1972 Watergate Break in Nixon's Connection to Essay

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1972 Watergate Break in

Nixon's Connection to the Watergate Break In

Richard Nixon (the 37th president of the United States), in 1974, went into America's books of history as the first and the only president to resign from office. Nixon would evidently enjoy a successful political career, dating back to 1946, when he first got elected to congress. According to Kutler (2010), many viewed Nixon as "an ongoing presence in American politics" (p.1). Promises to bring unity, peace, and prosperity to the American electorate would see him amass support; sufficient enough to enable him ascend to the presidency in 1968. In November 1972, Nixon got re-elected, amidst the discovery of evidence by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, linking the Committee to Re-Elect the President and some White House officials to a number of illegal activities, including the Watergate burglary.

With the presidential election only four months away, Geis (2011) points out that "the burglary, orchestrated by Nixon's operatives, was aimed at planting recording devices, and stealing confidential information regarding the plans of the opposition Democratic Party for the election"(p.170). In the opinion of Kutler (2010), during the period preceding the elections, a number of Nixon's aides would do anything in their power to ensure he got re elected. This attempt to ensure power is preserved could have, in the words of Kutler (2010), been aimed at "hiding the 'White house horrors' of the first term" (p.2). Persecution and torture of prominent opposition supporters were among the list of crimes that Nixon's aides were accused of. In the words of Duigman (2010), "federal agencies were used to harass those that were on Nixon's 'enemies' list" (p.42).

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In the wee hours of the morning of June 17th 1972, the police, after being briefed by the night watchman at the Watergate complex, arrested five men attempting a second-time break in. According to Geis (2011), James W. McCord had been leading the crew. Further investigations by the FBI led to the discovery that McCord worked for CREEP, as security organizer. The days that followed saw White house aide, E.Howard Hunt, and CREEP finance co coordinator, G. Gordon Liddy, linked to the Watergate burglars. This prompted Nixon to "order his chief of staff H.R. Haldeman to tell the FBI not to probe too deeply into connections between the White House and the burglars" (Olson, 2007, p.248).

However, with the Watergate saga fast drawing public attention, the senate set up a committee to probe the events of and motives behind the Watergate break in. Law professor Archibald Cox was named the committee's special prosecutor. The investigating committee summoned some of the top officials of Nixon's re election committee for questioning. John Dean, the President's counsel, admitted having "discussed the Watergate plan with the president at least 35 times" (Geis, 2011, p.173). Dean's testimony revealed that, with the help of H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman (both advisors to the White House), the former attorney general John Mitchell had been notified of the impending break in and had given his consent. In March, 1973, McCord angered by the White House's failure to prevent his conviction, spilled the beans on the latter's massive cover up of its involvement in the Watergate burglary (Duignan, 2010).

Part 2

Events Surrounding the Discovery of Tapes and the 18 and.....

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