break-in• CREEP passed out $450,000 to the burglars to buy

their silence• The burglary was of little interest to the public and

the press• Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl

Bernstein kept on the story ( Received info. from Mark Felt) FBI

The 1972 Election• Nixon ran a successful negative campaign against

Senator George McGovern (D)• They let the press know that McGovern’s VP

candidate Senator Thomas Eagleton had undergone shock therapy for depression

• Voter turnout was an all time low• With promises of peace in Vietnam Nixon won in a

landslide

The Cover-Up Unravels• In Jan. 1973 McCord sent a letter to Judge John

Sirica (Presiding Judge)• He lied under oath, and hinted others were involved• On April 30th, Nixon fired John Dean and announced

the resignations of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Attorney General Richard Kleindiest

• Nixon went on TV to promote his new Attorney General Elliot Richardson and he suggested a “Special Prosecutor” be appointed to investigate Watergate

The Senate Investigates

• Senator James Ervin began calling Administration officials to give testimony

• Dean admitted the President had been deeply involved in the cover-up (White House denial)

• Presidential Aid Alex Butterfield revealed the tapes of Oval Office Conversations

• A year long battle for the tapes began

The Saturday Night Massacre• Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox took Nixon to

Court in 1973• Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire

Cox• Richardson refused the order and resigned

(Saturday Night Massacre)• Solicitor General Robert Bork fired Cox• New Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski wanted the

tapes as well• A few days earlier VP Agnew resigned for accepting

bribes while Gov. of MD• New VP Gerald Ford was appointed

The Fall of Nixon• In March 1974 a Grand Jury indicted

seven presidential aids on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury

• Nixon released 1,254 pages of edited transcripts

• In July 1974 The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to give up the unedited tapes “I am not a crook!”

• In Aug. Nixon released the tapes with an 18.5 min. gap (Rose Mary Woods accidentally erased the most crucial part)

Impeachment or Resignation• The House Judiciary Committee approved three

articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress

• On August 8th , 1974 Nixon announced his resignation

• Nixon admitted no guilt, some judgments “were wrong”

• Gerald Ford was sworn in as President• Ford gave Nixon a full Presidential pardon• 25 administration members served prison terms