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Published byFrancis Murphy Modified over 9 years ago
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WATERGATE
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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?
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The Watergate Complex
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Richard Nixon
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“I AM the President”
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Anti-War Protesters and Freaks
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The “Berlin Wall” John Erlichman and H.R. Haldeman Berlin Wall? -German last names -isolated Nixon from other advisors
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The Pentagon Papers and Daniel Ellsberg - classified documents on activity in Vietnam - Ellsberg get them published in an “article series” in the NY Times
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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
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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.
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The Election of 1972 Nixon’s Still the One
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Still the One
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Board Game for Real
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McGovern-Eagleton Ticket
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“1000%” (referencing McGovern’s support for Eagleton)
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- Eagleton had suffered from clinical depression in the 60s. - He accepted the offer to withdrawal from the race
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New Running Mate: Sargent Shriver (brother-in-law of JFK)
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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.
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“Third Rate Burglary” Ron Ziegler White House Press Secretary
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Election Results McGovern-Shriver 1 state( Massachusetts) and the District of Columbia; 17 electoral votes 37.5% = 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.
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May 28, 1972: The First Break In
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June 17, 1972 The 2nd Break-In
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Caught! (and they made several attempts before this.) During the 2 nd 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
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The Burglars
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Security Guard Frank Wills (not Forest Gump)
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The Washington Post Can they crack the case?
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Woodward and Bernstein
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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.
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Who was Deep Throat? William Mark Felt Sr. Kept the secret for 30 years- revealed May, 2005
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“WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?” Howard Baker
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Evidence?
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The Battle for the Tapes
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Nixon Refuses to Give Up Tapes. He claims… Separation of Powers Executive Privilege Confidentiality National Security
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Judge John J. Sirica “Maximum John” (presided over the trial of the Watergate burglars)
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“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
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18 1/2 Minute Gap:
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Nixon’s VP (Agnew) Resigns October, 1973
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The New Vice-President
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5 Articles of Impeachment Abuse of PowerAbuse of Power Contempt of CongressContempt of Congress Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice “Secret Bombing” of Cambodia“Secret Bombing” of Cambodia Income Tax EvasionIncome Tax Evasion
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Impeachment Lawyer For Judiciary Committee
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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”
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U.S. v Nixon (U.S. Wins)
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August 8, 1974 :“I have never been a quitter ”
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White House Farewell: “My Mother Was A Saint”
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Our Long National Nightmare is Over
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Full and Free Pardon
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“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?
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