Week 3 - Watergate Paper 1

Week 3
Frederick R. Paige III
University of Phoenix
Class is!1"#
Week 3 - Watergate Paper $
If yo% &ere to ask anyone in the United 'tates &hat do yo% think of &hen yo% hear the
na(e Richard )ixon and (ost &o%ld say *Watergate 'candal+. ,hat is the (ost co((on
perception of Richard )ixon and his legacy.
In 1-./ Richard )ixon ran for presidency after his stint in office as the vice president0
defeating %1ert %(phrey in one of the closest elections in U.'. history. 2%ring )ixon3s first
ter( as president there &ere so(e confidential White o%se and Pentagon papers that had 1een
leaked to the )e& 4ork ,i(es and they 1egan to 1e p%1lished in the papers. )ixon secretly
na(ed a gro%p of for(er CI5 agents the *pl%(1ers+ %nit and their 6o1 &as to find White o%se
leaks in the ad(inistration and essentially pl%g the( %p. 2aniel 7lls1erg &as the for(er defense
analyst &ho had leaked the Pentagon papers. ,he pl%(1ers %nit investigated and 1roke into the
psychiatrist3s office &hen 2aniel &as attending to find infor(ation to verify that indeed he
leaked the Pentagon papers0 1%t they co%ld not locate any files.
8n 9%ne 1:0 1-:$ five (en &ere arrested that &ere for(er CI5 agents in the Watergate
hotel in Washington 2.C. &here the 2e(ocratic )ational Convention &as 1eing held. ,he
s%spects &ere charged &ith 1%gging telephone lines and spying. President )ixon denied any and
all connections to the (en and the 1reak in at the Watergate hotel0 even tho%gh they had for(erly
done 6o1s in espionage for the Rep%1lican party previo%sly. ,he president had the C.I.5. and
F.;.I. cond%ct investigations 1%t then called the( off. ,his looked s%spicio%s to the 5(erican
people and they started to &onder if indeed things &ere different than &hat )ixon &as telling
the(. Cre&dson &rites for the )e& 4ork ti(es0 *,he Central Intelligence 5gency3s kno&ledge
of the activities of so(e of the Watergate 1%rglars &as (ore extensive than the agency has
p%1licly ackno&ledged0 according to a report 1y the 'enate Watergate co((ittee3s (inority
staff.+ 8ther indications of fra%d%lent0 corr%pt and illegal activity &ere 1eginning to catch the
Week 3 - Watergate Paper 3
p%1lic3s eye as &ell. 5 sec%rity aide &as a(ong one of the 1%rglars of the Watergate. 5 <$#0===
cashier3s check that &as (arked &ith the )ixon ca(paign seal &as fo%nd in the 1ank acco%nt of
one of the Watergate 1%rglars. 5ll of these facts that &ere co(ing to the s%rface did not look
good for President )ixon and his rep%1lican party.
*,he presidency of Richard )ixon is s%rro%nded &ith incredi1le &rong-doing 1%t
nonetheless the 5(erican p%1lic see(s content &ith 5rchie ;%nker and pro foot1all.
Una%thori>ed 1o(1ings of )orth ?ietna(0 callo%s c%t1acks in do(estic spending0 and
%ne(ploy(ent rate of #..@0 the controversial &heat deal &ith R%ssia0 Watergate0 and (%ch
(%ch (ore does not see( to 1oth the co&like 5(erican people.+ says a '%n Reporter for 'an
Francisco Paper.
In 1-:$ President )ixon is reelected in one of the 1iggest (argins of victory in 5(erican
istory. 7ven thro%gho%t the scandal that &as a (ist of the reelection )ixon still &ins0 and &ins
1ig. ,he 5(erican people stood 1y his 1eliefs in &hat he &anted to do for the co%ntry. 'hortly
after his reelection President )ixon3s aides A. Aordon Biddy and 9a(es W. CcCord 9r. 5re
convicted of conspiracy0 1%rglary and &iretapping in the Watergate incident. ,he other five (en
&ho 1roke into the hotel pleaded g%ilty too0 1%t D%estions and concerns still &ere loo(ing. ,he
Rep%1lican party had held off the 'enate to investigate f%rther into the Watergate scandal %ntil
after the 1-:$ election 1%t in 1-:3 the 'enate had held off long eno%gh and the 'enate Watergate
co((ittee 1egins to nationally televise the hearings. 2%ring the hearings 9ohn 2ean0 &ho &as
legal co%nsel for President )ixon d%ring the 1eginning of the Watergate scandal and &ho &as
forced to resign testifies at the hearing. e states to investigators at the hearing that he disc%ssed
a cover-%p &ith the president and his connection to the Watergate scandal at least 3# ti(es.
'%r(o%nting evidence &as contin%ally po%ring fro( everyone in the White o%se and
Week 3 - Watergate Paper "
Rep%1lican party. It &as discovered that )ixon had taped every conversation and phone call that
&as held in the 8val 8ffice &ith his recording syste(. ,his co%ld either help )ixon in his fight
for innocence of the Watergate scandal or prove his g%ilt. When it &as fo%nd o%t that
conversations &ere recorded0 )ixon D%ickly had the syste( disconnected and taps re(ained in
his possession. ,he (ost s%spicio%s thing )ixon co%ld have done &as not t%rn over the tapes to
prove his innocence and that3s &hat he did.
*I3( not a (inister0 1%t I3( s%re dist%r1ed at the i((orality and disrespect for the tr%th
displayed at the national level.+ &rites a reporter for the '%n Reporter E1-:$F. ,he 5(erican
people gre& tired of the ga(es &ith the 'enate and President )ixon.
In 1-:" the first of three articles of i(peach(ent &ere iss%ed to President )ixon. Instead
of 1eco(ing the first president i(peached0 )ixon Resigns. 5s a res%lt of the Watergate scandal
and (onies not 1eing acco%nted for and &here ca(paign (onies &ere spent0 congress passed the
Infor(ation 5ct in 1-:" and the 7thics in Aovern(ent act in &here ca(paign f%nds &ere to 1e
doc%(ented and (ade p%1lic. ,his is 6%st one exa(ple of ho& Watergate changed ca(paigning
and govern(ent parties.
Cre&dsons0 9. C. E0 9%ly 1-:"F. C.I.5. is critisi>ed over Watergate. The New York Times.
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Week 3 - Watergate Paper #
7(ory0 C. E0 'epte(1er 1-:$F. ,he Political Aa(e. Sun Reporter. Retrieved fro(
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Unkno&n0 U. E0 8cto1er 1-:$F. Will 5pathetic 5(erica give )ixon fo%r (ore yearsH. Sun
reporter. Retrieved fro(
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