The Arrogance of Power
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Christmas bombing: (background) Historical Documents, 1973, Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1974, p. 115, and see Karnow, op. cit., p. 65, 651–; (“peace at hand”) Kissinger, White House Years, op. cit., p. 1399; (Nixon wanted resolution) Karnow, op. cit., p. 666; (“any terms”) Kissinger, White House Years, op. cit., p. 1446–; (“The P said . . . rather bomb Monday”) Dec. 15, 1972 entry, HD, p. 556; (offensive described) Hersh, Price of Power, op. cit., p. 621; Karnow, op. cit., p. 667–, U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 5, 1973; (“win war”) MEM, p. 734; (“Brutality nothing”) Kissinger, White House Years, op. cit., p. 1469; (“peace with honor”) address to the nation, Jan. 23, 1973, Historical Documents, 1973, Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1974, p. 117; (“have it break with a year”) MEM, citing RN diary, p. 734; (N. Viet. troops remained) Nixon, Real Peace, op. cit., p. 284; (“biggest flaw”) Crowley, Winter, op. cit., p. 256; (RN would insist) Nixon, Real Peace, op. cit., p. 278; Crowley, Winter, op. cit., pp. 256, 261–; (“stupid”) ibid., p. 256; (“won war”) ibid. and Nixon, Real Peace, op. cit., p. 278.
RN state of mind during bombing: (Churchill on mind) MEM, p. 736; (“most difficult/heartrending”) MEM, pp. 734, 735; (“This is Dec. 24”) ibid., p. 739; (“terrible personal ordeal”) transcript of RN Apr. 30, 1973 address, in ed. Edward Knappman, Watergate & the White House, New York: Facts on File, 1973, Apr.–May, 1973, p. 37; (ordeal in private) PAT, p. 354, Dec. 20, 1972–Jan. 1, 1973 entries, HD, CD; Hersh, Price of Power, op. cit., p. 629; (“into hiding”) Thomas, Dateline, op. cit., p. 145; (“withdrawn/hostility”) Kissinger, White House Years, op. cit., p. 1149; (press views) MEM, p. 738; (Saxbe) ed. Schoenebaum, op. cit., p. 569; (“throwing stuff”) Hersh, Price of Power, op. cit., p. 622; (“did not care”) Richard Wilson note, cited in Thomas Hughes article, Atlantic Monthly, Oct. 1974.
“awesome power”: Oct. 16, 1972 entry, HD, CD.
“I want the most comprehensive”: WHT, Sep. 15, 1972, conv. 779-002, WSPF, NA.
extend presidency?: (getting brother, etc. to run) Dec. 10, 1972 entry, HD, p. 552; (Dean/Zeifman) Zeifman, op. cit., p. 49; (“to mountaintop”) Life, Dec. 1979; (“intended to control”) Magruder, Power to Peace, op. cit., p. 31; (choice as successor) Goldwater, Apologies, op. cit., p. 248; Lee Edwards, Goldwater, Washington, D.C.: Regnery, 1995, p. 389; Cannon, op. cit., pp. 124–, 136–, 182–, 210–; ints. Charles Young and John Galbraith by FB, FBP.
RN state of mind late ’72: (“troubled man”) int. James Keogh in eds. Miller Center, op. cit., p. 207; (“strange shudder”) Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 331; (“strange dream”) WHT, July 20, 1972; AOP, p. 101.
Chapter 32
“We kept one step . . .”: WHT, Apr. 26, 1973, transcribed for author.
’73 inaugural: (events) MEM, p. 751; LAT, WP, Jan. 20, 1973; NYT, LAT, WP, Jan. 21, 1973; Radical History Review, fall 1994, p. 138; Dickerson, op. cit., p. 199; (Bork) int. Robert Bork by FB, FBP; (“some jerk”) Rolling Stone, Sep. 8, 1994 and see MEM, p. 753; (jurors watch) NYT, Jan. 21, 1973.
hush money: (payments method) R, Summary of Information, p. 52, E, Final Report, p. 51; Ben-Veniste and Frampton, op. cit., p. 53–; (RN re: “myth”) Time, Apr. 2, 1990; (RN stated flatly) RN statement, May 22, 1973, R, Hearings, Bk. I, p. 39 and see RN statement, Aug. 15, 1973; Evan Drossman and Edward Knappman, eds., Watergate & the White House, Vol. 2, New York: Facts on File, 1974, p. 40– and RN address, transcript, Apr. 29, 1974; eds. Drossman and Knappman, supra., Vol. 3, p. 101; (“It’s worth it”) WHT, Aug. 1, 1972, transcribed for author; (“Goddamn hush money”) WHT, Jan. 8, 1973, in Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong article, WP, May 1, 1977; (“We could get that”) WHT, Mar. 21, 1973, prepared by R, Rec. Grp. 460, WSPF, NA, pp. 62–, 93; (Pappas/tapes) WHT, Mar. 2, 7, 21, 1973 May 23, June 6, 1973; AOP, pp. 217–, 225–, 544–, 580–, Apr. 26, 1973, Conv. No. 905–008 & 905–009, WSPF, NA.
RN tried to use Johnson ’68 bugging: WHT, June 17, July 1, 1972, transcribed for author, Sep. 15, Oct. 17, Nov. 3, 1973 and Jan. 8, 11, Feb. 6, 1973; AOP, also WHT, Mar. 1, 1973, Conv. No. 866-003, WSPF, NA, p. 8, Nov. 2, 3, 4, 1972, Jan. 8, 11, 12, 1973, HD, CD, and Haldeman testimony, Aug. 1, 1973, E, Bk. 8, p. 3204–, and John Dean testimony, June 25, 1973; (Haldeman note) H. R. “Bob” Haldeman note, Jan. 12, 1973, Haldeman Papers, NP, NA; (diary entry) Jan. 12, 1973 entry, HD, CD; (returned to idea) WHT, Feb. 6, 1973 (two convs.), AOP, p. 207–.
Patman: (probe) int. Jake Lewis, Washington Monthly, Apr. 1973; WP, June 13, 1982; (“very smart fellow”/“get off asses”) WHT, Sep. 15, 1972, Conv. No. 779-002, WSPF, NA, pp. 30, 38–.
Post: (“damnable problems”) WHT, Sept. 15, 1972, supra., p. 35; (TV licenses) Miami Herald, Jan. 6, 1970; ints. Sloan McCrae, Cromwell Anderson, WHT, Aug. 9, 1972; AOP, p. 126; Katharine Graham, Personal History, New York: Alfred Knopf, 1997, pp. 387, 479–, 497; int. Ben Bradlee in “Watergate: The Secret Story,” June 17, 1992, transcript p. 17; Spear, op. cit., p. 133; (“tit in wringer”) Bernstein and Woodward, Men, op. cit., p. 105; (wringer/breast on neck) Bradlee, Life, op. cit., p. 330fn.
Kennedy “holding action”: Bernstein and Woodward, op. cit., p. 247; (“thugs”) ibid., p. 260.
Decision on Sen. Probe: Sam Ervin, Preserving the Constitution, Charlottesville, VA: Michie, 1984, p. 318; Dabney, op. cit., p. 261.
RN and Ervin Committee: (“I don’t see”) WHT, Feb. 6, 1973; AOP, p. 207; (“old fart”) WHT, May 29, 1973, AOP, p. 559; (“old shit”/“unpatriotic”) WHT, June 2, 1973; AOP, p. 565; (“asshole”/“ass”) WHT, July 12, 1973; AOP, pp. 629, 635; (Baker “off reservation”) WHT, Mar. 16, 1973; AOP, p. 231; (“destroy . . . chances”) ibid., p. 232; (“flaw”) ibid., p. 232; (“simpering”) WHT, July 12, 1973; AOP, p. 631; (“never W. Hse. Again”) WHT, ibid.; AOP, p. 633–; (“hotshots”) WHT, Mar. 16, 1973; AOP, p. 231; (Weicker & higher-ups) Mar. 25, 26, 27, 1973 entries, HD, CD; (“We’ve got to play”) WHT, Mar. 30, 1973; AOP, p. 290; (RN raging) Apr. 1, 2, 4, 17, 18, 19, 1973, HD, CD; (break-in) “The Unsolved Break-Ins,” by Robert Fink, Congressional Record, Oct. 9, 1974; (“only friend”) WHT, July 12, 1973, AOP, p. 631; (Gurney supporters) Miami Herald, July 2, 1973, WP, July 3, 1973; Colson friend was Charles Morin; (Gurney posture) “Nixon’s Man on the Watergate Panel: Sen. Edward Gurney of Florida,” Today’s Speech, Fall, 1975, p. 7–; (“If the many allegations”) E, Bk. 1, p. 1–.
Crack-up in spring: well chronicled in Emery, op. cit., p. 249–.
Dean defection: (“skillful”/“finger in dikes”) WHT, Sep. 15, 1972; AOP, p. 148; (“innocent accomplice”) WHT, Mar. 27, 1973; AOP, p. 265; (Dean testimony) E, Bk. 3, p. 911–, Bk. 4, p. 1348–; (effect) summary at Emery, op. cit., p. 363–; (Goddamn him”) WHT, May 8, 1973; AOP, p. 407; (“Judas”) WHT, June 13, 1973; AOP, p. 606.
Mitchell: (“protect him”) WHT, Feb. 3, 1973; AOP, p. 206; (Ehrlichman—“jig up”) WHT, Apr. 14, 1973, Conv. No. 428-019, WSPF, NA, p. 26–; (told Haldeman) Emery, op. cit., p. 346, citing Haldeman note, Apr. 17, 1973; (Martha/“espionage operation”) McClendon, op. cit., pp. 11–, 222–.
Apr. 17 statement: Edward Knappman, Watergate & the White House, Vol. 1, New York: Facts on File, 1973, p. 29; (hands shaking) Bernstein and Woodward, Men, op. cit., p. 291.
Haldeman/Ehrlichman resignations: (Justice Dept. advice) Emery, op. cit., p. 341; (“no running room”) Garment, op. cit., p. 259–; (day of resignations) Haldeman with DiMona, op. cit., p. 289–; Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 356–; MEM, p. 847–; (RN crying) Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 367; int. John Ehrlichman in “Nixon,” American Experience, WGBH–TV, Oct. 15, 1990, transcript p. 37; (“really guilty one”) HD, p. 672; (RN shook hand) ibid.; (RN call/misspelling) int. John Ehrlichman.
Post firings speech/aftermath: (text) transcript, Apr. 30, 1973, in ed. Knappman, op. cit., Vol. 1, p. 37; (wan) Newsweek, May 14, 1973; (retreat to Lincoln Sitting Room) PAT, p. 369; (calls later) WHT, Apr. 30, 1973, with Haldeman, Rogers, Billy Graham, Elliott Richardson, Hobart Lewis, Charles Colson, AOP, p. 381 and monitored for author re: sound of voice/drunk.
Concern for months: (“eyes seemed”) Thomas, Dateline, op. cit., p. 192; (“tremor”) John Osborne, The Fifth Year of the Nixon Watch, New York, Liveright, 1974, p. 45; (man in distress) McCarthy and Smith, op. cit., p. 19–; (“agitated”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 75; (“Good God”) WHT, Apr. 27, 1973, transcribed for author; (“Ron, it’s over”) int. Ronald Ziegler; (shoved FBI man) Klein, op. cit., p. 354; Kleindienst, op. cit., p. 169; (“No sooner”) ibid.; (RN/Key Biscayne) Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 16; (P.O.W. dinner) MEM, p. 865–; Troy, op. cit., p. 200; Radical History Review, Fall 1994, p. 186.
RN lying: (CIA psychologists) New Times, June 25, 1976, citing former CIA technical service division psychologist Jim Keehner; (Scott) UPI, Dec. 9, 1974; Stanley Kutler, Wars of Watergate, New York: Knopf, 1990, p. 270; (“just be damned sure”) WHT, Mar. 21, 1973; transcript for R, Box 171, Rec. Grp., 480, NA, p. 102; (“I don’t lie”) WHT, Apr. 25, 1973, AOP, p. 339; (“lie like hell”) WHT, Apr. 26, 1973, Conv. No. 905–008, WSPF, NA, transcript, p. 47; (“anemone”) Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 308; (“I began to feel”) int. John Ehrlichman in eds. Miller Center, op. cit., p. 138.
Resignation talk 1973: (“we’ll even consider”) WHT, Apr. 17–18, 1973; AOP, p. 321; (“put in next draft”) Price, op. cit., p. 100–; Cannon, op. cit., p.157; (resignation/family) PAT, p. 372; SF Examiner, Sep. 4, 1974; (“cat in Kool-aid”) Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 353; int. John Ehrlichman.
Defiance: (“totally blameless”) WHT, May 11, 1973; AOP, p. 474; (“I wouldn’t give a damn”) WHT, May 16, 1973; AOP, p. 503; (“I came away feeling”) Newsweek, May 28, 1973.
RN inattention/distraction: Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., pp. 78, 322–; (“disintegration”/“Like a figure”) ibid., p. 105; (“to concede . . . impaired”) ibid., p. 289; (“deprived”) ibid., p. 263; (RN snapped) Osborne, Watch5, op. cit., p. 118; (“By the end”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 300.
Cox appointment: WSPF Report, Oct. 1975.
Impeachment foreseen: (impeachment defined) R, “Impeachment, Selected Materials,” p. 705; (“The time is going”) Breslin, op. cit., p. 12; O’Neill, op. cit., p. 242; (Rodino present) O’Neill, op. cit., p. 242; Breslin, op. cit., p. 13; (“just in case”) Zeifman, op. cit., pp. 32, 40.
Ervin/RN call: Sam Ervin, Jr., The Whole Truth, New York: Random House, 1980, p. 209; Sam Dash, Chief Counsel, New York: Random House, 1976, p. 168–; ints. Sam Dash, Rufus Edmisten.
Tapes discovered: (“Frankly, I don’t want) WHT, Apr. 9, 1973; AOP, p. 292; (ordering change) WHT, Apr. 9, 1973; AOP, p. 297–; WP, Oct. 30, 1997; (A week later) WP, Oct. 30, 1997; (“I don’t think it should ever get out”) WHT, Apr. 26, 1973, Conv. No. 905-008, WSPF, NA, transcript, p. 31; NYT, May 1, 1977, citing Apr. 27, 1973 conv; (Butterfield reveals) Journal of American History, Mar. 1989, p. 1222–; int. Alexander Butterfield, June 30, 1974; People, May 19, 1975; int. Scott Armstrong; (Dean’s tape suspicions) John Dean testimony, June 25, 1973, E, Bk. 3, p. 1016–; (RN appalled) MEM, p. 900; (“You dirty bastard”) NM, p. 461; (Democrats hastened) MEM, p. 900; (Kennedy Library) Richard Burke with William and Marilyn Hoffer, The Senator, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992, p. 36–; (discuss what to do) MEM, p. 900; (“Should have destroyed”) MEM, p. 901; (“I know what I did”) JA, p. 500, citing Alexander Haig; (tape releases) int. Pat Andersen, archivist; (“absolute power”) Schlesinger, Imperial Presidency, op. cit., p. 271–; (“Unlike monarch”) ibid., p. 272.
RN mental condition summer ’73: (“Do you think . . . mentally ill?”) June 27, 1973 entry, taped diary of James Doyle provided to author; (Elfin) Newsweek, June 18, 1973; int. Mel Elfin by FB, FBP; (“relaxed & confident”) New Orleans Times–Picayune, Aug. 21, 1973; (shoving incident) NYT Week in Review, Aug. 26, 1973; Rather with Herskowitz, op. cit., p. 243–; int. Ronald Ziegler; (drunk?) Osborne, Watch5, op. cit., p. 135; (“uppers”) Herbers, op. cit., p. 92; (“Sullivan on speed”) Newsweek, Sep. 3, 1973; (not on medication) NYT Week in Review, Aug. 26, 1973; Herbers, op. cit., p.92; (seeing psychiatrist?) ibid., p. 90; int. John Herbers; (Hutschnecker letter) Dr. Arnold Hutschnecker to RN, July 3, 1973, “Material Removed from President’s Desk,” Pres. Personal File, Box 188, NP, NA; (reporters armed with photos) Herbers, op. cit., p. 93; (Hutshnecker in NYT) NYT, July 4, 1973; (“Millions of us”) WP, Aug. 24, 1973; (Star-News/presidents’ illness) Washington Star-News, Aug. 31, 1973; (“that thing”/“main fear”) Dabney, op. cit., p. 261–.
RN/Kissinger relationship late ’73: (“Haig is keeping”) int. Mel Elfin by FB, FBP; (RN not attend) Edward Rowny, It Takes One to Tango, McLean, VA: Brassey’s, 1992, p. 59.
Middle East War start: (RN not one mtg.) Elmo Zumwalt, On Watch, Arlington, VA: Adm. Zumwalt & Associates, 1976, p. 434; (RN clear on essentials/“preoccupied”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 495; (“anti-Semitic bastard”) Max Lerner, “Eros and Power,” Playboy, Nov. 1978.
Agnew resignation: (charges) Washington Star-News, Oct. 11, 1973; Richard Cohen and Jules Witcover, A Heartbeat Away, New York: Viking, 1974, Chapter 4–; (RN letter) ibid., p. 356; (“mortal enemy”) Agnew, op. cit., p. 189; (feared being killed) ibid. and int. by Helen Dudar, WP, Apr. 20, 1980.
Murders feared: (“Everyone’s life”) Bernstein and Woodward, Men, op. cit., p. 317; int. Carl Bernstein; (threat to Dean) Dash, op. cit., p. 161; Providence [RI] Journal, May 16, 1974; Zeifman, op. cit., p. 50; Dean, Blind Ambition, op. cit., p. 271; ints. John Dean, Sam Dash; (Ervin) int. Sam Dash; (Cox) Ken Gormley, Archibald Cox, Reading, MA: Perseus, 1997, p. 279; (danger to burglars) int. Andrew St. George (re: fear for Al Baldwin), int. Charles Colson by Jim Hougan (discussion of Frank Sturgis’s fear), in Hougan Collection, and see Liddy, op. cit., pp. 419–, 455 (re: thoughts of killing Hunt, Dean); (McCord bomb threat) McCord, op. cit., p. 36; (“if the administration”) James McCord testimony, E, Bk. 1, p. 141, summary of McCord deposition, Dec. 17, 1981 (431–435) in Rothblatt Papers; (Russell death) Hougan, Agenda, op. cit., p. 306.
RN and congressional leadership: (acting . . . strange”) O’Neill, op. cit., p. 253; Breslin, op. cit., p. 66–.
Ford ceremony: Dickerson, op. cit., p. 208; Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 511; WP, editorial, Oct. 14, 1973; (“most repellent”) NYT, Oct. 15, 1973; (“wallowing”) Robert Hartmann, Palace Politics, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980, p. 26; (“Can you imagine?”) Kutler, Wars, op. cit., p. 419; (“disintegrating”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 511.
Cox firing: (planning removal) MEM, p. 928–; Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 535; (Cox/Harvard/Kennedys) ibid., p. 910; (“We can get rid of”) int. Elliot Richardson by James Doyle, Doyle Collection, provided to author; (“The FBI just entered”) Zeifman, op. cit., p. 59; (Bork/dismissal letter) Doyle, op. cit., p. 192–; (staff hurried) ibid., p. 195–; (tapes smuggled out) ibid. fn. and p. 165–; ints. James Doyle, Carl Feldbaum—Feldbaum’s wife got the tapes out; (Rebozo admitted) Memo re: “Rebozo’s Credibility,” Box B 135, E, NA; (“Constitutional crisis” etc.) MEM, p. 935; AMIII, p. 249–; (Gallup) ibid., p. 250; (“miscalculation”) MEM, p. 935–.
Kissinger to Moscow: (RN “driven”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 543; (“get off my back”) ibid., p. 552.
Oct. 24 alert crisis: (Kissinger account) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 581–; (principal concern) ibid.; (RN “upstairs drunk’) Morris, Haig, op. cit., p. 257; (“tired”) Alexander Haig with Charles McCarry, Inner Circles, New York: Warner, 1992, p. 416; int. Alexander Haig; (“I will say it straight”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 583; (“should I wake up”) ibid., p. 585; (another discussion with Haig) ibid., p. 586; (DefCon decision) ibid., p. 587–; Zumwalt, op. cit., p. 443; “On the Brink: Doomsday” TV documentary for The Learning Channel, Towers Productions, transcript, p. 37–; Newsweek
Nov. 5, 1973; (stern reply) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 591; (RN “clear-headed & crisp”) ibid., p. 593; (RN lecture/Dr. Morgan) O’Neill, op. cit., p. 254, and see Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 593; (physician) Uniontown [PA] Herald-Standard, Jan. 26, 1976; NYT, Aug. 2, 1995; (tell press “indispensable”) ibid., p. 598; (“the most serious thing”) Haig, op. cit., p. 415; (Zumwalt recalled) Zumwalt, op. cit., p. 444–; (RN not mentioned) ibid., p. 448; (“The reason we had to”) int. Elmo Zumwalt; (Haig put up”) ints. James Schlesinger, 1997 and 2000 (the latter for the BBC/History Channel); (advisers wondered) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 589.
Disney World: (points covered) Boston Herald-American, Dec. 4, 1973; Newsweek, Nov. 26, 1973; (“not a crook”) excerpts of exchange with press, Drossman and Knappman, eds., op. cit., Vol. 2, p. 117; (“couple of belts”) terHorst and Albertazzie, op. cit., p. 261–.
RN condition: (Bork) int. Robert Bork by FB, FBP; (Kelley) Kutler, Wars of Watergate, op. cit., p. 437; (Simon) Woodward and Bernstein, The Final Days, op. cit., p. 101.
Goldwater on dinner: Goldwater with Casserly, op. cit., p. 266–; Goldberg, op. cit., p. 278.
RN and Joint Chiefs: int. Elmo Zumwalt, Zumwalt, op. cit., p. 459–; Atlantic Monthly, Aug. 1983—Zumwalt acknowledged to author he was the “four-star officer” referred to in the latter; President Nixon’s daily diary, Dec. 13, 22, 1973, Boxes FC-41 and RC-13, NP, NA.
RN family Christmas: (low spirits) PAT, p. 395; (Yankee Stadium) Edmondsen and Cohen, op. cit., p. 110–; (Julie appearance) McCall’s, Feb. 1974; (Will) Dallas Morning News, Apr. 26, 1994; (San Clemente flight) PAT, p. 396; (4 weekends) Elizabeth Drew, Washington Journal, New York: Random House, 1974, p. 138; (diplomat) David, op. cit., p. 168; (agents to Pat’s aide) ints. Lou Campbell; (Pat drinking) int. Mark Barnett citing the late John Ehrlichman; (resignation discussed/notepad) MEM, p. 970, PAT, 397–.