Another question for the people who know Watergate

[texpatriot2004]

What was the level of our checks and balances then? I mean, now, we have none. During the Watergate scandal did we have a balance or not?

[Clark2008]

1. The press was a lot more independent then

that's for sure.
I don't think the Post or the Times would let their reporters fully investigate or vet any information that might put them in hot water with Rove now - for whatever reason.
I may be wrong - but, it seems that whenever a juicy story about Bush starts coming to light, the press either allows his supporters to malign the source or they, themselves, start calling the sources, "conspiracy theorists" or "tin-foil-hatters." It never seems to occur to them that there is A.) a pattern in Bush's behavior and/or B.) that not all conspiracies are merely theories.
Hell, even Woodward has somewhat sold out.
Bernstein still cares and Sy Hersh and Keith Olbermann, but the vast majority of the media is lazy Shrub shills.

[rockedthevoteinMA]

2. I asked about that too -

The Dems had majorities in at least the senate or the house (I can't remember which one). I just looked it up a few weeks ago - I'm a youngin too.

[starroute]

4. Both Senate and House, I think

And the Supreme Court was a lot more liberal, too.

[Last Lemming]

28. And the republicans more honorable

At least a few

[Chasing Dreams]

3. There were many more checks and balances

Democratic Senate

Democratic House

More independent media. Most reporters were reluctant to go after Nixon, but younger, hungrier ones weren't pressured not to by their superiors.

[bobbieinok]

5. was it still the Warren supreme court (he was republican BTW)

[vonZapfenau]

9. Burger was Chief Justice then...

a Nixon appointee, and by all accounts the dumbest man ever to hold that position.

Even still the Burger court ruled unanimously in US v. Nixon that Tricky had to give up his tapes. (It was 8-0 because Rehnquist had to recuse himself since he'd worked in Nixon's Justice Department).

That was a few days before he resigned - because once those tapes were released it was obvious to everyone that the President was guilty of obstruction of justice.

I was in Dodger Stadium when the 8-0 ruling came across the scoreboard and the whole place erupted in cheers!

[BrotherBuzz]

15. He was one hell of a liberal republican

He ran for governor of California in 1942 as a Republican and was elected. California law at the time allowed individuals to run in any primary elections they chose. In 1946, Warren chose all three tickets and managed the singular feat of winning the Republican, Democratic and Progressive primary elections and thus ran unopposed in the 1946 general election.

There surely were things he did that he admitted were wrong (Japanese internment and loyalty oaths) but he was very well respected as a person who represented the people of the nation. Heck, why was the John Birch Society so hell bent on trying to impeach him and why was Eisenhower so pissed when he discovered how liberal Earl Warren really was?

On edit: he retired in 1969 so he wasn't involved in the Watergate mess.

[bobbieinok]

6. Nixon lost 'his' base support when tapes showed him swearing a lot

I think that's when B Graham turned against him too

Nixon was always talking about the president being a moral guide for the nation and especially for children/young people

[vonZapfenau]

7. There were even Republicans with integrity then

And they're few and far between these days. But in 1974, people like Howard Baker and Barry Goldwater didn't hesitate to put the good of the country over their loyalty to Nixon.

Well, maybe some of them hesitated a bit, but in the end he had very little support - maybe 19 votes in the Senate against impeachment and conviction.

And in answer to your first question yesterday: I suspected Nixon was behind Watergate from day 1. I was 15 years old and I bet that he'd lose the 1972 election to McGovern when McGovern was at 2 percent in the polls.

I lost of course, but the day I paid off that bet I bet the guy again that Nixon wouldn't finish his second term because of Watergate - best five bucks I ever made!

[Old and In the Way]

8. Bill Cohen, freshmen Republican Senator from Maine, for one.

He voted the articles of impeachment out of committee. I think one other did as well.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. Lowell Weiker was another. He later left the Republicans, and

Became an Independent.

PS... I also liked Howard Baker.

[MarkusQ]

12. We are not "few and far between"

We just have as hard a time getting our side heard in the MSM as any other reasonable group of people with a message that differs from the administration talking points. It seems like today there are only three ways to get attention in the MSM:

1. Agree with the administration's talking points, or disagree with them in an approved way
   
2. Play oddball
   
3. Ambush the VP in a town hall meeting
   

--MarkusQ

[vonZapfenau]

14. No offense, dude

I didn't mean ordinary Republicans. Some of my best friends are.

I was referring to the Republicans in Congress. There we do find persons of integrity to be few and far between, much, much rarer than they were thirty years ago.

On the offchance that you're an actual Republican Senator or Congresscritter lurking around DU, apology retracted unless you can prove your integrity.

[Old and In the Way]

25. Hi MarkusQ

Sorry to say, but you're rational Republican middle is getting marginalized out of existance. At this point, there's no middle ground...."your with us or against us" kind of thing.

I think the sane Republicans have got to have a long serious talk with themselves and decide whether their political label is more important than the direction this country is going in. You guys may not be able to have a voice in your Party today....but you do give it the majorities in Congress to effect and enable their radical agenda.

I gotta ask...are you closer to a Bush Republican or a Kerry Democrat? I've sent numerous e-mails to my Republican Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins asking them the same things.

I know one thing, if the roles were reversed and it was a Bush run Democratic administration cramming this agenda down my throat, I'd have registered Republican a long, long time ago....

[MarkusQ]

27. My dream ticket?

John McCain & Russ Feingold. Or Schwartzniger and Dean.

Actualy, at the moment any halfway honest non-psycho with a backbone would be fine with me. Heck, I'd take a Hillary Clinton & Colon Powel matchup in a heartbeat.

--MarkusQ

[Lizzie Borden]

10. No. Checks and balaqnces don't come and go.

They are in the Constitution and that doesn't change. Yes there were more democrats in the House and Senate which made things easier when they finally got around to investigating.The deal about Watergate was the press. No one would have done a damn thing (including the dems in the congress), if Woodward and Bernstein had'nt investigated it (Washington Post went after the story). They had an informant they called 'Deepthroat' who leaked the information to them. Whoever that was (and we don't know his identity but it is the center of much speculation)started the whole thing. He was most likely a member of Nixon's administration. It was the press. The press made the difference, and it should be now but isn't. This is much of the reason some of us are so whacked out about the press. It simply isn't doing it's job.

[texpatriot2004]

16. I know that checks and balances are in the Constitution but

I also know from experience as of late and common sense that if there aren't actual people, officials from the two parties in reasonable proportion or at least willing to take on their own party if they are in the wrong than we don't have them. It's not working. How are they working, even if they are still in the Constitution without someone there to work them? It seems to me that they are running all three branches and they are corrupt. What do we do in that case?

[Wordie]

22. Yes, you're really right about the press. If Nixon, or any other president

had tried to pull that stunt we all saw about the "new rules" * instituted not long after the election (and he behaved so arrogantly, on top of it!) that only allowed one question with no follow up, the press would have been up in arms. Now, they just meekly go along. :(

[Nightwing]

11. Forget the checks and balances regarding Watergate

They were important as was a more independent news media; However, Watergate would be a footnote if not for the testimony of John Dean.

[Red State Blues]

13. Difference: General Public

Then: No, a president just wouldn't DO that! Impossible to believe.

Now: Yeah but everybody does it.

[Greybnk48]

21. another difference

there was a different tone among politicians then. There was a "good old boy" network (not good for the little guy or gal or minority) but they were much more civil and statesmanlike...in a corrupt sort of way ;-)

I am having a very difficult time saying something good about politicians--it chokes me--kack!

[Niche]

17. Some of the same Nixon people are in place today...

in this administration. They don't want the US people to know the truth about anything again about what they're doing.

Also, the media had to get confirmation/sources on stories they couldnt just pull it out of the sky like they do now ("some people are saying"). Watch "All the President's Men" - you'll get the gist. People with ethics ran the media and reported FACTS. Watergate also took a couple years to break.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

20. Didn't Rove cut his eyeteeth working for the Nixon campaign?

[MarkusQ]

26. Someone should start a list

Of all the connections between the current crew and the Watergate era. Where were they all back then? G.H.Bush was head of the CIA & RNC...

Oh, and another oddity...does anyone remember the the name of the woman whose office they found the burglers in?

Dorthy Vandenberg Bush.

(This post should be sung to the tune of "it's a small world after all")

--MarkusQ

[EC]

18. Other Republicans

wanted him out too, because they were afraid his crookedness would taint them also. At one point it was the Republicans that confronted Nixon asking him to get out (quit). Now, I don't know, unless voters start making noises like they will never vote for another Republican again, I don't think there will be too many that distance themselves.

[aquart]

23. Republicans noted what worked against Nixon

And set out to make sure it could never happen again. They took over the media, the judiciary, and the Congress.

THEN they impeached a Democrat to make it even.

[americanwoman]

24. An overwhelming advantage of now ...

is the power of this "democracy of researchers" called the internet. Back then, you couldn't instantly fact check what was printed in papers or shown on TV. Now we have a virtual nation of potential first-person experiencers, witnesses and experts who in turn have an almost instant voice and audience.

[trudyco]

29. Thank goodness for Gore's Superinformation Highway

I think they will have to look at the congresspeople and Senators, particularly RepubliK, who have gotten into office since 2000.

If we don't stop the shrub before his second term, then we force the suspect congressional people to recuse themselves. Most of them will probably end up being conmen, too. Probably the primaries have been hacked and stacked too.

If we ever get our full clean sweep, then when we enact an amendment for an individual to vote and national voting standards, I hope we also enact an amendment for transparent and Fair media (no more secret AP). Media that is not tied to military-industrial complex and not tied to a party, can not have conflict of interest (like the AP and ES&S) and strict allotment of percentage of market they can own. Media that is American owned only for public airways.

I still wonder where USAToday got its money and Omaha World whatever got the money to buy ES&S.

trudyco

[zimba]

30. Washington Post

If memory serves, it was only the Post that was covering the early days of the story via Bernstein and Woodward. No other MSM was invovled, same as today. The story didnt get wings until one of the people (cant remember which) arrested for the breakin decided not to play fall guy and offered the courts evidence that the breakin was part of a major operation that reached into the WH.

[Upfront]

31. Nixon

Would have no problem with todays press. It would be covered up.