A smile for you, esp. us Watergate era folks.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Link to tweet

[Me.]

1. ...

[DownriverDem]

13. I love it!

I still think we will see trump fire Mueller and that makes me mad. I keep seeing that huge numbers of folks will hit the streets if trump does it.

[lapfog_1]

2. to be fair

Nixon DID tape his private conversations in the oval office.

Not incredibly bright to tape him ordering a criminal cover up and obstruction.

But at least Nixon could spell and speak coherently.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Never thought I would be thankful to Nixon for anything

but Tricky Dick gave us legal precedence for getting rid of a sitting President.
and he wasn't even too treasonous by comparison.

[geardaddy]

8. He was treasonous in his conversations with the North Vietnamese before he was president

He held talks through Kissinger promising the war would end if they waited for him to become president. Thus, hampering Johnson's efforts in the peace talks.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. Yup,

I wonder how many men died while they waited for Nixon to end the war?

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. The Post movie does a good job of emphasizing the needless deaths.

Saw it recently and just wanted to scream.
The part I had not remembered from back then was that after the Post published the Pentagon papers, Nixon furiously gave orders for the Post to never be in the WH again, never be given a story. This was June of 1971. Watergate was almost exactly a year later, and all bets were off then for publicity.

[magicarpet]

24. Reagan and Poppy Bush pulled the same treasonous stunt....

.... with Iran/Contra via Israel. To toss a rusty wrench into Carter's attempts to get the American hostages back home before the date the Carter VS Reagan national presidential election held.

Those treasonous bastards forced the release date ahead to the day after the national elections. With the specific intent to severely disadvantage Carter in his second term attempts. That too was an act of treason to meddle in diplomatic negotiations to alter an election result more favorable to your chosen candidate. Poppy Bush was secretly sent to Paris to negotiate that crooked deal. Talk about Logan Act violations - morphed to in your face treason.
Again treason was perpetrated - but the culprit got a boys will be boys - just vibrant political gamesmanship - and got a fucking pass for that teasonous stunt.

Dollars to donuts Rethug political operatives and treasonous hacks like Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Henry Kissinger all played a role in these treasonous act back then too - like they had a hand in meddling with tRdump election results.

It has just crossed the line way into - not just political operatives doing op research - but now into honing highly unethical techniques to sway election results. PsyOp (psychological operation) with data algorithms that toy and play with the fears, anxieties, and raw emotions of individual voters. Then deviously alter or high jack their vote before they even enter the voting booth.

We better get a handle on this - it is a loudly clanging bell signaling the death knell of our American Democracy if we fail to address and remedy these issues forthwith.

[geardaddy]

28. Absolutely.

[True Blue American]

41. Trump had Kissinger to the WH.

It was clear then what Trump was. Kissinger is a war criminal. Can not leave the US because he would be arrested.

GW Bush is in that same boat.

[calimary]

50. Reagan too. They have to CHEAT to win.

If I remember correctly, Reagan’s version was secret talks with the Iranians to hold off releasing the American hostages toward the end of 1980. So he could beat Jimmy Carter. And sure enough - part of Reagan’s inaugural speech the following January was his reading an announcement that the hostages had just been freed.

I swear! The ONLY damned reason that detestable, deplorable party seems able to win is by CHEATING. They have to cheat or otherwise rig the game (voter suppression in all its evil and often racist forms, congressional district gerrymandering) to win.

[geardaddy]

52. Exactly!

[Juliusseizure]

40. Great point

Without Nixon, the courts, Trump, congress, the public would be dealing in a vacuum with no roadmap.

Trump and a lot of those senators and Supreme Court Judges lived through Watergate.

The crime that put Nixon into a death spiral was obstruction-the Saturday Night Massacre was flat out obstruction, and Trump knows it.

[fleur-de-lisa]

3. Ha ha! Good one!

[spanone]

5. the summer of 74....remember it well

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. Yes! A most riveting mini series that

many of us binge watched.

[dixiegrrrrl]

32. Pentagon papers early summer 1971, Watergate burglary June 1972.

I wonder ....if the Pentagon papers had never happened, would the public reaction to Watergate have been as strong?

[NastyRiffraff]

6. Nixon could at least claim some genuine accomplishments

He established the Environmental Protection Agency (that Trump is trying to dismantle)
He expanded affirmative action enforcement
He supported lowering voting age to 18
He insisted that Congress expand the Civil Rights Commission to include sexual discrimination

I'm definitely not a Nixon apologist. Nixon was a shit, to be sure, but he looks a hell of a lot better than Trump, who has accomplished zero so far. It doesn't look like he'll get better.

[Kurt V.]

10. not a Nixon fan by any means

but he was the last New Deal president

[politicaljunkie41910]

11. I agree, and as you said he did some good things that have survived the test of time. What has the

Dotard done for this country, but divided its people and robbed it's treasury.

[Capperdan]

27. And he lowered the speed limit to 55

In California

[maddiemom]

45. Speed limits were lowered to 55 in most states when the "gas shortage" happened.

[argyl]

38. Nixon did not establish the Environmental Protection Agency.

He just reluctantly signed it into law.

In 1967 LBJ commissioned a Task Force on Environmental Health and Related Problems. A total of thirty four principal recommendations were made, the final ten calling for legislation to be sent to Congress establishing an Environmental Protection Act.

It went to the full Congress in early 1969 and after almost a year the final version was crafted. And on
Jan. 1st, 1970, it was signed into law by Nixon, who was no supporter, he just knew that it would be politically damaging to oppose it.

Johnson also signed the first federal legislation for any regulations on air and water, which were previously seen as local or state issues.

He also signed into law the Wilderness Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Not trying to bash you, but the almost universally accepted notion that Nixon established the EPA just drives me up the wall.

[True Blue American]

43. Reminds me of blaming Clinton for

NAFTA?

[argyl]

46. Excellent analogy.

[True Blue American]

42. You are quite right

Nixon also wanted Health Care for all. Honestly, there is no comparing Nixon to Trump.

Nixon was smart. He just became paranoid and made bad mistakes. Trump is corrupt through and through.

[Va Lefty]

7. Two big differences in 1974

1) Faux News did not exist
2) There were MANY republicans in House and Senate who put Country before party

[Exotica]

12. and another thing from before I was born, The Fairness Doctrine NEEDS to come back!!!

[Oppaloopa]

14. Thank you for reminding all of us of this. I was not aware of this.

[Exotica]

18. Reagan was a monster. My parents hate Thatcher and him with a burning

passion of a thousand suns.

[Soxfan58]

17. I did not know this.

Calling my Reps and Sen. today.

[appalachiablue]

37. The 1949 Fairness Doctrine, abandoned in 1987 Must come back!

Fox TV, now everywhere started in 1996.

Time to get on it, way long past due..

[NewJeffCT]

22. A third difference

Democrats has big majorities in both houses of Congress, so only need a handful of Republicans to have a veto proof margin: 56 Senators and 241 House members.

That said, Republicans mostly stuck with Nixon until the tapes came out - just like they're sticking with Trump now

[Exotica]

9. Watergate was 20 years before I was born, but I understand AND approve of this sign 1000000000%

lock up Trussian traitors for life

[JustAnotherGen]

15. I was born in February 1973

So I missed it -well . . . I watched it with my mom but I'm waaaaaaaay to young to remember.

She swears up and down - there will be no 'Pat Buchanan' that emerges from this epic disaster.

Love the 'meme'!

[Mickju]

16. I lived in DC from 1970 to 1975

Read the Washington Post every morning. One of the highlights of my entire life was watching Nixon resign on TV.

[Exotica]

20. May we all get that splendid feeling of the moment again with Trump

This time led out in handcuffs.

[dixiegrrrrl]

49. My anger and distrust re: Nixon was white hot.

He was shifty eyed and insincere and I could not understand how everyone else could not see it just by looking at him.

After he resigned, I worried for a couple of years that he would weasel back into government somehow, given his track record of being counted down and out and then popping back up again..remember the Checkers speech?

The Pentagon Papers would have taken him down eventually, but then Watergate happened and knocked the war crimes he committed off the news.

The 3 networks reported the Watergate news every night, it seemed.
Walter Cronkite was a tv news god, highly respected, people had been watching him on CBS news for ages, in our family, he was the only news anchor we watched, and what he reported we believed.

My feelings towards Trump are mostly disgust and revulsion. I fear for out country, knowing how easy it is now to lead people astray with information.

[gademocrat7]

19. Yes...

[BlueJac]

25. K&R

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. I think it was Stephen Colbert (?) who called it "stupid Watergate."

[LakeArenal]

29. The best bumper sticker at that time...

FIRE THE COXSACKER

And we did!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

51. Another one I remember...

Why Change Dicks In The Middle Of A Screw?
Vote For Nixon In '72!

[LakeArenal]

54. Good one..

Another at the time totally unrelated to politics....

I STILL BLAME YOKO...

[Nitram]

30. Not only stupid, but insanely greedy and impossibly traitorous.

[elocs]

33. In 1974 I was 21 and working at the college NPR station during the Watergate hearings.

I was operating the sound board and so had to sit through hours of the hearings.
I distinctly remember thinking, "Nothing is ever going to come of this".
Now I read and hear so many on the Left being excited and completely convinced that this is the end of Trump. Well, it ain't over til it's over and those who gloat last gloat best.
Trump can still do a lot of damage before he goes and what he has already done will leave scars on this nation for decades. The tens of millions of Trump supporters and conservatives are going nowhere, and the opposite political extremes will become more entrenched in their positions than ever. And remembering the outcome of Watergate, Nixon did resign but Ford did pardon him for everything he could be charged with or ever be charged with.
And the same would happen with Trump...no perp walk, no jail time, no great fantasies of the Left.
Sure, Trump will be gone but will it be worth what he has done rather than having been vigilant in making sure he was never elected in the first place?

[appalachiablue]

34. In college I watched the 1974 Watergate Hearings & walked past Judge John Sirica

the presiding judge at the trial, at a shopping ctr. in DC five years later. What an era it was.

[BobTheSubgenius]

36. I watched as much of it as I could.

Being Canada, it wasn't wall-to-wall coverage.

My favourite moment came when Dan Rather was recognized as having the next question. A stir went through the attendees, some positive, some negative, and totally noticeable. Nixon asked "Well, Dan. Are you running for office?"

Rather said "No, Mr. President. Are you?"

BIG TIME scoowl from Nixon....stony silence from everyone else.

[appalachiablue]

39. What a great Rather moment. Nxon's scowl was legend, like yesterday. Eek!

[True Blue American]

44. JAWORSKI!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Jaworski

Remember that Raid cartoon?

[appalachiablue]

48. I remember Leon J. for sure, but not the cartoon. What a time it was..

Two of these in a lifetime is more than enough!

[BobTheSubgenius]

35. An actual chuckle escaped my lips!

I like that!

[heaven05]

47. +++

[benld74]

53. IF tRump resigns, will Mueller investigation continue? OR will Congress shut it down?

OR do you believe Mueller has yet ANOTHER contingency plan?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

56. I'm sure he has a Plan B.

All that evidence is probably stored or at least copied somewhere where Trump's goons can't get at it (the Watergate investigators did the same thing right after the Saturday Night Massacre - they smuggled documents out of their offices before Nixon's goons could get them). And firing Mueller isn't firing the other people working on the investigation, so unless all funding and support is also removed, I would assume those people would keep going. The case relating to Cohen that was just referred to SDNY will continue, and that is almost certain to involve Trump. Finally, Mueller has already given information to the NY state AG, Eric Schneiderman, whose office is investigating state crimes (probably money laundering and racketeering). Trump can't interfere in any way with a state prosecution, and he can't pardon anyone Schneiderman prosecutes.

[Gothmog]

55. I am from the watergate era and this is very funny

Thanks