That`s what these bums need. Well, Kurt, thanks, and congratulations.
- Thank you, sir. - Yeah, okay.
- Thanks, everybody. Bye. - No more war!
Less than 24 hours after President Nixon called them ''bums''...
four students were shot dead at Kent State University in Ohio.
Enraged student groups across the country are calling for a general strike tomorrow...
-to shut down-- -l tell you, the soldiers were provoked.
Now stop this pussyfooting around.
Jesus Christ. l mean, dead kids. How the hell did we give the Democrats a weapon like this?
Well, one way or the other, Kent State is not good.
- We have to get out in front of this thing. - Follow the money. The money.
- Follow the money. - Sir?
These kids are being manipulated by the Communists, like Chambers and Hiss.
- What`s the matter with you? - This isn`t `48, Mr. President. They`ll never buy it.
How do you know that,John? What`s Hoover found, for God`s sake?
Well, he called the other day, sir. He asked for President Harding.
- Maybe we can have, uh, a national prayer day. - Never complain, never explain,John.
Come on. These are not fraternity pranks,John.
- This is anarchy. lt`s a revolution. - l wouldn`t go that far, sir.
Why not?
Well, is it worth it, sir? l mean, is the war worth a one-term presidency?
Because right now l think that`s what we`re looking at, sir.
l will not go down as the first American president to lose a war.
Going to Cambodia, bombing Hanoi, bombing Laos...
buys us time so we can get out and give the South Vietnamese a fighting chance.
- Exactly, sir. - Now, if we keep our heads, we`ll win this thing.
- What, w-win Vietnam, sir? - No. - No.
No, but what we can do is drive a stake through the heart of the Communist alliance.
Henry`s getting strong signals from the Chinese.
Oh, they fear the Vietnamese more than the Russians...
and they`re worried about a united Vietnam.
Now, if we stick it out, we`ll end up negotiating separately...
with both the Chinese and the Soviets...
and we`d get better deals than we ever dreamed of from both.
That is triangular diplomacy, gentlemen.
Exactly, Mr. President.
That`s what geopolitics is about.
The linking of the whole world for self-interest.
So,you tell me, Ron, how the hell l can explain that on TV...
to a bunch of simpleminded reporters and, uh, weeping mothers.
Uh,yeah, but what am l telling the press about Kent State?
Ah, tell them what the hell you like. l don`t care. They don`t understand anyway.
Excuse me, sir.
Are you saying you`re gonna recognize Red China?
l mean, that would cost us our strongest support.
No, l can do this because l spent my whole career...
building anti-Communist credentials.
lf Kennedy orJohnson had tried it, they`d have crucified them, and rightfully so.
Damned risky, Mr. President. Why don`t we wait until the second term?
- This`ll get us a second term,John. - This will get me a second term.
Damn it! Without risk, there`s no heroism, there`s no history.
Nixon was born to do this. Give history a nudge.
- Come on! - Hear, hear.
l mean, if Cambodia doesn`t work...
we`ll bomb Hanoi if we have to.
That`s right. And if necessary, l`ll drop the big one.
We have to entertain the possibility.
Goddamn it! Who cooked this damn steak?
Manolo, there`s blood all over my plate. Take it away.
l`m sorry, sir.
- You all right? - Yeah.
My brother Harold was the same age as those kids,John.
- Tuberculosis got him. - Come on. lt wasn`t your fault.
The soldiers were kids too. They just panicked.
Yeah.
They were throwing rocks,John. Just rocks.
They don`t think l feel, but l feel too much sometimes.
l just can`t let our whole policy be dominated by our sentimentality.
You`re doing the right thing. Don`t let `em shake you.
No.
You know, it broke my heart when Harold died.
Oh, that was a long time ago.
Yeah. l think that`s when it starts, when you`re a kid.
The laughs and snubs and slights you get...
because you`re poor or lrish orJewish or...
just ugly.
Get off that. That leads nowhere.
But you should offer condolences to the families of those kids.
Sure.
l`d like to. l`d like to offer my condolences.
But Nixon can`t.
Manolo?
- Manolo? - Mr. President.
- Yeah. - l-l`m sorry. l-- l was asleep.
What can l get you?
- Well,you know. - Of course.
Do you miss Cuba, Manolo?
Yes, Mr. President.
We let you down, didn`t we?
Your people.
That was Mr. Kennedy, sir.
Oh.
You don`t think he was a hero, do you?
He was a politician.
Did you cry when he died?
Yes, sir.
Why?
l don`t know. l--
He... made me...
see the stars.
How did he do that?
Those kids.
Why do they hate me so much?
He has loosed the fateful lightning
Of his terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on
l have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
l can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on
l have read the fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel
As ye deal with my contemner so with you my grace shall deal
- Let the Hero born of woman - l`m telling you, it`s the president.
Crush the serpent with His heel
Hi. l`m Dick Nixon.
Hi there.
- Hi. Where you from? - Syracuse.
Oh,yeah, the, uh, Orangemen.
Now there`s a football program. Uh--
Jim Brown and that, uh, other, uh, tailback...
the, uh, the one with the blood disease.
- Ernie Davis. - Yeah, right, right, right.
l used to play a little ball myself at Whittier.
Of course, they used to use me as a, a tackling dummy.
We didn`t come here to talk about football.
Yeah, l understand that.
Uh, how old are you,young lady?
- Nineteen. - Yeah.
Well, probably most of you think l`m a real S.O.B.
- l know that, and, uh-- - That`s right. - Yeah.
l understand how you feel, but,you know, l want peace too.
- But peace with honor. - What does that mean?
- This is all bullshit. - Well,you can`t have peace without a price.
Sometimes you have to be, uh, willing to fight for peace...
and sometimes to die.
Yeah? Tell that to the G.l.s who are gonna die tomorrow in Vietnam.
- What`s that got to do with Vietnam? - What lets you kill women and children?
What you have to understand, Mr. Nixon, is we`re willing to die for what we believe in.
- That`s right. - Yeah. - lt`s the truth.
Yeah.
Look. That man up there. He lived in similar times.
Oh, he had chaos and civil war and hatred between the races.
- This is all bullshit. - Sometimes l go to the Lincoln Room at the White House...
and just pray.
You know, uh, liberals act like idealism belongs to them.
That`s not true. No.
My family went Republican because Lincoln freed the slaves.
My grandmother was an abolitionist.
lt was Quakers who founded Whittier, my hometown...
- What is this? - uh, to abolish slavery.
They were,you know, conservative Bible folk...
but they had a powerful sense of right and wrong, and, uh--
Well, 40 years ago, l-- l was like you.
- Looking for answers, see? - Come on.
- Yeah, right. - Tricky Dick himself.
My mother used to feed hobos stopping over at our house.
- Patrol, we got him. - Don`t push, pig!
- Clear the way. - Okay, Bob, we`re just rapping, my friends and l.
ln fact, we agree on a lot of things, don`t we?
- No, we don`t. - Fascists.
You say you wanna end the war. So why don`t you?
Change always comes slowly.
l pulled out more than half the troops.
l-l`m trying to cut the military budget for the first time in 30 years.
l want a, a volunteer army, but it`s also a question of American credibility...
our-- our position in the world.
Come on, Mr. Nixon. lt`s a civil war between Vietnamese.
You don`t want the war. We don`t want the war. The Vietnamese don`t want the war.
So why does it go on?
- You should be going, Mr. President. - Okay.
Please.
You can`t stop it, can you? Even if you wanted to.
`Cause it`s not you. lt`s the system.
The system won`t let you stop it.
That`s right.
There`s-- There`s more at stake here...
than what you want or what l want.
Then what`s the point? What`s the point of being president? You`re powerless!
No. No, l`m not powerless.
Because-- Because l understand the system. l believe l can, uh--
l can control it. Maybe not control it totally, but, uh...
tame it enough to make it do some good.
Sounds like you`re talking about a wild animal.
- Yeah, maybe l am. - We really must go, Mr. President.
- Please. - Make way.
- What about the war? - Come on! - When you gonna get us out?
- The old man`s moving. - Come on. Move it. Move it. Get away.
She got it, Bob. Nineteen-year-old college kid.
- What? Who? - She understood something...
that`s taken me 25 years in politics to understand.
The C.l.A., the Mafia, those Wall Street bastards.
- Sir? - The beast.
- Nineteen-year-old kid. She called it a wild animal. - Yes, sir.
Called before His judgment seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him
Be jubilant, my feet
Our God is marching on
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory--
ln Washington, the size of the crowds have swelled...
to over a quarter of a million demonstrators protesting the ongoing war in Vietnam.
What`s wrong?
We`re just not going to buckle to these people.
No more war!
Beautiful.
Yes, thank you.
Princess, may l?
Thank you.
l`m very proud of you today, Princess. Very.
Thank you, Daddy.
Yeah?
Some very secret essays on Vietnam have been leaked to the New York Times.
l know! l know! Not now, Chuck!
- The New York Times. - Get Ron over here.
lt`s the happiest day of my life.
The New York Times began publishing today...
the first in a series of 47 volumes of top-secret Pentagon tapes...
relating to the war in Vietnam.
The papers, leaked by defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg...
reveal a systematic pattern of government lies and American involvement in the war.
Mr. President, we are in a revolutionary situation.
We are under siege. The Black Panthers, the Weathermen.
The State Department under Rogers is leaking like a sieve.
And now, this little insignificant little shit Ellsberg...
publishing all the diplomatic secrets of this country...
is destroying our ability to conduct foreign policy.
l wonder if there are many people here who wouldn`t think that ten years in prison...
was very cheap if they could contribute to ending this war.
The man has become a drug fiend.
He shot people from helicopters in Vietnam.
He`s had sexual relations with his wife in front of their children.
He sees a shrink in L.A. The man`s all fucked up.
And now he`s trying to look good for the liberals.
And if he gets away with it, everybody will follow his lead.
This man must be stopped at all costs.
l`m as frustrated as you are, Henry, but don`t you think this is a Democrat problem?
They started the war. lt makes them look bad.
But, Mr. President, the Russians, the Vietnamese--
- lt makes you look like a weakling. - Goddamn it!
How long have we had this jackass dog? Two years, and he still doesn`t come.
We need a dog that looks happy when the press is around here.
-He`s photogenic.Just try new biscuits. -Aw, fuck it!
He doesn`t like me,John. lt`s your fault, Henry.
- l beg your pardon? - lt`s your people who are talking to the press.
Uh, this Ellsberg. Wasn`t he a student of yours at Harvard?
l mean, uh, he`s your idea, Henry. So why are you running for cover?
Well,yes, we taught a class together at Harvard...
b-but you know these backstabbing lvy League intellectuals. They--
- No, l don`t, Henry. l don`t. - We can prosecute the New York Times.
Go for an injunction.
Yeah, but it`s not, bottom line, gonna change a goddamn thing,John.
The... question is, how do we screw Ellsberg so bad...
it puts the fear of God into all leakers?
The other issue is, how the hell do we stop these leaks once and for all?
Now, someone is talking to the press. We gotta stop these leaks at any cost, Henry.
You hear me? Then we can go for the big pic-- China. Russia.
- Sir, if l might? - Go, Chuck.
We can do this ourselves.
The C.l.A. and the F.B.l. aren`t doing the job.
Now, we can create our own intelligence unit right here, inside the White House.
- Well, why not? - Our own intelligence capability?
- To plug the leaks? - Yeah.
- Like plumbers. - Plumbers.
l like it. l like the idea.
Yeah, but, uh, is it legal? Has it ever been done before?
Oh, sure.
Lyndon,J.F.K., F.D.R.
l mean, uh, Truman, uh, cut the shit out of my investigation...
of the Hiss case back in `48.
And what he did was illegal.
You know, this kind of thing, you gotta be brutal.
A leak happens, the whole damn place should be fired.
Really. l mean,you do it like the Germans in World War ll.
lf they went through these towns, and a sniper hit one of`em...
they`d line the whole goddamn town up and say...
''Now, until you talk, you`re all getting shot.``
Really, l think that`s what has to be done.
l don`t think you can be Mr. Nice Guy anymore.
You just whisper the word to me, Mr. President, and l`ll shoot Ellsberg myself.
- We`re not Germans. - Yeah.
Ellsberg`s not the issue.
Pentagon papers aren`t the issue.
lt`s the lie.
- Mr. Hiss is lying. - Yeah.
Remember,John, back in `48? Nobody believed Alger Hiss was a Communist except me.
Well, they loved Hiss like they love this Ellsberg character.
He was their kind. lvy League establishment.
l am not, and never have been--
- Mr. Hiss is lying. - Mr. Hiss?
l was dirt to them. Nothing.
And Dick kicked the shit out of`em.
l wouldn`t have if Hiss hadn`t lied about knowing Chambers.
The documents were old and out-of-date, just like these Pentagon papers.
The key thing we proved was that Hiss was a liar.
Then people bought that he was a spy.
lt`s the lie that gets you.
All right, Henry, we`re gonna go your way. Crush this Ellsberg same way we did Hiss.
There is no other choice, Mr. President.
We`re gonna hit him so hard, he`ll look like everything that`s sick and evil...
about the Eastern establishment.
You and your plumbers,you`re gonna get all the dirt on this guy.
Let`s see him going to the bathroom in front of the American public.
And when we finish with him, they`ll crucify him.
Then we`ll get our second term.
The claws are out, Frank.
- You seen the guys? - They`re around.
Why? You got a customer?
The White House.
- You`re fuckin` me. - We`re gonna be Plumbers, Frank.
We`re gonna plug leaks.
- Who we workin` for? - Guy named Gordon Liddy.
Thinks he`s Martin Bormann. He wants to meet you.
Gordon Liddy. Frank Sturgis.
Hey, Frank.
Did you see the look on Hoover`s face? He was redder than a beet.
That little closet fairy`s got no choice.
He hates McGovern and Kennedy so much, he`s gotta love me.
- And Lyndon? - He looked old, didn`t he?
- Have you talked to Lyndon? - Yeah, l asked him...
''Lyndon, what would you do on a scale of one to ten?``
And he said, uh, ''Bomb the shit out of Hanoi, boy. Bomb them where they live.`` Yeah.
Bob, tell Trini l`ll be in, uh, Key Biscayne at 4:00.
- With Pat? - No, alone.
Uh, Pat`s staying here with Mrs. Eisenhower.
- Yes, sir. - Good.
Hi, Buddy. What are you doing here?
l missed you.
Why don`t we go down to Key Biscayne together?
Because l have to relax.
You know, l was, uh, just thinking tonight.
Remember when you used to drive me on dates with other boys?
Yeah.
You didn`t want to let me out of your sight.
Yeah. Sure.
A long time ago.
Yes, it`s been a long time.
Now, look, Buddy.
l don`t need that.
And l`m notJack Kennedy.
No,you`re not.
So stop comparing yourself to him.
You have no reason to.
You have everything you ever wanted.
You earned it.
Why can`t you just enjoy it?
l do. l do. ln my own way.
Then what are you scared of, honey?
l`m not scared, Buddy.
You don`t understand.
They`re playing for keeps, Buddy.
You know, the press, the kids, the liberals out there.
They`re out there trying to figure out how to tear me down.
- They`re all your enemies? - Yes.
You personally?
Yes!
Listen. This is about me.
Why can`t you understand that?
l mean,you of all people.
lt`s not the war.
lt`s Nixon!
lt`s not Vietnam. lt`s Nixon. They want to destroy Nixon.
And if l expose myself just the slightest bit...
they`ll tear my insides out.
You want that? You know?
You wanna see that, Buddy. lt`s not pretty,you know?
Sometimes l think that`s what you want, Dick.
What the hell are you saying?
Are you drunk?
Jesus,you sound just like them now.
l gotta keep fighting, Buddy, for the country.
These people running things, the elite...
they`re just soft, chicken-shit faggots.
They don`t have the long-term vision anymore.
They just wanna cover their ass and meet girls and tear each other down.
Oh, God, this country`s in deep, deep, deep trouble, Buddy.
l have to see this through, you know? Mother would have expected no less of me.
l`m sorry, Buddy.
l just wish you knew how much l love you, that`s all.
lt took me a long time to fall in love with you, Dick.
But l did.
And it doesn`t make you happy.
- You want them to love you. - No, l don`t. N-No. l`m notJack Kennedy.
They never will, Dick.
No matter how many elections you win, they never will.
History will never be the same.
We`re taking a step towards the future.
- Oye, Liddy. Aquí tengo folder. - We have changed the world.
- Five, ten. - All right. Let`s see what else. What else you have?
What else you got?
l must say,you look, uh, very good, Mr. Chairman.
Looks can be deceiving.
We know what risks you`ve taken in inviting us here.
l took no risk.
l am too old to be afraid of what anyone thinks.
Don`t ever trust them. They never tell the truth...
or honor their commitments.
Vietnamese are like Russians. Both are dogs.
Mr. Chairman, there`s an old saying in my country:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
- That has added virtue of being true. - Yeah.
Your writings have changed the world, Mr. Chairman.
Bullshit. My writings mean absolutely nothing.
l want to know your secret.
My secret, Mr. Chairman?
How a fat man gets so many girls.
Power, Mr. Chairman...
is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
You know, l voted for you in your last election.
l was the lesser of two evils.
You are too modest, Mr. Nixon.
You are as evil as l am.
We are the new emperors.
We are both from poor families...
and others pay to feed the hunger in us.
ln my case, millions of reactionaries.
ln your case, millions of Vietnamese.
Civil war is always the cruelest kind of war...
but our two nations were forged by revolution.
The United States, China.
Peace? ls peace all you`re interested in?
The real war is in us.
History is a symptom of our disease.
ln a surprise Christmas bombing of Hanoi...
President Nixon today delivered more tonnage than was used at Dresden in World War ll.
lt is without doubt the most brutal bombing in American history.
Newspapers are calling it a stone-age tactic...
and Nixon a maddened tyrant.
Nixon`s response:
''When the Vietnamese take the Paris peace talks seriously...
l`ll stop.`'
Penny for your thoughts.
Just think of the--
Think of the life Mao`s led.
ln `52, l-- l called him a monster.
Now he could be our most important ally.
Only Nixon could`ve done that.
You`re a long way from Whittier.
Yep. Yes, l am.
- Congratulations, Dick. - Mr. Ziegler.
Mr. President, the press guys asked if you could come back for a minute.
- To hell with them. - l`ll go back, Mr. President.
No, they-- They want you, Mr. President. l--
- l think it would be a good move. - Oh?
- Who`s back there? - Everybody.
Okay.
Gentlemen, l go now to discover the exact length...
width and depth of the shaft.
- Ladies and gentlemen, the president. - Oh, it`s the president.
- Hi. - Hello. - Hi.
- Mr. President. - Congratulations, sir.
- Bravo! Well done! - You did a good job, sir.
- Restored the confidence again. - Thank you, sir.
- We`re proud of you, sir. - Thank you.
Well...
it looks to me like we`re gonna lose a war for the first goddamn time.
Yep.
And you`re goin` right along with it, Dick.
Buyin` into this Kissinger bullshit...
this... detente with Communists.
Detente. Sounds like a couple of fags dancin`.
Jack, we`re not living in the same country you and l knew in `46.
Our people are just not gonna sacrifice in major numbers for war.
Can`t even get `em to accept the cuts in their gas tanks.
Now, the Arabs and theJapanese are draining the gold reserves--
And whose fault is that? lf we`d won in Vietnam, we wouldn`t be having this conversation.
lt`s nobody`s fault,Jack. lt`s, uh, change. lt`s a fact of history.
Even that old cocksucker J. Edgar Hoover`s dead.
Now, who would`ve thought that possible?
How`s the food over there in China, Mr. Nixon?
Oh, it`s delicious if you`re president.
So, what are you gonna do about that Allende fella...
nationalizing our businesses in Chile?
You gonna send Kissinger down there?
We`re gonna get rid of him-- Allende, l mean--Just as fast as we can.
- He`s at the top of the list. - How about Kissinger along with him?
Now, Kissinger`s misunderstood. He acts like a liberal for his establishment friends...
but he`s even tougher than l am.
So Kissinger stays. Just like Castro, Mr. Nixon.
Yeah. He stays.
And you are comfortable with that decision, huh?
Desi`s got a point.
What the hell are we gonna do about the Communists right here in our own backyard?
What do you really mean,Jack?
l mean l got federal price controls on my oil.
And the ragheads are beatin` the shit out of me, Dick!
And your E.P.A. environmental agency...
has got his thumb so far up my ass, it`s scratchin` my ear!
-John, l think it`s about time for us to be-- - Let him finish, Bob.
And l got a federaljudge ordering me to bus my grandkids halfway across this town...
to go to school with some nigger kids.
Now, Dick-- Mr. President--
aren`t you forgetting who put you where you are?
The American people put me where l am,Jack.
Really. Well, that can be changed.
ln a heartbeat.
Jack, l`ve learned politics is the art of compromise.
l learned it the hard way. l don`t know if you have.
Well, let me tell you this,Jack.
lf you don`t like it, there`s an election in November...
and you can take your money out in the open and give it to Wallace.
How about it,Jack? You willing to do that?
Hand this country over to some pansy poet socialist like George McGovern?
`Cause if you`re not happy with the E.P.A. up your ass...
try the l.R.S.
Goddamn, Dick. You`re not threatenin` me, are ya?
Presidents don`t threaten,Jack.
They don`t have to.
Good day to you, gentlemen. Thank you.
With third-party candidate George Wallace out of the race...
paralyzed by an assassin`s bullet...
Richard Nixon has crushed George McGovern...
in the 1 972 presidential election.
- lt is the second biggest landslide... - Four more years!
- in American history. - Four more years! Four more years!
As the new term begins, it does not seem...
the Watergate investigations have damaged Nixon politically...
in any significant way.
Probably our biggest achievement as an administration, when it`s all said and done...
isn`t China or Russia.
lt`s pulling out of Vietnam without a right-wing revolt.
l believe you`re right.
But even the presidency isn`t enough anymore.
Sir?
The presidency by itself won`t protect us, Bob.
We`re beyond politics now.
Mr. Ehrlichman.
Yeah.
Sir,just in from Paris.
- The Vietnamese have accepted Henry`s peace proposal. - Good.
- The bombing worked, sir. They`re caving. - Oh, congratulations.
- Congratulations. - This is a great victory. - That`s wonderful!
The mad bomber theory wasn`t so crazy after all.
And Henry is coming back to join us. You know, he wants to be included...
- in all the photographs, of course. - There`s a surprise.
- This could be it. This could be it. - Yes, sir.
Four long years. Geez.
lncidentally, sir, l don`t know if this is the right time, but you should know...
Bill Sullivan over at the F.B.l. got back to us with his report on Kissinger.
- l didn`t wanna bring it up right now because of the-- - Go on.
Well, Sullivan... thinks he`s the one. Henry`s the leaker.
Yeah, l knew it. l knew it from `69 on, and l said it all along, didn`t l?
- Yeah, l remember. - l didn`t, Bob. Come on.
Looks like he talked to Joe Kraft and the Times.
Claims that he was dead set against the bombing...
that you are unstable, and that he has to handle you with kid gloves.
That explains his press notices. Working both sides of the fence. Jew-boy Henry.
My God. He talked to the New York Times?
- Yes, he did. - We oughta fire his whining ass right now, when he`s on top.
And you know what, sir? lt`d set the right example for the rest of this administration.
l would personally volunteer for that assignment right now.
No. No.
No, he`s our only star right now. He`d go crying to the press.
He`d... crucify us.
Son of a bitch.
Get someone on our staff on his ass. Tap his phones. l wanna know everyone he talks to.
Let`s see how long the Kissinger mystique lasts.
So,John, what about these Watergate clowns?
This Sirica`s crazy.
Thirty-five year sentence. The-- No weapons, right?
No injuries. There`s no success. lt`s just ridiculous.
Sirica`s just trying to force someone to testify, but they`re solid.
What about this Washington Post crap? Woodwind and Fernstein.
- Bernstein, sir. - Who the fuck are they, anyway?
Bob,you working on revoking their television license?
- Yes, sir, l am. - Good.
Well, they`re trying to connect Bob and John with the secret fund.
- But they don`t have much. - They don`t have anything.
The F.B.l.`s feeding me their reports.
l didn`t think you should lose any more sleep over it, sir.
Good man,John. Good man.
Oh!
l can therefore announce that...
our long and tragic involvement in Vietnam is at an end.
Our mission is accomplished.
We have a cease fire...
and our prisoners of war are coming back home.
South Vietnam has the right to determine its own future.
So, we have peace with honor.
- The president will take some of your questions now. - Mr. President!
- Mr. President! - Dan.
Sir, isn`t it true that little has been achieved in this peace agreement...
that the Communists have not been offering since 1 969...
that in fact your administration has needlessly prolonged the war...
and at certain stages escalated it to new levels of violence?
l will try to...
- answer that question in some detail. - Mr. President!
- What is your reaction toJames McCord`s statement...
that high-level White House officials were involved in the Watergate break-in?
- Why, that`s the dumbest thing l`ve ever heard. - Sir. Sir.
- Stan. - The Washington Post is reporting that...
Mr. Haldeman and Ehrlichman secretly dispersed up to $900,000 in campaign funds.
- ls there any truth to that? - Now, let me make this perfectly clear.
l will not respond to the charges of the Washington Post.
Nor will l comment on a matter that is currently before the courts.
- Mr. President! - Mr. President!
- Sir! - Sir! - Here, sir!
Sir, do you intend to cooperate with Senator Ervin`s committee?
Will you agree to the appointment of a special prosecutor?
- Mr. President! - Mr. President! - Mr. President!
Mr. President!
Thank you. Thank you!
- Mr. President! Mr. President! - Mr. President, shouldn`t you--
Ron, get in there and do something!
l end the longest war in American history, and they keep harping on this chicken-shit--
God!
You know who`s behind this, don`t you? Teddy Kennedy.
Yeah, he drowns a broad in his car, and he can`t run for president--
He did get pretty burned at Chappaquiddick.
Yeah, my point exactly. Somebody had to die before he got his shit in the papers.
Fucking Kennedys get away with everything.
Goddamn `em!
You see me screwin` everything that moves?
And for Christ`s sake, l did what the New York Times editorial page seven...
said for me to do!
l ended the war!
l got SALT l with the Russians; l opened China.
So why are these assholes turning on me?
`Cause they don`t like the way l look. They don`t like where l went to school.
- Because they`re not Americans. - Yeah, right. They don`t trust-- They don`t trust America.
Why would they? Huh? They just come here to stick their snouts in the trough.
Who are these people? Sulzberger.
Their parents are gold traders from Eastern Europe, with all due respect, Henry.
And they buy things. They come here to ''Jew`` York City and they buy up things...
and one of the things they buy, Mr. President, is the New York Times.
You know what? You should be proud, because they`ll never trust you, sir.
Because we speak for the average American.
You know why they`re turning on me?
lt`s because they`re not serious about power, that`s why.
They`re playing with power.
They`re forgetting the national interest.
ln the old days, people knew how to hold power. How to set limits.
They wouldn`t have torn this country apart over a third-rate burglary.
For Christ`s sake...
now all they care about is-- is their egos, looking good at cocktail parties.
Beating out other papers and chasing girls.
Wondering whether someone said something nice about them.
All short-term frivolous bullshit,you know.
- Ben Bradlee worrying about Teddy Kennedy liking him. - Prick.
- Get Mr. Dean in here, will you? - Mr. President, l fear we are drifting towards oblivion here.
We are playing a totally reactive game.
We have to get ahead of the ball.
Now, we all know that you are clean. Right?
Then let`s take off the gloves.
- Let`s do a housecleaning. - Housecleaning?
No, it could be ugly, Henry, really ugly.
lt must be done, sir. Your government is paralyzed.
All kinds of shit could come out. The Ellsberg thing.
Yeah, even you knew about that one, didn`t you, Henry?
Well, l heard something. lt sounded idiotic.
''ldiotic.`` Yeah, l suppose it was.
l thought it was your idea to expose Ellsberg as a sex fiend.
l guess somebody just took you too literally.
l never suggested that a bunch of imbeciles break into a psychiatrist`s office.
lt doesn`t matter, Henry. The point is you might lose some of your media darling halo...
if the media starts sniffing around our dirty laundry.
Sir, l never had anything to do with that, and l resent the implication that--
Resent it all you want, Henry, but you`re in with the rest of us.
Cambodia. Ellsberg.
The wire taps you put in.
The president wants you to know you can`t just click your heels and head back to Harvard Yard.
lt`s your ass too, Henry, and it`s in the wind, twisting with everyone else`s.
- Sir. - Yeah.
There are times when even the president...
can go too far.
Played it perfectly, sir. That cocksucker`ll think twice before he leaks again.
Yeah.
He`ll be looking in his toilet bowl every time he pulls the chain.
Pardon them all. Hunt and the Cubans have nothing to lose now.
Nobody`s gonna investigate a crime for which the criminals have already been pardoned.
- Yeah, l like that. l like-- That`s a good solution. - Yeah, but it`ll never do.
Pardoning them means we`re all guilty. The press, the people will go nuts.
What am l supposed to do,just sit here and watch them coming closer...
eating their way to the center?
Lyndon bugged; so did Kennedy. F.D.R. cut a deal with Lucky Luciano.
Christ, even Eisenhower had a-- a mistress.
What`s so special about me? Huh?
l don`t know.
l just know we`ve made too many enemies.
Now, there are... things l can say when other people say them, they`d be lies.
When l say them, nobody believes me anyway.
Then we`re going to have to give them Mitchell.
Mitchell`s family.
Either it goes to Mitchell, or it comes here.
John`s right, boss.
lt`s not personal. lt`s just the way the game is played.
Sometimes you gotta punt.
Hey, he`s wrong,you know.
- About Kennedy, L.B.J. and Truman. - How so?
Well, l mean, sure, they did stuff, Bob, but nothing like this.
l mean, forget about the break-in, the, the, the enemies list. The, uh-- You know.
You got the attempted firebombing of the Brookings lnstitution.
Planting McGovern`s stuff on the guy that shot Wallace.
Trying to slip L.S.D. toJack Anderson.
The old man plays politics harder than anybody else,John.
You think this is about politics?
You think L.B.J. would ever have asked Hunt to forge a cable...
implicating Kennedy in the assassination of the president of Vietnam?
- How long have you known him? About 20 years? - This is the Roosevelt Room...
named after our 26th president.
This is about Richard Nixon.
l mean,you got people dying because he didn`t make the varsity football team.
You got the Constitution hanging by a thread...
because he went to Whittier, not to Yale.
And what is this Bay of Pigs thing anyway? Goes white every time you mention it.
lt`s a code or something.
Well, shit, even l figured that out.
No, l think he means--
- The Kennedy assassination. - Yeah?
They went after Castro, and in some crazy way it got turned back on Kennedy.
l don`t think the old man knows what happened.
But he`s afraid to find out, l can tell you that.
He`s shitting peach pits every time he thinks about it.
- Created a Frankenstein with those damn Cubans. - Ohh!
Eight words back in `72:
''l covered up.
l was wrong. l`m sorry.``
And the American public would`ve forgiven him.
But we never opened our mouths,John.
We failed him.
Dick Nixon saying ''l`m sorry``? That`ll be the day.
His whole suit of armor would fall off.
- So...you tell Mitchell. - Yeah.
And,John,you do know that we`re next, don`t you?
You`re early,John.
lf you`d been that stealthy at the Watergate, we wouldn`t be in this mess.
l was... sorry to hear about your wife.
Yes.
l got the money.
The president would like to know if that was the last payment.
- l`ll bet he would. - ls it?
ln Richard Nixon`s long history of underhanded dealings...
he`s never had better value for his money.
lf l were to open my mouth, all the dominoes would fall.
Can l ask you a question?
How the hell do you have the temerity to blackmail the president of the United States?
That`s not the question,John. The question is, why is he paying?
- To protect his people. - l`m one of his people.
The Cubans are his people. And we`re going to jail for him.
Howard,you will serve no more than two years. Then he`ll pardon you.
Maybe. Maybe not.
But you don`t leave your men on the beach,John.
You don`t make them beg for their money like thieves.
You don`t dump men with families who`ve served their country.
He didn`t know. This thing has gotten outta hand. He--
Do you think a man as controlled as Richard Nixon would`ve allowed a break-in...
at the Democratic National Headquarters without knowing it?
You really thinkJohn Mitchell or Bob Haldeman wouldn`t have run it by him at least once?
The president`s men did nothing--
nothing without Richard Nixon`s permission.
John, sooner or later--
sooner, l think--you`re going to learn the lesson that`s been learned...
by everyone who`s ever gotten close to Richard Nixon--
That he`s the darkness...
reaching out for the darkness.
And eventually, it`s either you or him.
Your grave`s already been dug,John.
F.B.l. director-designate L. Patrick Gray...
shocked the Senate by revealing that John Dean...
has been secretly receiving F.B.l. reports on Watergate.
- Crown, this is Echo Six. - How are you, sir?
Gray also said that Dean lied when he claimed Howard Hunt...
did not have an office in the White House.
- How is he? - He`s in a bad mood. He`s running late. Have a seat.
This is the sort of thing Mafia people can do, washing money and things like that.
We just don`t know about these things because we`re not criminals.
How much you need?
l would say these people will cost...
a million dollars over the next two years.
- We could get that. - Uh-huh.
Get a million dollars in cash. l know where it could be gotten.
l`m still not confident we can ride through this.
Some people are gonna have to go to jail. Hunt`s not the only problem.
Haldeman let me use the $350,000 cash fund...
in his safe to make the payments.
Ehrlichman had a role-- a big role-- in the Ellsberg break-in.
Oh, l-- l don`t know about that.
And-- And l`m--
l think it`s time we begin to think in terms of cutting our losses.
Yeah.
Are you saying-- You`re saying cut our losses,John, and all the rest.
And,you know, suppose the thing blows and they indict Bob and the others?
Jesus,you`d never recover from that,John. l mean--
No, it`s better to fight it out instead and not let people testify.
Sir, l-- l still don`t think we can contain this anymore.
There`s a cancer on the presidency and it`s growing with every day that we--
Jesus,you know, every--
Everything`s a crisis among the upper intellectual types, the softheads.
But the average people don`t think it`s much of a crisis. l mean--
For Christ`s sake, this is not Vietnam. No one is dying here.
- l mean, isn`t it ridiculous? - l-- l agree.
- lt`s-- lt`s ridiculous, but-- - lt`s goddamn crazy!
Goldwater was right when he said, for Christ`s sakes, everybody bugs everybody else.
We know that.
lt`s the cover-up,John, not the deed, that`s really bad here.
lf only Mitchell could just step up and take the brunt of it,you know.
You know, give `em the hors d`oeuvre.
Maybe they won`t come back for the main course. No.
You know, that`s the tragedy in all this.
Mitchell`s gonna get it in the neck anyway, so it`s time he assumed responsibility.
They`re not paying attention.
He won`t. He`s told Ehrlichman he won`t.
You tell my good friend Dick...
l got suckered into this thing by not paying attention to what these bastards were doing.
l don`t have a guilty conscience, and he shouldn`t either.
Yeah.
Well, he`s right.
Maybe it is time to go the hang-out route,John.
A full and thorough investigation.
We`ve cooperated with the F.B.l. We`ll cooperate with the Senate.
- What have we gotta hide? - No, we`ve nothing to hide.
No. Nothing to hide.
You know, the only-- the only fault in the plan is...
they`re not gonna believe the truth anyway; that`s the incredible thing.
l agree. lt`s-- lt`s tricky.
Everything seems to lead back here.
- People would never understand. - No.
John, l want you to get away from this madhouse. l want-- These reporters.
l want you to go up to Camp David for the weekend and l want you to write up a report.
Put everything you know about Watergate in there and say...
''Mr. President, here it all is.`` Okay?
You want me to put it all in writing over my signature?
Well, uh, nobody knows more about this thing than you do,John.
And, uh,you know, the details. And that stuff l don`t know. But-- Heh.
Uh-huh.
Sir... l`m not going to be the scapegoat for this.
Haldeman and Ehrlichman are in it just as deep as l.
No, now,John,you don`t wanna start down that road.
l-- You know, l remember...
Whittaker Chambers telling me back in `48--
And he was a man who suffered greatly,you know.
And he said, ''On the road of the informer, it is always night.``
Now... it`s beyond you or even me,John.
- lt`s-- lt`s the country. - Yeah.
- lt`s the presidency. - l understand that, sir.
You know, l-- You know how l feel about loyalty.
l-- l`m not gonna let any of my people go to jail, that l promise you.
Now, the important thing is is just to keep this away from Haldeman and Ehrlichman.
And l`m trusting you to do this,John, and l have complete confidence in you. Okay?
- l`ll work on it. - Okay.
Now you say hi to that beautiful wife of yours, will you?
- Yes, sir. - Good. Shit.
- lt happens. - This place is a shambles.
- Yeah. - Hey!
l was determined that we should get to the bottom of Watergate...
and the truth should be fully brought out, no matter who was involved.
Today, in one of the most difficult decisions of my presidency...
l accepted the resignations of two of my closest associates in the White House...
Bob Haldeman andJohn Ehrlichman...
two of the finest public servants it has been my privilege to know.
More light, Chief?.
No, Bob.
- Six bodies. - Counsel to the president, John Dean, has also resigned.
l will not place the blame on subordinates...
on people whose zeal exceeded their judgment...
and who may have done wrong in a cause they deeply believed to be right.
ln any organization, the man at the top must bear the responsibility.
That responsibility, therefore, belongs here in this office, and l accept that.
There can be no whitewash at the White House.
Two wrongs do not make a right.
Now, l love America.
God bless America, and God bless each and every one of you.
And we`re clear.
Out.
Thank you.
Are you going to Key Biscayne?
- Yeah. - When?
Tomorrow.
Ron told me that, um...
Bob Haldeman has been calling, but you won`t talk to him.
lf he`s convicted, will you pardon him?
No.
Why are you cutting yourself off from the rest of us?
- Can`t we discuss this? - What exactly did you want to discuss, Pat?
You. What you`re doing.
- What am l doing? - l... wish l knew.
You`re hiding.
- Hiding what? - Whatever it is you`ve always been hiding.
You`re letting it destroy you, Dick.
You won`t even ask for hel--
Manolo, uh, Mrs. Nixon`s finished.
l am the only one left, Dick.
lf you don`t even talk to me--
Brezhnev`s coming in three days.
l don`t wanna deal with them and him... and you.
How much more-- How much more is it going to cost?
When do the rest of us stop paying off your debts?
l`d like to finish my dinner in peace...
if it`s not too much to ask.
No, it isn`t.
l won`t interfere with you anymore. l`m finished trying.
Thank you.
''Thank you``?
Dick, sometimes l understand why they hate you.
The committee will come to order, and counsel will call the first witness.
- Thank you. - Mr.John W. Dean, lll.
After l departed the president`s office...
l subsequently went to a meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman to discuss the matter further.
The sum and substance of that discussion was...
the way to handle this now was for Mitchell to step forward.
lt was a tremendous disappointment to me because it was quite clear...
that the cover-up, as far as the White House was--
was concerned, was going to continue.
- Why is he doing this? He`s our goddamn lawyer. - l recall the--
lf he had a problem, why didn`t he come talk with us?
Just remember, the weasel`s got no proof.
- l, for the first time, said-- - lt`s still an informer`s word against the president`s.
...were all indictable for obstruction of justice.
And that was the reason l was disagreeing with all that was being discussed...
- Give `em hell, General. - at that point in time.
Mao taught me in 1 963...
if l have nuclear weapons...
let 400 million Chinese die...
300 million will be left.
- Mao. - Yeah.
- You want to know what happened? l can tell you what happened. - Mao suffers from--
You want names? l can give you names. l can give you Haldeman.
l can give you-- l`m talking about the president. The president.
- Mao. - We all know in our country--
l can give you the president.
...this man and his dog heart.
You want him to be your ally?
Well, he was your ally for 20 years, Leonid.
Yes,yes, Dick.
Mr. Nixon.
Life is the best teacher, and therefore it must not interfere...
with the building of the SALT ll treaty between our great countries.
Peace in our era is possible.
- Excuse me, Leonid. - lt`s okay, Dick. lt`s okay.
He`s spilling his guts to the Ervin committee. And unfortunately--
Did you, Daddy?
- What? - Did you cover it up?
You think l`d do something like that, honey?
Well, then you can`t give up. You just can`t.
You`re one of the best presidents this country has ever had.
You`ve done what Lincoln did-- you brought this country back from civil war.
You can`t let your enemies tear you down.
You`ve gotta stay and fight. l`ll go out there and make speeches.
Nobody knows the real you, how sweet you are...
how nice you are to people.
l`ll tell them.
You`re the most decent person l know.
l just hope l haven`t let you down, kitten.
They just don`t know the real you.
They just don`t know.
Tricky Dick always knew what was goin` on.
Every last goddamn detail.
- And my husband is not going to take the rap this time. - Martha!
- Martha,just a few questions. - They know they can`t shut me up. Probably end up killin` me.
She doesn`t know what she`s talking about. She`s not well. Stop bothering her.
Ah, hell, she`s nuts. You bastards have seen to that.
Mr. Mitchell, are you and Martha gonna get back together again?
Our marriage is finished. Thank you very much. Stick that up your keister, fella.
Now, were the visitors that went into the White House warned...
their conversations with the president would be taped?
- Again, l am not aware of the technical details. - And on Friday...
we have the high school students from Ohio.
-...telephones is often times-- - Saturday is the National...
- Women`s Republican Club. - ln a development that could break Watergate wide open...
- And Sunday you`ll be-- - former White House aide Alexander Butterfield...
- ...the west wing of the White House-- - testified today before the Senate select committee.
He revealed the existence of a taping system...
that may have recorded conversations in the White House...
the Executive Office Building, and even members of his own family.
You said also taped-- All calls to the White House...
of whatever nature and character would be taped?
- Yes, the tape would not discriminate. - And none of them...
had knowledge that their conversations were being taped?
- This is a stunning revelation. -No, sir--
lf such tapes exist, they could tell us, once and for all...
what did the president know, and when did he know it.
l want Hunt paid.
Maybe it`s time to go the hang-out route,John.
-lf they fear the madman-- -lt was a contribution. lt was a legal contribution.
- Who the hell authorized this? Colson? - Well, sir--
- The Bay of Pigs? - ...the C.l.A and you tell Helms that Howard Hunt--
-lt was Kennedy`s screw-up. - There`s a cancer on the presidency...
- and it`s growing with every day-- - This thing we created--
Too damn much. Whatever, it killed Kennedy.
lf he goes public-- lf Hunt goes public--
- This thing we created-- - it`ll be a fiasco for the C.l.A.
They`re like love letters.
You should burn `em.
Why didn`t you?
They`re evidence. You can`t legally destroy evidence.
You don`t expect me to believe that for one minute, do ya?
Huh?
Does it matter what`s on `em?
Really? Murder, Dick? Sex?
Your secrets? Your fantasies? Or is it just me and you and--
Don`t be ridiculous.
l remember Alger Hiss.
l know how ugly you can be.
You`re capable of anything.
You see, it doesn`t really matter at the end of the day what`s on them...
because you have absolutely no remorse.
No concept of remorse.
You want the tapes to get out. You want them to see you at your worst.
- You`re drunk. - Oh,yeah!
No one`ll ever see those tapes, including you.
And what would l find out that l haven`t known for years?
What makes it so damn sad...
is that you couldn`t confide in any of us.
You had to make a record for the whole world.
They were for me. They`re mine.
They`re not yours. They are you.
You should burn them.
- What has changed in you, Richard? - Ohh! Go away!
These guys went after Castro seven times, ten times.
What, do you think people like that, they just gave up?
They just don`t walk away.
- What do you think-- Seven times, ten times. - l never said this.
- Ten times. Never. - What, do you think people like that, they just gave up?
Castro. These guys went after Castro.
lf this got out, they`d blame me for everything.
Forget Kennedy orJohnson. lt`s Nixon.
Whoever killed Kennedy came from this thing we created...
this beast.
ln the latest bombshell, the president`s lawyers revealed...
that there is an 18-and-a-half minute gap...
in a critical Watergate tape.
Reactions of disbelief and anger are being heard across the country.
My God! Pat!
- Pat! - He was coughing. - l`m gonna need--
- Has he had chest pains? - He woke up coughing blood. - Clear the path! l`m in charge here!
- Has he been short of breath? - No, and he`s sure that he has T.B.
- Why T.B.? - Because his family had it. His brother had it.
- Lie down on there. - l think it`s flooded.
Richard.
Okay, ladies, get those l.V.s started.
- Please lie down, Dick. They need you to lie down. - Sedate him.
Dick.
- Richard? - Mother.
Maybe a trip to the woodshed`ll--
Daddy, did--
Vice President Agnew has resigned today...
pleading no contest to charges of income tax evasion.
This follows Watergate special prosecutor...
Archibald Cox`s continuing investigation...
into President Nixon`s finances.
- Apparently, the president paid no income tax-- - Please lie down, Dick.
-in the years 1 970, `7 1 and `72, - They need you to lie down, Dick. Dick!
and may have used government funds to improve his residence in San Clemente, California.
Where`s the blood coming from? What`s wrong with him?
Well, he`s got an acute viral pneumonia and a very serious phlebitis.
- lf a clot were to break loose, it could go into his lungs. - Oh, no.
The president, recovering, has returned to the White House.
But Archibald Cox has declared war by issuing a subpoena for nine of the president`s tapes.
Never! Over my dead body! lt`s the president`s personal property.
l`ll never give up my tapes to a bunch of...
Kennedy-loving, Harvard Democrat cocksuckers.
This could trigger the impeachment. They`ll go to the Supreme Court.
l appointed three of those bastards, and l`ll never give `em my tapes.
Can the president afford to ignore a subpoena?
Who the hell does Cox think he is? l`ve never made a dime from public office.
l`m honest. My dad died broke.Jesus.
You know, that son of a bitch Cox, he went to the same law school asJack Kennedy.
The last gasp of the establishment.
Yeah, they got the hell kicked out of`em in the election...
so they now they gotta squeal about Watergate...
`cause we were the first real threat to them in years.
My God, Al, we would`ve changed it--
changed it so they couldn`t have changed it back in 1 00 years.
Yeah.
- lf only the-- - Mr. President.
- Huh? - Sir, Congress is--
- No, over here, sir. - Sir. - Yeah?
Congress is considering four articles of impeachment.
- Yeah. For what? - They`re very serious charges, sir.
- Huh? - First, abuse of power.
- Yep. - Second, the obstruction of justice.
-Yeah, what else? -Third, the failure to, uh, cooperate with the Congress.
- Yeah. - And, uh, last, uh, bombing Cambodia, sir.
They can`t impeach me for bombing Cambodia; the president can bomb anybody he likes.
- That`s true. - Well, we`ll-- we`ll win that one, sir, but the other three--
-Hey,you know, Fred, they sell tickets. -lt`s Ron.
They sell tickets to an impeachment like a damn circus.
Okay, so they impeach me. Well, fuck `em!
Yeah, well, it`s just a matter of mathematics. Yeah.
- How many votes do we have in the Senate? - About a dozen.
A dozen? Geez, l got half of`em elected.
Okay, so l got the South and, uh...
Goldwater and his boys.
- l`ll take my chances in the Senate. - Yes, we should.
- This damn leg. - Well, then, sir, we`ll...
have to deal with the possibility of removal from office...
loss of pension, possibly-- possibly even prison.
Yeah, well, plenty of people did their best writing in prison.
- Gandhi, Lenin. - That`s right.
What l know about this country, l could rip it apart.
So if they want a-- lf they want a public humiliation, that`s what they`ll get.
- Yes, they will. - l will never resign this office. Never.
Where the fuck am l? What`s in there?
- The P.O.W.s and their families. The event, sir. - Oh, l`m supposed to be--
- Compassionate, grateful-- - Proud.
- Sir? - Proud. Of them.
- Oh,yes. Yes, of course. - Fire him.
- Who? - Cox. Archibald Cox. Fire him!
But, sir, he works for the Attorney General. Only Richardson can fire him.
May l echo my concern here, sir? Really--
Then tell Richardson to fire him.
Well, Richardson won`t do that, sir. He`ll resign.
The hell he will. Then fire him too. lf you have to go all the way down to the janitor...
- of theJustice Department, fire that son of a bitch. - He`s asked for it.
Mr. President, may l just say something, sir?
- l think that you should welcome this subpoena. - Why?
Well, sir, the tapes can only prove that Dean was a liar, right?
That`s right, sir.
Well, there`s more.
There`s more than just me.
You can`t break, my boy. Even though it`s ended.
You can`t admit, even to yourself, when it`s gone.
Do you think those P.O.W.s in there did?
Now, there`s some people, and we both know them, Al...
think you can go stand in the middle of the bull ring and cry ''Mea culpa, mea culpa,``
while the crowd is hissing and booing and spitting on you.
Well, a man doesn`t cry. l don`t cry.
You don`t cry. You fight.
Okay.
Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States!
Good evening. We interrupt this program for a special report from NBC News.
The country tonight is in the midst of what may be...
the most serious constitutional crisis in its history.
President Nixon has fired the Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox.
Attorney General Elliot Richardson has quit...
and his deputy William Ruckelshaus was fired when he refused to fire Cox.
Acting Attorney General Robert Bork...
has executed President Nixon`s orders and fired the special prosecutor.
ln an attempt to head off impeachment proceedings...
the president has agreed to release transcripts of 46 taped conversations.
ln a simple ceremony, Gerald Ford was sworn in as Vice President.
Citing White House wrongdoing, a judge has dismissed all charges against Daniel Ellsberg.
The grand jury has indicted former Nixon aides Haldeman, Ehrlichman--
l mean,you`re-- you`re a lawyer for God`s sake.
How-- How the hell can you let this shit go through? Look, this. Nixon can`t say that.
- Well,you did say it, sir. - Never. l didn`t say that.
l never said that aboutJews. Makes me sound like an anti-Semite.
- Well, we can check the tapes again. - No need to check the tapes!
l know what l said. Look at this. Have you lost your mind?
Nixon can`t-- Look, Al, Nixon can`t say this.
- ''Niggers. Niggers.`` Niggers? lt can`t say that. - Well, we could delete it.
- We`re doing the best we can, sir. - Well, it`s not good enough!
Well, would you have us black it out, sir?
We could. We could write ''expletive deleted.``
Cut all these ''goddamns`` and ''Jesus Christs`` out.
-Jesus. - Mr. President.
Don`t you see that all these deletion marks in the transcript...
make it look as though you-- you do nothing but swear?
lt soils my mother`s memory.
You think l want the whole goddamned world to see my mother like this?
Raising a dirty mouth?
- Well, we could start again, sir, but it means... -Jesus Christ!
we don`t really have the staff to do that.
Then start over! Just start over!
The world will see only what l show `em!
From page one, Al. Page one, Ron.
Ron, get in there and do something. All this stuff--
Five seconds, Mr. President. And four...
three, two--
Good evening, my fellow Americans.
Tonight, l`m taking an action...
unprecedented in the history of this office.
l had no knowledge of the cover-up tillJohn Dean told me about it...
- Oh, l think l`m going to throw up. - on March 2 1st, a year ago.
...no payment to Hunt or anyone else be made.
- He`s completely lost touch with reality. - Let me just say this.
l`ve made my mistakes.
But in all my years of public life, l have never profited--
- Can you imagine what this man... - l have never profited...
-would have been had he ever been loved? -from public service.
l`ve earned every penny.
ln all of my years of public life, l have never obstructed justice.
- lt`s a tragedy, because he had greatness in his grasp. - l welcome this examination.
But he had the defects of his qualities.
- Now, l made $250,000 from a book... - They`ll crucify him.
Does anybody really care anymore?
which many of you were good enough to purchase.
-Also, in that period, l earned between $1 00,000... - And what happens after?
and $250,000 every year.
When l, in 1 968...
decided to become a candidate for the president...
l decided to clean the decks and to put everything in real estate.
And so, that`s where the money came from. That`s all l own.
That`s what we have and that`s what we own.
Because people have got to know whether or not their president--
president`s a crook.
Well, l am not a crook.
-l`ve earned everything l have-- -Pat doesn`t have a mink coat.
-Everything l`ve earned-- -She does have a respectable Republican cloth coat.
And l always tell her that she`d look good in anything.
There has never been any feathering of nests.
Not in this administration.
Now, let me just say this.
And l want to say this to the television audience.
The Supreme Court ruled today eight to nothing that President Nixon`s claims of...
executive privilege cannot be used in criminal cases and that he must turn over...
- all subpoenaed tapes. - The HouseJudiciary Committee...
-Firestorm on Capitol Hill-- -has voted 27 to 1 1...
to recommend impeachment to the full House.
The deliberations now go to the House floor.
ln its report, the Committee offers evidence...
that Nixon obstructed justice on at least 36 occasions...
that he encouraged his aides to commit perjury...
and that Nixon abused the powers of his office.
ln a separate report, the Senate select committee...
details the misuse of the l.R.S....
the F.B.l., the C.l.A. and theJustice Department.
lt denounces the Plumbers and it raises the question...
of whether the United States had a valid election in 1 972.
Come in.
Victory At Sea, Al. Henry.
The Pacific theater.
Christ,you can almost hear the waves breaking over the decks.
l`m afraid we have another problem, Mr. President.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
June 23rd, `72, sir.
Your instructions to Haldeman regarding the C.l.A....
and the F.B.l.
So?
Your lawyers feel that... it`s the smoking gun.
That`s totally out of context. l was protecting the national security.
Sir, the deadline is today.
Can we get around this, Al?
lt`s the Supreme Court, sir. You--
You don`t get around it.
lf--
lf you resign,you can keep your tapes as a private citizen.
You could fight them for years.
What if l stay?
You have the army.
The army?
Lincoln used it.
- We`ll have civil war. - How do you see this?
Oh, God.
We can`t survive this, sir.
They also...
have you instructing Dean to make the payoff to Hunt.
There`s nothing in that statement the president can`t explain.
But, sir,you talked about opening up the whole Bay of Pigs thing again.
- That`s right. - Three days before, on theJune 20th tape.
- The one with the 1 8-minute gap. - l don`t know anything about that.
You mentioned the Bay of Pigs several times.
Sooner or later, they`re going to want to know what that means.
They`re going to want to know what`s on that gap.
lt`s gone. No one will ever find out what`s on it.
They might... if there was another recording.
And we both know it`s possible.
l know for a fact that it`s possible.
l`ve spoken to Ford.
There`s a very strong chance that he`ll pardon you.
l don`t need a goddamned deal, for God`s sake. l--
This is something that you will have to do, Mr. President.
l thought you`d rather do it... now.
l`ll wait outside.
Sir.
May l say, sir, that if you stay now...
it will paralyze the nation and its foreign policy.
You always had a great sense of timing, Henry.
When to give...
and when to take.
How do you think Mao and Brezhnev will react?
Do you think they`ll remember us, Henry...
after all the great things you and l did together...
as some kind of--
of crooks?
They will understand.
To be undone by a third-rate burglary is a fate of Biblical proportions.
History will treat you far more kindly than your contemporaries.
Yeah.
lt depends on who writes the history books.
l`m not a quitter. Never have been.
And l`m not stupid either.
The trial would kill me. That`s what they want.
They won`t get it.
Fuck `em.
lf they harass you, l, too, will resign, and l will tell the world why.
Don`t be stupid. The world needs you, Henry.
You always saw the big picture.
You were my equal in many ways.
You`re the only friend l got, Henry.
Do you ever pray?
You know, believe in a...
supreme being?
Uh, not really.
You mean, on my knees?
My mother used to pray a lot.
lt`s been a long time since l... really prayed.
Let`s pray, Henry.
Let`s pray a little.
Just you and me.
l hope this doesn`t embarrass you, Henry.
No, sir, not at all. No.
This is not going to leak, is it?
Don`t be too proud, Henry.
Never be too proud to go on your knees before God.
God.
How can a--
How can a country come apart like this?
Wh-- What have l done wrong?
l opened China.
l made peace with Russia.
l ended the war.
l did what l thought was right.
God, why do they hate me so?
lt`s unbelievable. l-lt`s insane.
Oh, M-Mom, l`m sorry. God, please forgive me, God.
l-l didn`t mean it. l didn`t know what to do.
l don`t know why this is happening to me.
l can`t believe it.
Al.
They smelled the blood on me this time, Al. l got soft,you know?
That rusty, metallic smell.
- l know it well, sir. - lt came over from Vietnam,you know.
- Sir? - That smell.
l mean, everyone suffered so much.
Their boys killed.
Uh, they need to sacrifice something.
You know, appease the gods of war.
Mars,Jupiter.
l am that blood, General.
l am that sacrifice.
ln the highest place of all.
Yeah. All leaders must finally be sacrificed.
Things won`t be the same after this.
No, l played by the rules.
The rules changed right in the middle of the game.
There`s no respect for American institutions anymore.
No, people are cynical.
The press-- Ah, the press is out of control.
People spit on soldiers.
Government secrets mean nothing.
l pity the next guy who sits here.
Good night, gentlemen.
Mr. President.
When they look at you, they see what they want to be.
When they look at me...
they see what they are.
Dick, please don`t.
l can`t.
l don`t have the strength anymore.
lt`ll be over soon.
No, it`s gonna start now.
Oh, Buddy.
lf l could just sleep.
- lf l could just sleep. - There`ll be time for that.
Yeah.
You know, once when l was sick as a boy...
my mother gave me this stuff and...
she made me swallow it.
lt made me throw up all over her.
l--
l wish l could do that now.
l`m so afraid.
There`s darkness out there.
l could always see where l was going.
But it`s dark out there.
God, l`ve always been afraid of the dark.
Buddy.
There are many fine careers.
This country needs good farmers, good businessmen...
good plumbers, good carpenters.
l remember my old man.
l think that they would`ve called him sort of a--
sort of a little man, a common man.
Well, he didn`t consider himself that way.
You know what he was? He was a street car motorman first.
Then he was a farmer.
Then he had a lemon ranch.
lt was the poorest lemon ranch in California, l can assure you.
He sold it before they found oil on it.
And then he was a grocer.
But he was a great man because he did his job.
And every job counts, up to the hilt...
regardless of what happens.
Nobody will ever write a book, probably, about my mother.
Well, l guess all of you would say this about your mother.
My mother was a saint.
And l think of her...
two boys dying of tuberculosis...
and seeing each of them die.
And when they died--
Yes, she will have no books written about her.
But she was a saint.
Now, however, we look to the future.
l remember something, uh, Theodore Roosevelt wrote...
when his first wife died in his 20s.
He thought the light had gone from his life forever.
But he went on, and he not only became president...
but as an ex-president he served his country...
always in the arena, tempestuous, strong...
sometimes right, sometimes wrong.
But he was a man.
And as l leave, that`s an example l think all of us should remember.
See, we think sometimes when, uh, things happen...
that don`t go the right way--
we think that when someone dear to us dies--
uh, when we lose an election...
or when we suffer defeat, that all is ended.
Not true.
lt`s only a beginning, always...
because the greatness comes not when things go always good for you...
but the greatness comes when you`re really tested...
when you take some knocks, some disappointments...
when sadness comes.
Because only if you`ve been in the deepest valley...
can you ever know how magnificent it is...
to be on the highest mountain.
So, l say to you on this occasion...
we leave,proud of the people who have stood by us and worked for us...
and served this government and this country.
We want you to continue to serve in government, if that is what you wish.
Remember, always give your best.
Never get discouraged.
Never be petty.
Always remember, others may hate you...
but those who hate you don`t win unless you hate them...
and then, you destroy yourself.
And so we leave with high hopes...
and good spirits and with deep humility.
And l say to each and every one of you...
not only will we always remember you...
but always you will be in our hearts...
and you`ll be in our prayers.
And only then will you find what we Quakers call...
''peace at the center.`'
He gave of himself with intelligence and energy...
and devotion to duty.
Richard Nixon was buried and honored by five presidents...
on April 26, 1 994...
less than a year after his beloved wife Pat had died.
Nixon always maintained that if he had not been driven from office...
the North Vietnamese would not have overwhelmed the South in 1 975.
ln a sideshow, Cambodian society was destroyed and mass genocide resulted.
The second half of the 20th century...
will be known as the age of Nixon.
ln his absence, Russia and the United States...
returned to a decade of high-budget military expansion and near war.
Nixon, who was pardoned by President Ford...
lived to write six books...
and travel the world as an elder statesman.
For the remainder of his life, he fought successfully to protect his tapes.
The National Archives spent 1 4 years indexing and cataloging them.
Out of 4,000 hours, 60 hours have been made public.
Oh, Shenandoah
l long to see you
And hear
Your rolling river
Oh, Shenandoah
l long to see you
Way
We`re bound away
Across the wide
Missouri
l long to see
Your smiling valley
And hear
Your rolling river
l long to see
Your smiling valley
Way
We`re bound away
Across the wide
Missouri
- `Tis seven long years -Shenandoah
-Since last l seen you -Shenandoah
Oh, to hear
Your rolling river
- `Tis seven long years -Shenandoah
-Since last l seen you -Shenandoah
Way
We`re bound away
Across the wide
Missouri
The wide Missouri
- Oh, Shenandoah -l long to see you l long to see you
And hear
Your rolling river
Oh, Shenandoah
l long to see you
Way
We`re bound away
Across the wide
Missouri
Oh, Shenandoah