# 10/20/1973 -- How deep was Nixon's bench? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837 "2017-12-19T04:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/1 "2017-12-19T04:03:30Z")
On the evening in question, Nixon ordered AG Richardson to fire Archibald Cox, the Special Prosecutor investigating the Watergate break-in. Instead, Richardson resigned, making deputy AG William Ruckleshaus acting AG (momentarily). Nixon repeated the order, and Ruckleshaus also resigned, which put the Solicitor General, Robert Bork, in the hot seat. Bork wrote the letter of dismissal, per orders. But what if he hadn’t? How many officials did Nixon have on hand that night? I’m picturing a string of guys lined up outside the Oval Office, like the passengers from that scene in _Airplane!_, all waiting their turn to “calm down” the hysterical lady. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/2 "2017-12-19T05:49:40Z")
From a brief Google foray under “line of succession for attorney general” it sounds like pretty much the entire Justice Dept. would step up starting with the most senior US Attorney. It’s not clear, though, what would happen if they went through all the US Attorneys. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/3 "2017-12-19T09:45:45Z")
But were all of them brought out to the WH that evening? Or did Nixon have each one sent for only AFTER the previous one bailed? By “How deep was his bench,” I mean “how many were suited up at kickoff?” ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/4 "2017-12-19T15:50:17Z")
It was attorney turtles all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![Falchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/5 "2017-12-19T16:41:06Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > On the evening in question, Nixon ordered AG Richardson to fire Archibald Cox, the Special Prosecutor investigating the Watergate break-in. Instead, Richardson resigned, making deputy AG William Ruckleshaus acting AG (momentarily). Nixon repeated the order, and Ruckleshaus also resigned, which put the Solicitor General, Robert Bork, in the hot seat. > > Bork wrote the letter of dismissal, per orders. > > But what if he hadn’t? How many officials did Nixon have on hand that night? I’m picturing a string of guys lined up outside the Oval Office, like the passengers from that scene in _Airplane!_, all waiting their turn to “calm down” the hysterical lady. My understanding was that Richardson, Ruckelshaus, and Bork were all at the Justice Department all day. Richardson went over to the White House (and resigned) and then returned to Justice. Ruckelshaus was then called on the phone, and resigned. Bork then spoke with Haig on the phone and was summoned to the White House as acting AG. Presumably they could have kept calling people into the office, but I think that the three of them had decided that Bork would not resign (at least in part to avoid having to answer the question you’ve posed). But the “action” was at Justice, not at the Oval Office. I also think they they decided that Bork would comply with the order before Richardson went to the White House, but I may not recall that correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/6 "2017-12-19T16:45:52Z")
[According to William Ruckleshaus](https://books.google.com/books?id=pGYNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=Watergate+line+of+succession+for+attorney+general&source=bl&ots=H2mmmC1To0&sig=srIa4RZmudob1ZN9NGy6I8rKed0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfrJDAv5bYAhUB2SYKHflTDakQ6AEIYTAK#v=onepage&q=Watergate%20line%20of%20succession%20for%20attorney%20general&f=false), Bork was the last one on the bench. [From a speech](http://crosscut.com/2012/03/bill-ruckelshaus-watergate-me/) > [@](#): > > At that time, the Solicitor General was third in command at the Department of Justice and there the chain of command stopped. It’s not clear what would have happened if Bork had refused. I put the phone down and went back to Elliott’s office and informed Bork he had the same caller. Bork went down to my office, picked up the resting phone, and told Haig he would carry out the President’s order. > > Both Richardson and I had urged Bork to comply if his conscience would permit. We were frankly worried about the stability of the government. Bork indicated to us that he believed the President had the power to fire Cox and he was simply the instrument of the exercise of that power. He thus issued the order discharging Cox. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/7 "2017-12-20T01:21:56Z")
Sounds like no one wanted to be the Cox sacker. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-20-1973-how-deep-was-nixons-bench/804837/8 "2017-12-20T01:53:41Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Sounds like no one wanted to be the Cox sacker. Well played, **Snake-Hips**. Well played.