AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY EXECUTIVE = MOST POWERFUL BRANCH OF U.S. GOV’T DUE TO: GREAT DEPRESSION WWII COLD WAR NIXON WANTED TO MAKE EXEC. BRANCH EVEN MORE POWERFUL . . . TO MAKE THE PRESIDENT LIKE AN “EMPEROR” CAUSED TENSION W/CONGRESS

AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY REFUSED TO SPEND $ FOR PROGRAMS HE OPPOSED INVADED CAMBODIA WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL NIXON’S PERSONALITY WAS: SHY INSECURE ALOOF SECRETIVE PARANOID VINDICTIVE KEPT AN “ENEMIES LIST”: USED THE FBI AND IRS TO HARASS POLITICAL OPPONENTS

All the President’s Men RELIED ON A SMALL GROUP OF LOYAL ADVISORS: H.R. HALDEMAN (WHITE HOUSE- CHIEF OF STAFF) JOHN EHRLICHMAN (DOMESTIC ADVISOR) JOHN MITCHELL (ATTORNEY GENERAL) BELIEVED THEY WERE ABOVE THE LAW

THE PENTAGON PAPERS SHOWED THE GOV’T LIED ABOUT VIETNAM PUBLISHED IN THE NYT OBTAINED FROM DANIEL ELLSBERG (FORMER DEPT. OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEE) NIXON ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK PUBLICATION COURT UPHOLDS NYT’s FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The “Plumbers” “PLUMBERS” = TEAM OF WHITE HOUSE INVESTIGATORS CREATED TO: PREVENT GOV’T SECRETS FROM LEAKING TO THE PRESS HELP ENSURE NIXON’S 1972 RE-ELECTION BURGLARIZED OFFICE OF ELLSBERG’S PSYCHIATRIST TO GET DAMAGING EVIDENCE TO DISCREDIT HIM

A BUNGLED BURGLARY WATERGATE HOTEL, WASH. D.C., JUNE 17, 1972 “PLUMBERS” CAUGHT BREAKING INTO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE HQ PLANNED TO PHOTOGRAPH DOCUMENTS AND WIRETAP PHONES

A BUNGLED BURGLARY TIES TO WHITE HOUSE: JAMES McCORD, LEAD “PLUMBER”, WAS A FORMER CIA AGENT ALSO WORKED FOR THE COMMITTEE TO REELECT THE PRESIDENT OR “CREEP” PAPERS FOUND ON BURGLARS LED BACK TO WHITE HOUSE STAFF MEMBER

A BUNGLED BURGLARY A COVER-UP OF THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION BEGAN: WORKERS SHREDDED DOCUMENTS NIXON URGED THE FBI TO STOP INVESTIGATING THE BREAK-IN (WOULD HARM NATIONAL SECURITY) “CREEP” PAID “HUSH” $ TO THE WATERGATE BURGLARS

WOODWARD & BERNSTEIN AT THE WASHINGTON POST NEWSPAPER: YOUNG REPORTERS BOB WOODWARD AND CARL BERNSTEIN CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE LINKED NIXON ADMINISTRATION TO THE BREAK-IN HELPED BY FBI INFORMANT CODE NAMED “DEEP THROAT” A SERIES OF ARTICLES BECAME THE BOOK ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

BERNSTEIN & WOODWARD

THE ELECTION OF 1972

THE ELECTION OF 1972 DEMOCRATS RAN GEORGE MCGOVERN: NIXON CAMPAIGN: ANTIWAR CANDIDATE NIXON CAMPAIGN: CLAIMED HIS POLICIES WERE BRINGING PEACE TO VIETNAM SAID McGOVERN WAS IN FAVOR OF “ACID, AMNESTY AND ABORTION” NIXON WINS IN A LANDSLIDE: 520 TO 17 IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE 60.7% TO 37.5% IN POPULAR VOTE

THE COVER-UP UNRAVELS DURING THE TRIAL OF THE “PLUMBERS”, McCORD ADMITS HE LIED UNDER OATH McCORD NAMES JOHN DEAN (LEGAL COUNSEL TO NIXON) AND MITCHELL AS BEING INVOLVED RESIGNATIONS AND FIRINGS: DEAN, HALDEMAN, & EHRLICHMAN NIXON CLAIMS HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE BREAK-IN APPOINTS A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE (ARCHIBALD COX)

THE COVER-UP UNRAVELS THE SENATE SETS UP ITS OWN INVESTIGATION WHITE HOUSE CLAIMS “EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE”: CONGRESS CAN ONLY QUESTION PAST OR PRESENT EMPLOYEES WITH NIXON’S APPROVAL VIOLATION OF “CHECKS AND BALANCES”

STARTLING TESTIMONY DEAN REVEALS NIXON INVOLVED IN COVER-UP DENIED BY NIXON IT IS LEARNED THAT NIXON TAPED VIRTUALLY ALL WHITE HOUSE CONVERSATIONS!!! BOTH THE SENATE AND PROSECUTOR COX DEMAND TO HEAR THE TAPES!

BATTLE OVER THE TAPES BATTLE FOR THE TAPES: COX TAKES NIXON TO COURT FOR THE TAPES NIXON FIRES COX (PROSECUTOR THAT NIXON HIMSELF APPOINTED) COX IS REPLACED BY LEON JAWORSKI JAWORSKI IS ALSO DETERMINED TO GET THE TAPES MEANWHILE . . . VICE PRESIDENT SPIRO AGNEW RESIGNS: TAX EVASION, EXTORTION, BRIBERY WHILE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND GERALD FORD BECOMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES 7 PRESIDENTIAL AIDES ARE INDICTED FOR PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE NIXON OFFERS TO RELEASE WRITTEN SUMMARIES OF TAPES INVESTIGATORS DEMAND ORIGINAL TAPES NIXON REFUSES, CLAIMING “NATIONAL SECURITY” COURTS DISAGREE WITH NIXON NIXON TELLS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC : “I AM NOT A CROOK.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh163n1lJ4M

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPROVES IMPEACHMENT ON THREE CHARGES: OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE ABUSE OF POWER CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS (TAPE REFUSAL!) NIXON TURNS OVER THE TAPES: SOME TAPES “MISSING” ONE TAPE HAS AN 18 AND ½ MINUTE “GAP”

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES NIXON MAKES MORE TAPES PUBLIC THAT SHOW: SIX DAYS AFTER THE BREAK-IN NIXON KNEW ABOUT THE BREAK-IN AND AGREED TO HELP COVER IT UP HAD LIED TO CONGRESS, THE PEOPLE, AND EVEN HIS OWN LAWYER! THE EVIDENCE WAS OVERWHELMING THE HOUSE OF REPS. MOVED TO IMPEACH NIXON

THE EFFECTS OF WATERGATE BEFORE THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE BEGAN NIXON RESIGNED (AUGUST 9, 1974): ADMITTED NO GUILT ONLY “ERRORS OF JUDGMENT” 25 MEMBERS OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION SERVED PRISON TERMS RELATED TO WATERGATE DEEP DISILLUSIONMENT: PUBLIC AND PRESS REMAIN CYNICAL TOWARDS POLITICIANS AND GOV’T

FORD PARDONS NIXON BLANKET PARDON: NO INDICTMENT “OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER” PUBLIC REACTION: ANGER – SEEMED LIKE FAVORITISM SUBORDINATES IN PRISON BUT NIXON PARDONED FURTHER DISILLUSIONMENT & DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT