The Arrogance of Power

by Anthony Summers

  Chapter 33

  “I suppose inevitable”: journal entry for July 29, 1974, kindly provided to author by Jerome Waldie.

  “mirrors/smoke”: Breslin, op. cit., p. 33.

  “I convinced myself”:MEM, p. 976.

  State of Union: ibid., p. 978–, eds. Knappman and Drossman, op. cit., Vol. 3, p. 21.

  Investigations’ momentum: (Jaworski) NM, p. 446–; Ben-Veniste and Frampton, op. cit., p. 187–; Emery, op. cit., p. 421; (Jaworski stunned) ibid., p. 420; (“psychopaths around him”) Jan. 10, 1974 entry, James Doyle taped diary, provided to author; (“something missing”) ibid., Feb. 20, 1974 entry; (“RN culpably involved”) Emery, op. cit., p. 420, citing Jaworski oral history; (“get finest . . . lawyers”) ibid., p. 422.

  Impeachment: (Judiciary Cttee process) R, Report, p. 6; (Rodham) Zeifman, op. cit., p. 11–.

  Longworth party: Dickerson, op. cit., p. 213, eds. Knappman and Drossman, op. cit., Vol. 3, p. 23.

  Colleagues depart: (Haldeman/Ehrlichman charges) WSPF Report, pp. 155, 157; (Klein) Schoenebaum, op. cit., p. 359; (Laird) Schoenebaum, op. cit., p. 371; (Harlow) int. Bryce Harlow in eds. Miller Center, op. cit., p. 21; WP, Feb. 18, 1987; (Chotiner death) WP, Jan. 27, 1974; NYT, Jan. 31, 1974; Hillings with Seelye, op. cit., p. 124, int. Nancy Chotiner; (“ally . . . friend”) WP, Jan. 31, 1974; (“almost incommunicado”) int. Bryce Harlow in eds. Miller Center, op. cit., p. 21; (Ziegler) Zumwalt, op. cit., p. 479.

  Colleagues face trial: (Krogh) WSPF Report, p. 157; (Kalmbach) ibid., p. 161; (Colson) ibid., p. 157; (Magruder) ibid., p. 156; (Mitchell) ibid.; (Chapin) ibid., p. 162; (Dean) ibid., p. 155; (Haldeman/Ehrlichman) ibid., p. 155; (14 associates) ibid., p. 155–.

  Grand jury/“unindicted co-conspirator”: (letter to RN) Kutler, Wars of Watergate, op. cit., p. 445; (juror ints.) SF Chronicle, June 19, 1982, citing 20/20 program, and int. Vladimir Pregelj, jury foreman; (21-page memo) Carl Feldbaum, George Frampton, Gerald Goldman, Peter Rient to Leon Jaworski, “Recommendations for Action by the Watergate Grand Jury,” Feb. 12, 1974, WSPF, NA; int. Carl Feldbaum; (details of jury episode) Ben-Veniste and Frampton, op. cit., p. 211–; Doyle, op. cit., pp. 270–, 308–; NM, pp. 476, 480, 495; (“stopped beating wife”) NM, p. 476.

  Pat and daughters early 1974: (“hasn’t done wrong”) Boston Herald Examiner, citing McCall’s, Jan. 22, 1974; (“She seemed emaciated”) Rabbi Baruch Korff diary note, Apr. 11, 1974, provided to author by Zamira Korff; (“We do believe”) Ladies’ Home Journal, Apr. 1974; (“Nixon came out”) int. Norman Casper; (Pat pain) John Osborne, The Last Nixon Watch, Washington, D.C.: New Republic Book Co., 1975, p. 81; (Grand Opry) Helen McCain Smith article, Good Housekeeping, July 1976, and see PAT, p. 404; (“He never ate”) int. Robert Keith Gray.

  April transcript release: (“Any more”) MEM, p. 994; (transcript process/TV appearance) NM, p. 483–; (troubling discrepancies) WHT, Mar. 22, 1973, in eds. The New York Times, The White House Transcripts, New York: Bantam, 1974, p. 208, and R, Transcripts of Eight Recorded Presidential Conversations, p. 164; (at RN’s behest) NM, p. 483–; (Ford previously) Hartmann, op. cit., p. 103; (“The time has come”) ibid., p. 120, citing Eastern Illinois University address; (“deplorable”) NM, p. 491; (“The thing that hurt”) int. Sen. Barry Goldwater, Newsweek, May 27, 1974; (Judiciary Cttee. Reaction) NM p. 493–.

  Rumors: (Phoenix hospital) May 9, 1974 entry, taped journal of James Doyle, provided to author, and see MEM, p. 996; (resignation rumors) ibid.; NM, p. 507; (walk on water) Bauer with Leighton, op. cit., p. 154.

  Phlebitis: (difficult to walk) Szulc, Illusion, op. cit., p. 773—re: limp on departure; (Haig Salzburg) Haig with McGarry, op. cit., p. 458; MEM, p. 1010; (flouting advice) Haig with McGarry, op. cit., p. 459; (“I thought I would die”) ints. Arnold Hutschnecker; (physician worried agent commented) Korff, op. cit., p. 51, Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 233–; (plunged crowds/open cars) ibid.; Rush, op. cit., p. 186; (“impeachment diplomacy”) NM, p. 505; (“beyond hoping”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1124; (“sadness all about”) Osborne, Last Watch, op. cit., p. 150; (“We sensed”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1142.

  Rebozo: (“Christopher”) Thomas, Dateline op. cit., p. 144; (“You betta”) Miami Herald, June 18, 1974.

  Soviet trip: Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1151–; MEM, p. 1023–; (“since little girl”) ibid., p. 1033; (“in a daze”) Thomas, Dateline op. cit., p. 212; (“No mention Watergate”) int. Viktor Sukhodrev in eds. Strober, Nixon, op. cit., p. 168; (“the biggest obstacle”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1163–.

  RN lost form: (stumbled statistics) AMIII, p. 373; (meet in car) MEM, p. 1027; (careless) Oleg Gordievsky, cited in Andrew, op. cit., p. 394.

  Foreign affairs slippage: (Portugal coup/India test/Colby) Andrew, op. cit., p.393–; 603n181; (Cyprus crisis) Kissinger, Uheaval, op. cit., p. 1190–; (only 6 days) White, Breach, op. cit., p. 306; (Dean/Watergate traffic) Szulc, Illusion, op. cit., p. 796; (“in no position”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1191.

  “Ever since . . . something lost”:MEM, p. 1049.

  Committee releases: (Sen. Cttee) WP, July 14, 1974—the Final Report eventually made available is 1,250 pages long; (“tragic happenings”) E, Final Report, p. xxiii; (Judiciary Cttee) eds. Staff of the NYT, The End of a Presidency, New York: Bantam, 1974, p. 267; Woodward and Bernstein, The Final Days, op. cit., p. 269.

  RN arithmetic: Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1181, MEM, p. 1041–; (call to Wallace) ibid., p. 1049–; Haig, op. cit., p. 471.

  Supreme Ct.: (crucial unknown) MEM, p. 1043; (decision) NM p. 515–; (RN & news) Haig, op. cit., p. 472; (“exploded”) NM, p. 518.

  June 23 tape: (“There is one tape”) Haig, op. cit., p. 472–; (“This . . . smoking gun”) ibid.; (clear evidence) R, Report, p. 2, WSPF Report, p. 128; Ben-Veniste and Frampton, op. cit., p. 292; (“No one is to listen”) Haig, op. cit., p. 455– and see MEM, p. 1000; (hidden from own people) Haig, op. cit., p. 490–.

  State of Nixon after Ct. decision: (“His coloring pallid”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1195–; (“gone too far”) ibid., p. 1196; (not left compound) NM, p. 537; (Napoleon) ibid.; (after swim) MEM, p. 1053.

  Impeachment articles: R, Report, pp. 1–, 10–.

  Kissinger/Haig agreed: Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1196.

  Nixon resignation/indecision: (“Dick, make deal”) Cannon, op. cit., p. 285–, citing int. John Mitchell by Hal Bruno; (spins tape Tuesday) White, Breach, op. cit., p. 10; (4:00 A.M.) MEM,p. 1056; (“Once this tape gets out”) Haig, op. cit., p. 476; (“like stroke victim”) Bob Woodward, Shadow, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999, p. 3, citing int. Alexander Haig; (“tell Ford”) Haig, op. cit., p. 480; (two Ford meetings) ibid., p. 480–; Hartmann, op. cit., p. 124–; (back to tapes) MEM, p. 1058; (“You can’t do it”) ibid.; (Julie first) PAT, p. 417–; (canceled plans) ibid., p. 418; Clem Conger, White Hse. curator, in Ladies’ Home Journal, Mar. 1975; (family/transcripts) MEM, p. 1060; PAT, p. 419–; (“fighting to finish”) MEM,, p. 1061–; (“Quite late”) Haig, op. cit., p. 487; (weekend Aug. 3–4) MEM, p. 1061; Haig, op. cit., p. 488–; Price, op. cit., p. 329–; (Options A/B) AP, Dec. 15, 1997, citing Raymond Price; (Monday transcript release) Haig, op. cit., p. 491–; Price, op. cit., p. 336; White, Breach, op. cit., p. 20–; (cruise) MEM, p. 1063; PAT, p. 420–; (cabinet meeting) MEM, p. 1065, Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1202; Haig, op. cit., p. 492–; Hartmann, op. cit., p. 148–; (“Nixon had never”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1205; (“tilting”) ibid.

  Edward Cox phone call: Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 437– and Griffin conversation with BBC/History Channel producer Rebecca John in 2000.

  Suicide?: (never crossed mind) Crowley, Off the Record, op. cit., p. 193; (“leave a man”) Haig, op. cit., p. 496; (“I told White House doctors”) WP, Dec. 25, 1995 and see Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 447; (David worries) Woodward & Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 377; (“given to sudden rages”) NM, p.
562.

  Concern re: stability: (“A new element”) Ben-Veniste and Frampton, op. cit., p. 145; (“He gave us strange arguments”) int. Harold Evans on ABC-TV’s 20/20, June 1982, cited in research paper by Michael Ewing supplied to author and see Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., pp. 115, 270; (legislators/Brown) Kessler, op. cit., p. 40; (Cranston) int. notes of FB, FBP; (“He made sure”) int. Margaret Shannon; (Buchen/Whitehead) Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 230–.

  Schlesinger precautions: (Laitin) int. Joseph Laitin by author and transcript of int. for BBC/History Channel, and see Seymour Hersh article, Atlantic Monthly, Aug. 1983; (Zumwalt/Schlesinger) ibid., int. Elmo Zumwalt; (“paranoid”) Zumwalt, op. cit., pp. 459, 495; ints. Elmo Zumwalt, James Schlesinger; (Schlesinger kept informed) ibid.; Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 24, 1974; (Schlesinger/Brown) ints. James Schlesinger by author and transcript of int. for BBC/History Channel; (Brown confirmed) int. George Brown by Bernard Shaw, transcript, CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, Oct. 10, 1974; (meeting/Holloway) int. James Holloway and notes of Michael Ewing int. with Joseph Laitin—re: dinner conversation with Holloway—by Michael Ewing, supplied to author; (“hands shaking”) int. Joseph Laitin for BBC/History Channel; (Security Act) Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 28, 1974; (“I did assure myself”) WP, SF Chronicle, Aug. 24, 1974; (“be sure no idiot”) Gerald Ford, A Time to Heal, Norwalk, CT: Easton Press, 1987, p. 322; (Air Force) Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 24, 1974; (Cushman) Brig. General Robert Cushman to Chief AFSWP, re: “Advanced Orientation Course,” Apr. 18, 1959, VP, NA; (82nd during demos) Gulley, op. cit., p. 198; (Ford spokesman/no measures) WP, Aug. 27, 1974; (“The last week or so”) ints. Barry Toll; (Toll background) army record, including decorations—Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Bronze and Palms, Bronze Star for Heroism, Presidential Unit citation, evidence Battle Staff Team, CINCLANT Airborne Command Post, Aug. 2, 1974, and honorable discharge certificate, Aug. 15, 1975; (“Haig was in touch”) Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1199; (“The end of RN presidency”) int. James Schlesinger for BBC/History Channel and for author; (“Secretary had responsibility”) int. Geroge Brown, CBS-TV, supra.

  Haig Aug. 7: Haig, op. cit., p. 496–; int. Alexander Haig; Goldwater with Casserly, op. cit., p. 277; Goldwater, No Apologies, op. cit., p. 266–.

  Republican leaders/RN meeting: (“We sat there”) int. Barry Goldwater, transcript “Watergate: The Secret Story,” CBS News, June 17, 1992; (“how things stood”) Goldwater, No Apologies, op. cit., p. 267; (stared at seal) MEM, p. 1073; (“irrevocably”) ibid.

  Evening Aug. 7: (Ed/Griffin) Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 466; (dinner/Kissinger meeting) drawn from MEM, p. 1074–; PAT p. 423–; Kissinger, Upheaval, op. cit., p. 1207–; (“drunk”) Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 472; (Price) int. Raymond Price in eds. Strober, Nixon op. cit., p. 472.

  Thursday Aug. 8: (morning/Haig) Haig, op. cit., p. 499–; MEM, p. 1078; (“I know good job”) ibid.; (Lenion/Gandhi) Haig, op. cit., p. 502; (“you don’t quit”) ibid., (“no tears”) MEM, p. 1073; (cried with Kissinger?) Woodward and Bernstein, Final Days, op. cit., p. 470–; (“I just hope”) MEM, p. 1082; (TV telling nation) Haig, op. cit., p. 503; (“May God’s grace”) MEM, p. 1084; (“slow . . . huddle”) ibid.; (Pat/window) ibid., p. 1085; (curtains) Dickerson, op. cit., p. 220; (“I let you down”) Garment, op. cit., p. 296 and transcript, “Watergate: The Secret Story,” CBS-TV, June 17, 1992; (Haig found Nixon) Haig, op. cit., p. 503–; (“Dear Mr. Secretary”) NM, p. 568; (“Oh, Dick”) PAT, p. 426; (speech) eds. Knappman and Drossman, op. cit., Vol. 3, p. 224–; (“Have a nice trip”) MEM, p. 1089; (“so sad”) MEM, p. 1090; (transition moment) terHorst and Albertazzie, op. cit., p. 48; (“nightmare”) Hartmann, op. cit., p. 172; (martini) terHorst and Albertazzie, op. cit., p. 49–; (call-sign change) ibid., p. 51; (mere colonel) int. James Schlesinger; (“black box”) AP, BBC, Apr. 26, 1999, int. Barry Toll; (Haig confided) ints. John Barker and see int. Richard Ben-Veniste; (No box on board) terHorst and Albertazzie, op. cit., p. 43–; (“God Bless America”) int. Howard Seelye; terHorst and Albertazzie, op. cit., p. 58–; PAT, p. 429.

  Aftermath: (Nixon plays “God Bless America”) unidentified clipping, [SF Chronicle?], July 14, 1986; (“He’s Back”) Newsweek, May 19, 1986; (Carter/other presidents consulted) JA, p. 552–; Crowley, Winter, op. cit., p. 130–; (“running for ex-presidency”) SF Chronicle, Dec. 2, 1978; (pardon) AMIII, p. 461; (foreman) int. Vladimir Pregelj; (“That’s justice?”) SF Chronicle, June 19, 1982; (Krogh) JA, p. 530; int. Egil Krogh; (contrition) AMIII, p. 461; int. Benton Becker; (“won’t grovel”) JA, p. 538; (“I did wrong”) Newsweek, Oct. 20, 1975, citing Rev. Eugene Coffin; (“only a footnote”) Colson, op. cit., p. 270; (Churchill quote) SF Chronicle, Mar. 8, 1985; (“obeyed Mark Twain”) Knight News Service, Jan. 8, 1981; (“Nixon and his apologists”) Magruder, Power to Peace, op. cit., p. 177; (“If there was dominant sentiment”) Shannon, op. cit., p. 11.

  List of Abbreviations

  * * *

  AMI Stephen Ambrose, Nixon: The Education of a Politician, Vol. 1, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987.

  AMII Stephen Ambrose, Nixon, The Triumph of a Politician, Vol. 2, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.

  AMIII Stephen Ambrose, Nixon, Ruin and Recovery, Vol. 3, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

  AOP Stanley Kutler, Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes, New York: The Free Press, 1997.

  DDEL Dwight D. Eisenhower presidential Library.

  DPP Drew Pearson Papers, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.

  E Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, chaired by Senator Ervin.

  FB Fawn Brodie, Richard Nixon: The Shaping of His Character, New York: W. W. Norton, 1981.

  FBP Fawn M. Brodie Papers, Marriott Library, Special Collections, University of Utah.

  FR Final Report (applies to government documents).

  HD H. R. Haldeman, The Haldeman Diaries, New York: Putnam, 1994.

  HD, CD H. R. Haldeman, The Haldeman Diaries, The Complete Multimedia Edition, Santa Monica, CA: Sony, 1994.

  JA Jonathan Aitken, Nixon: A Life, Washington, D.C.: Regnery, 1993.

  JFKL John F. Kennedy presidential Library.

  JFRP John F. Rothmann Papers.

  LAT Los Angeles Times.

  LBJL Lyndon B. Johnson presidential Library.

  MEM Richard Nixon, The Memoirs of Richard Nixon, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.

  MO Roger Morris, Richard Milhous Nixon: The Rise of an American Politician, New York: Henry Holt, 1990.

  NA National Archives.

  NM J. Anthony Lukas, Nightmare, New York: Penguin, 1988.

  NP, NA Nixon Presidential Materials Project, National Archives housed at College Park, MD.

  NSF National security file.

  NYT New York Times.

  PAT Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Pat Nixon: The Untold Story, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986.

  PERJ Allen Weinstein, Perjury, New York: Random House, 1997.

  R U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, 93rd Congress, 2nd Session, “Impeachment Inquiry” [pursuant to House Resolution 803], chaired by Rep. Peter Rodino.

  RN Richard M. Nixon.

  TW60 Theodore H. White, The Making of the President, 1960, New York: Atheneum, 1962.

  TW64 Theodore H. White, The Making of the President, 1964, New York: Atheneum, 1965.

  TW68 Theodore H. White, The Making of the President, 1968, New York: Atheneum, 1969.

  TW72 Theodore H. White, The Making of the President, 1972, New York: Atheneum, 1973.

  VP, NA Richard M. Nixon Pre-Presidential Papers, National Archives, housed at Laguna Niguel, CA.

  WHT White House tapes. The tapes themselves are housed at the National Archives, College Park, MD. Where so indicated, tapes have been transcribed by the author’s researcher, Robert D. Lamb.

  WP Washington Post.

  WSPF Watergate Special Prosecution Force.

  WSPF (H-R) Hughes-Rebo
zo Investigation, Watergate Special Prosecution Force.

  Acknowledgments

  * * *

  More than a thousand people were interviewed for this book. We thank them all, but draw the reader’s special attention to the following. Of Richard Nixon’s surviving family, his brother Edward and his nephew Donald talked with us. Tricia Nixon courteously declined an interview request while Julie did not respond. From amongst Nixon’s friends, Jack Drown and Donald Kendall were interviewed. We could not see the late Bebe Rebozo, who had suffered a stroke, and Robert Abplanalp did not reply to letters. The late C. Arnholt Smith was interviewed, as were former Senator George Smathers and Adnan Khashoggi. Dr. Arnold Hutschnecker, the psychotherapist with whom Nixon had a long relationship as patient and friend, gave three extensive interviews.

  Of Nixon’s staff, the following granted interviews: Alexander Butterfield, Dwight Chapin, John Dean, the late John Ehrlichman, Peter Flanigan, Leonard Garment, Alexander Haig, Herb Klein, Egil Krogh, John Sears, Ron Walker, and Ronald Ziegler. So, too, did former Defense Secretaries Melvin Laird and James Schlesinger (who also served as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and director of the Central Intelligence Agency). Brent Scowcroft, former military assistant to the president and deputy assistant for national security affairs, was helpful. The late Maurice Stans, who served Nixon as commerce secretary and on several occasions chaired his campaign finance committees, gave a long interview at his home in California. The late Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former chief of naval operations, displayed a fine memory and perceptive insights. George Shultz, who served as labor secretary, director of the office of management and budget, and treasury secretary, also talked with us. Cynthia Bassett, daughter of Nixon’s early press spokesman, provided her father’s intimate correspondence and diaries.