It’s been said already, but as I stated in my OP, I believe the cover-up is only the tip of the iceberg. The real story has to be the second article of impeachment. Nixon created what was basically an organised crime ring that used the resources of the IRS, FBI, and CIA to harass not only political opponents but also journalists and ordinary citizens who expressed disagreement with his government’s policies. He used “dirty tricks” to sabotage Democratic campaigns. All these activities were funded with shady bank accounts and illegal transactions. That’s got to be the real story and that’s what I meant when I said that he, in essence, tried to steal an election that he was already going to win.
And what was up with Howard Hunt’s obsession with Edward Kennedy?
Not sure what you’re getting at. While Nixon certainly targeted his political enemies, I don’t see any evidence that he felt the need to steal the 1972 election. It was pretty clear that it was going to be a landslide when the democrats passed over moderate candidates like Humphery and Muskie and chose McGovern. All that the Republicans needed to do was paint McGovern as a radical, which they did pretty effectively. That, coupled with Kissinger’s October announcement that peace was at hand (in Vietnam) made this a lopsided contest.
We have hours and hours of transcripts from Nixon and his cohorts discussin everything they are doing, and they aren’t talking about the need to gain an edge against McGovern. IMO, Nixon’s motivation seems to be a combination of paranoia and lust for power. He wants to hurt those who have worked against him, and he had bigger targets in mind than McGovern.
Is there anythign specifically, other than conjecture, that makes you suggest Nixon was trying to rig the 1972 election?
Never heard this before. Washington had real estate holdings in the western, in addition to his holdings at Pope’s Creek, Fredericksburg, and Mt. Vernon. Additionally, his wife was the richest woman in Virginia, which effectively made her the wealthiest woman in the country at the time (her dower slaves did not become Washington’s property upon their marriage - which, incidentally, took place in my church).
Well slap me silly. That’s what I get for using the Internet for my research!
One, there is no evidence that Nixon knew that the break-in was going to happen or that he ordered the break in. What he got nailed on is that when he did find out about the break-in, he attempted to have the CIA thwart the FBI’s investigation under the guise of “national security.”
Two, Nixon’s dirty tricks were essentially par for the course at that time in American politics. It can be argued that Nixon went beyond what other president’s did, but it’s only a matter of degree, not of kind. Nixon’s tapping the phone of political enemies, his use of the IRS to harass them, and other such dirty tricks were done by both Kennedy and Johnson.